Salary AI Book a Demo

Hourly Wage for Critical Care Director Salary in the United States

What is the highest and lowest hourly pay for Critical Care Director?

As of August 01, 2026, the average hourly rate for a Critical Care Director in the United States is $79, which translates to an annual salary of about $164,792.

However, the hourly wage can vary significantly based on several factors. Here’s a detailed look at the typical pay range per hour:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $89 per hour
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $70 to $84 per hour
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $61 per hour
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Critical Care Director Salaries

A Critical Care Director's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Critical Care Director Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Critical Care Director's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $152,641
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $154,419
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $156,790
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $159,754
  • Expert (over 8 years): $162,717
Levels Salary
Entry Level Critical Care Director$152,641
Intermediate Level Critical Care Director$154,419
Senior Level Critical Care Director$156,790
Specialist Level Critical Care Director$159,754
Expert Level Critical Care Director$162,717
View as Graph

How Do Critical Care Directors Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Critical Care Directors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $182,458.
  • California: $181,766.
  • Massachusetts: $179,343.

Top Paying Cities for Critical Care Director

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $207,852
  • San Francisco: $205,576
  • Oakland: $201,244

What Skills Can Increase a Critical Care Director's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 12.5% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Cardiology (Mentioned in 12.5% Job Postings): Cardiology deals with the diagnosis and treatment of such conditions as congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, electrophysiology, heart failure and valvular heart disease.
  • Critical Care (Mentioned in 12.5% Job Postings): Critical care is sometimes referred as intensive care. Intensive care medicine, or critical care medicine, is a branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and management of life-threatening conditions that may require sophisticated life support and intensive monitoring. An intensivist is a physician who specializes in the care of critically ill patients, most often in the intensive care unit (ICU). Intensivists can be internists or internal medicine sub-specialists (most often pulmonologists), anesthesiologists, emergency medicine physicians, pediatricians (including neonatologists), or surgeons who have completed a fellowship in critical care medicine.
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 12.5%
Cardiology 12.5%
Critical Care 12.5%
See More Skills

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Critical Care Director's salary.

  • Cardiology: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
  • Expense Management: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
  • Patient Care: Can increase your salary by up to 1%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Cardiology $171,384
4%
Expense Management $171,384
4%
Patient Care $166,440
1%
Get Latest Data

Critical Care Director Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Critical Care Director salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $174,798. While startup companies pay approximate $148,953.

Critical Care Director Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup 1~50 $148,953
Growth Stage 51~500 $157,240
Established 501~5000 $169,083
Enterprise 5000+ $174,798

Critical Care Director Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Critical Care Director roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Healthcare, offers compensation 25% above the average. Conversely, Critical Care Director positions in Edu., Government & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Critical Care Director as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Critical Care Director

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$205,990$99.025%

How Education impacts an Critical Care Director's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Critical Care Director enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Critical Care Director with a Bachelor's Degree is between $145,372 and $154,266.

Critical Care Director Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Critical Care Director
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 4.3%
High School 4.3%
Associates 4.3%
Bachelors 21.3%
Masters 70.2%
Doctorate 0.0%
View as Graph

Critical Care Director Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Critical Care Director's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026
$144,936
Average $164,792/year
$174,931
$12,078
Average $13,733/month
$14,578
$2,787
Average $3,169/week
$3,364
$70
Average $79/hour
$84
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $174,931 $14,578 $3,364 $84
Average $164,792 $13,733 $3,169 $79
25th Percentile $144,936 $12,078 $2,787 $70

Most common benefits for Critical Care Director

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Critical Care Director

Here are companies hiring for Critical Care Director and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Critical Care Director Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Critical Care Director job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Get a Salary Increase

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

Search Job Openings

For Employers

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Adjust Employee Salary

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Price My Industry Jobs

FAQ about Critical Care Director

1. What are the responsibilities of Critical Care Director?

Directs the staff and programs of the critical care unit. Develops and introduces approved standards and guidelines for critical care services and programs. Ensures quality care to patients. Requires a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to senior management. Manages a departmental sub-function within a broader departmental function. Creates functional strategies and specific objectives for the sub-function and develops budgets/policies/procedures to support the functional infrastructure. Typically requires 5+ years of managerial experience. Deep knowledge of the managed sub-function and solid knowledge of the overall departmental function.

2. What are the skills of Critical Care Director

Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.

1.)

Leadership: Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.

2.)

Cardiology: Cardiology deals with the diagnosis and treatment of such conditions as congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, electrophysiology, heart failure and valvular heart disease.

3.)

Critical Care: Critical care is sometimes referred as intensive care. Intensive care medicine, or critical care medicine, is a branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and management of life-threatening conditions that may require sophisticated life support and intensive monitoring. An intensivist is a physician who specializes in the care of critically ill patients, most often in the intensive care unit (ICU). Intensivists can be internists or internal medicine sub-specialists (most often pulmonologists), anesthesiologists, emergency medicine physicians, pediatricians (including neonatologists), or surgeons who have completed a fellowship in critical care medicine.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst