Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) Salary in the United States

How much does a Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) in the United States is $91,653 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $44.

However, a Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)'s salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $112,081
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $83,719 to $102,346
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $76,496
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View as table View as graph 25% $83,719 10% $76,496 90% $112,081 75% $102,346 $91,653 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $102,346 $8,529 $1,968 $49
Average $91,653 $7,638 $1,763 $44
25th Percentile $83,719 $6,977 $1,610 $40
Check out Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) Job Openings in the United States
Critical Care Float Registered Nurse

Viemed - Columbus, OH

Travel Registered Nurse CCU Critical Care - $2060/Week

Anders Group, LLC - Columbus, OH

Critical Care/ICU Nurse Practitioner

DirectShifts - Columbus, OH

Search More Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) Salaries

A Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)'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 Registered Nurse (RN) Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)'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): $88,289
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $88,523
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $91,653
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $96,056
  • Expert (over 8 years): $96,370
Levels Salary
Entry Level Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)$88,289
Intermediate Level Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)$88,523
Senior Level Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)$91,653
Specialist Level Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)$96,056
Expert Level Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)$96,370
$88,289 0 yr
$88,523 < 2 yrs
$91,653 2-4 yrs
$96,056 5-8 yrs
$96,370 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) 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 Registered Nurse (RN)s. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $101,478.
  • California: $101,093.
  • Massachusetts: $99,746.

Top Paying Cities for Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)s

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: $115,602
  • San Francisco: $114,336
  • Oakland: $111,927

What Skills Can Increase a Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)'s Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 5.02% 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 3.01% 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 2.02% 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.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 5.02%
Acute Care 3.01%
Home Care 2.02%
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 Registered Nurse (RN)'s salary.
  • Effective Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Delegation: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
  • Family Education: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Effective Communication
$98,069
7%
Delegation
$95,319
4%
Family Education
$95,319
4%
Accountability
$95,319
4%
Quality Improvement
$95,319
4%
Confidentiality
$94,403
3%
Get Latest Data

Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 20% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Healthcare, offers compensation 10% above the average. Conversely, Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$100,818$48.010%

How Education impacts a Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)'s Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)s enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) with a Associate's Degree is between $81,005 and $87,195).

Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.3%
High School 1.3%
Associates 32.5%
Bachelors 59.3%
Masters 6.3%
Doctorate 0.7%
view as graph

Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)'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

Salary Trends for Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)

Salaries for a Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $205,065 in 2023 to around $199,453 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$205,065
2024
$207,267
2025
$199,453
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $205,065
2024 $207,267
2025 $199,453
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)

Here are companies hiring for Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) Job

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

United States
  • Aya Healthcare

    Columbus, OH

    Aya Healthcare | Columbus, OH

    Registered Nurse. Pay: $1,759.00 to $1,988.00 weekly Assignment Length: 13 Weeks Schedule: 3x12-Hour 19:00 - 07:30 Openings: 1 Start Date: 09/08/2026 Exper... more

    8 Days Ago

  • Ohio State University Physicians

    Columbus, OH

    Ohio State University Physicians | Columbus, OH

    Job Title. Clinical Nurse Care Coordinator. Job Description. Looking to join a dynamic team at Ohio State University Physicians where excellence meets comp... more

    7 Days Ago

  • Ohio State University Physicians

    Columbus, OH

    Ohio State University Physicians | Columbus, OH

    Job Title. Clinical Nurse Care Coordinator. Job Description. Looking to join a dynamic team at Ohio State University Physicians where excellence meets comp... more

    9 Days Ago

  • AMN Healthcare

    Columbus, OH

    AMN Healthcare | Columbus, OH

    Travel RN-PCU. Travel RN-PCU jobs at the facility in Columbus, OH let you work in a dynamic city with vibrant arts, dining, and outdoor spaces. The facilit... more

    6 Days Ago

  • AMN Healthcare

    Columbus, OH

    AMN Healthcare | Columbus, OH

    Travel RN-ICU Columbus, OH. RN-ICU jobs in Columbus, OH let you care for cancer patients in a Magnet-recognized inpatient unit focused on advanced oncology... more

    5 Days Ago

  • Nationwide Children's Hospital

    Columbus, OH

    Nationwide Children's Hospital | Columbus, OH

    Nursing Position5,000 Sign-on Bonus40 hours per week, Monday - Friday 8a - 5p.Salaried nursing position. Full-time benefits.Partners For Kids Website:partn... more

    9 Days Ago

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FAQ about Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN)?

The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Critical Care Registered Nurse (RN) roles, with salaries approximately 10% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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