Acting Head Nurse Salary in the United States

How much does an Acting Head Nurse make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for an Acting Head Nurse in the United States is $109,264 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $53.

However, an Acting Head Nurse's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $127,132
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $102,075 to $118,617
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $95,530
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2025 Compensation Trend
Smart Recruiting
AI Onboarding
Salary Salary + Bonus Benefits
Paid Annually Paid Monthly Paid Semimonthly Paid Biweekly Paid Weekly Paid Hourly
View as table View as graph 25% $102,075 10% $95,530 90% $127,132 75% $118,617 $109,264 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Acting Head Nurse Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary		 Monthly
Pay		 Weekly
Pay		 Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $118,617 $9,885 $2,281 $57
Average $109,264 $9,105 $2,101 $53
25th Percentile $102,075 $8,506 $1,963 $49
Check out Acting Head Nurse Job Openings in the United States
Research Nurse Head and Neck

Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH

Maintenance Technician

Blue Haven Pools - Hilton Head - BLUFFTON, SC

Registered Nurse

Amberwell Health Hiawatha - HIAWATHA, KS

Registered Nurse

Adept Nursing & Rehab of Sutherland - SUTHERLAND, NE

Search More Acting Head Nurse Jobs in the United States
Choose Similar Job
Choose Category
Cost of Living
Average Salary for United States
See it in Action

Key Factors That Influence Acting Head Nurse Salaries

An Acting Head Nurse'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 Do Acting Head Nurse 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 Acting Head Nurses. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $120,977.
  • California: $120,518.
  • Massachusetts: $118,912.

Top Paying Cities for Acting Head Nurses

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: $137,815
  • San Francisco: $136,460
  • Oakland: $133,433

What Skills Can Increase an Acting Head Nurse's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Planning (Mentioned in 8.76% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
  • Geriatrics (Mentioned in 2.41% Job Postings): Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a medical specialty focused on providing care for the unique health needs of older adults. The term geriatrics originates from the Greek geron meaning "old man", and iatros meaning "healer".
  • Staff Development (Mentioned in 1.44% Job Postings): Refers to all the policies, practices, and procedures used to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies of staff to improve the effectiveness and efficiency both of the individual and the University.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Planning 8.76%
Geriatrics 2.41%
Staff Development 1.44%
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 an Acting Head Nurse's salary.
  • Integrity: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Quality Improvement: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Effective Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Integrity
 $116,912
7%
Quality Improvement
 $115,820
6%
Effective Communication
 $114,727
5%
Clinical Operations
 $114,727
5%
Regulatory Compliance
 $114,727
5%
Teamwork
 $113,635
4%
Get Latest Data

Acting Head Nurse Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Acting Head Nurse'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.

  • Hourly
  • Monthly
  • Weekly
  • Yearly
  • Table View
Last Updated on April 01, 2026
$102,075
Average $109,264/year
$118,617
$8,506
Average $9,105/month
$9,885
$1,963
Average $2,101/week
$2,281
$49
Average $53/hour
$57
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $118,617 $9,885 $2,281 $57
Average $109,264 $9,105 $2,101 $53
25th Percentile $102,075 $8,506 $1,963 $49

Salaries of jobs related to Acting Head Nurse

Salary Trends for Acting Head Nurse

Salaries for an Acting Head Nurse can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $60,353 in 2023 to around $60,526 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Acting Head Nurse salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Acting Head Nurse Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$60,353
2024
$60,870
2025
$60,526
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $60,353
2024 $60,870
2025 $60,526
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Acting Head Nurse

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

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.

Compensation Planning

Common company salaries for Acting Head Nurse

Here are companies hiring for Acting Head Nurse and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Acting Head Nurse Job

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

United States
For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

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

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

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

Price My Industry Jobs

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

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.

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