Hourly Wage for Staff Nurse - RN III Salary in the United States

What is the highest and lowest hourly pay for Staff Nurse - RN III?

As of August 01, 2026, the average hourly rate for a Staff Nurse - RN III in the United States is $47, which translates to an annual salary of about $97,001.

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): $55 per hour
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $42 to $51 per hour
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $39 per hour

Key Factors That Influence Staff Nurse - RN III Salaries

A Staff Nurse - RN III'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 and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Staff Nurse - RN III Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Staff Nurse - RN III'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:

  • Staff Nurse - RN I (0-2 years): $73,601
  • Staff Nurse - RN II (2-4 years): $83,419
  • Staff Nurse - RN III (4-7 years): $97,001
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
Staff Nurse - RN I0-2 years$73,601
Staff Nurse - RN II2-4 years$83,419
Staff Nurse - RN III4-7 years$97,001

Top Paying Cities for Staff Nurse - RN III

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: $122,347
  • San Francisco: $121,008
  • Oakland: $118,458

What Skills Can Increase a Staff Nurse - RN III's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 5.16% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Acute Care (Mentioned in 2.95% Job Postings): Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery. In medical terms, care for acute health conditions is the opposite from chronic care, or longer term care. Acute care services are generally delivered by teams of health care professionals from a range of medical and surgical specialties. Acute care may require a stay in a hospital emergency department, ambulatory surgery center, urgent care centre or other short-term stay facility, along with the assistance of diagnostic services, surgery, or follow-up outpatient care in the community. Hospital-based acute inpatient care typically has the goal of discharging patients as soon as they are deemed healthy and stable. Acute care settings include emergency department, intensive care, coronary care, cardiology, neonatal intensive care, and many general areas where the patient could become acutely unwell and require stabilization and transfer to another higher dependency unit for further treatment.
  • Home Care (Mentioned in 2.1% Job Postings): Homecare is health care or supportive care provided by a professional caregiver in the individual home where the patient or client is living, as opposed to care provided in group accommodations like clinics or nursing home.
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 5.16%
Acute Care 2.95%
Home Care 2.1%

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 Staff Nurse - RN III's salary.

  • Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Communication Skills: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
  • Accountability: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Innovation $103,791
7%
Communication Skills $101,851
5%
Accountability $100,881
4%

Staff Nurse - RN III Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Staff Nurse - RN III salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $107,979. While startup companies pay approximate $91,518.

Staff Nurse - RN III Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup 1~50 $91,518
Growth Stage 51~500 $96,749
Established 501~5000 $104,313
Enterprise 5000+ $107,979

Staff Nurse - RN III Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Staff Nurse - RN III roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 49% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Energy & Utilities and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average. In contrast, Staff Nurse - RN positions in MFG Nondurable or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Staff Nurse - RN III as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Staff Nurse - RN III

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Energy & Utilities$121,251$58.025%
Biotechnology$108,641$52.012%
Software & Networking$106,701$51.010%
Healthcare$101,851$49.05%

Staff Nurse - RN III Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Staff Nurse - RN III'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
$88,169
Average $97,001/year
$105,612
$7,347
Average $8,083/month
$8,801
$1,696
Average $1,865/week
$2,031
$42
Average $47/hour
$51
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $105,612 $8,801 $2,031 $51
Average $97,001 $8,083 $1,865 $47
25th Percentile $88,169 $7,347 $1,696 $42

Most common benefits for Staff Nurse - RN III

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

Common company salaries for Staff Nurse - RN III

Here are companies hiring for Staff Nurse - RN III and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Staff Nurse - RN III

1. What are the responsibilities of Staff Nurse - RN III?

Provides professional nursing care to assigned patients. Records patient histories, performs various diagnostic tests, administers medications, and develops patient care plans in conjunction with other medical professionals. Assists physicians during examinations and procedures, operating and monitoring medical equipment as necessary. Observes patients' progress and records observations in patient medical records. Promotes patients' independence by teaching patients and families to understand conditions, medications, and self-care skills. May focus on a specific medical specialty. May require a bachelor's degree in nursing. Requires a valid state Registered Nurse (RN) license. Typically reports to a manager or head of a unit/department. Work is generally independent and collaborative in nature. Contributes to moderately complex aspects of a project. Typically requires 4-7 years of related experience.

2. What are the skills of Staff Nurse - RN III

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.)

Acute Care: Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery. In medical terms, care for acute health conditions is the opposite from chronic care, or longer term care. Acute care services are generally delivered by teams of health care professionals from a range of medical and surgical specialties. Acute care may require a stay in a hospital emergency department, ambulatory surgery center, urgent care centre or other short-term stay facility, along with the assistance of diagnostic services, surgery, or follow-up outpatient care in the community. Hospital-based acute inpatient care typically has the goal of discharging patients as soon as they are deemed healthy and stable. Acute care settings include emergency department, intensive care, coronary care, cardiology, neonatal intensive care, and many general areas where the patient could become acutely unwell and require stabilization and transfer to another higher dependency unit for further treatment.

3.)

Home Care: Homecare is health care or supportive care provided by a professional caregiver in the individual home where the patient or client is living, as opposed to care provided in group accommodations like clinics or nursing home.

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.

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