What are the main factors that influence an Acute RN's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

What industry pays the highest salary for Acute RN?

The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for Acute RN roles, with salaries approximately 15% above the market median.

How does experience change An Acute RN's salary?

An Acute RN's salary grows with experience: a Staff Nurse - RN I (0-2 years)earns $74,874, a Acute RN (2-4 years)earns $84,863, a Staff Nurse - RN III (4-7 years)earns $98,675,

What are the highest paying states for an Acute RN?

Acute RN salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Acute RN roles are District of Columbia $95,907, California $95,543, Massachusetts $94,270. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Acute RN roles make?

Salaries for Acute RN level roles vary by specialization: Acute Care Surgeon: $399,305; NP - Acute Care: $118,101; Nurse Practitioner - Acute Care: $118,023; RN Acute Bedside: $117,595; RN Surgical Acute: $105,491.

How do different companies affect an Acute RN's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Acute RN roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Acute RN Salary in the United States

How much does an Acute RN make in the United States?

As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for an Acute RN in the United States is $86,621 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $42.

However, an Acute RN's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $102,745
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $80,766 to $95,061
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $75,435

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Acute RN Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$95,061	$7,922	$1,828	$46
Average	$86,621	$7,218	$1,666	$42
25th Percentile	$80,766	$6,731	$1,553	$39

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Key Factors That Influence Acute RN Salaries

An Acute 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 Do Acute 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 Acute RNs. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $95,907.
California: $95,543.
Massachusetts: $94,270.

District of Columbia $95,907

California $95,543

Massachusetts $94,270

Washington $93,923

New Jersey $93,889

Alaska $93,768

Connecticut $92,572

New York $92,087

Hawaii $90,537

Rhode Island $89,809

Maryland $89,315

Minnesota $88,640

Colorado $88,380

Illinois $88,293

Oregon $87,964

Delaware $87,721

New Hampshire $87,569

Virginia $87,228

Pennsylvania $86,232

Nevada $85,729

North Dakota $85,565

Michigan $85,305

Wisconsin $85,209

Vermont $85,019

Texas $84,490

Maine $84,456

Arizona $84,404

Ohio $84,343

Georgia $83,546

Indiana $83,148

Wyoming $83,070

Utah $82,949

Iowa $82,897

Kansas $82,481

Louisiana $82,360

North Carolina $82,316

Missouri $82,299

Florida $81,961

Montana $81,779

Nebraska $81,606

Kentucky $81,511

South Carolina $81,164

Tennessee $80,948

Idaho $80,861

New Mexico $80,229

Oklahoma $80,090

Alabama $79,579

South Dakota $78,721

Arkansas $78,254

West Virginia $78,002

Mississippi $77,249

Top Paying Cities for Acute RNs

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: $109,255
San Francisco: $108,059
Oakland: $105,782

San Jose, CA $109,255

San Francisco, CA $108,059

Oakland, CA $105,782

New York, NY $99,735

Paramus, NJ $98,522

Queens Village, NY $98,518

Passaic, NJ $98,436

Bergenfield, NJ $98,428

Stamford, CT $98,237

Huntington, NY $98,202

Newark, NJ $97,562

Bridgeport, CT $97,379

Vallejo, CA $97,206

New Brunswick, NJ $97,172

Petaluma, CA $97,120

Middlesex, NJ $96,955

Somerset, NJ $96,895

Santa Cruz, CA $96,782

Boston, MA $96,254

Monterey, CA $95,950

Seattle, WA $95,751

Santa Rosa, CA $95,734

Los Angeles, CA $95,708

Juneau, AK $95,483

Washington, DC $95,387

Orange, CA $95,079

Santa Ana, CA $94,850

Long Beach, CA $94,764

Anaheim, CA $94,746

Anchorage, AK $94,703

Santa Maria, CA $94,443

Everett, WA $94,426

Danbury, CT $94,121

Bremerton, WA $94,001

Tacoma, WA $93,690

New Suffolk, NY $93,688

Sacramento, CA $93,664

Santa Barbara, CA $93,568

Trenton, NJ $93,473

San Diego, CA $93,473

Brockton, MA $93,378

Fairbanks, AK $93,166

Lompoc, CA $92,945

Lowell, MA $92,874

Ventura, CA $92,858

Nashua, NH $92,841

Stockton, CA $92,832

Modesto, CA $92,200

Poughkeepsie, NY $92,009

Olympia, WA $91,845

Kennewick, WA $91,845

New Haven, CT $91,810

Lawrence, MA $91,498

Hartford, CT $91,411

Riverside, CA $91,394

New Bedford, MA $91,308

Richland, WA $91,308

Bakersfield, CA $91,186

San Bernardino, CA $91,152

New Britain, CT $91,143

Atlantic City, NJ $91,143

New London, CT $91,108

Norwich, CT $91,082

Portsmouth, NH $91,065

Boulder, CO $90,881

Portland, OR $90,762

Worcester, MA $90,753

Minneapolis, MN $90,485

Philadelphia, PA $90,363

Honolulu, HI $90,077

Saint Paul, MN $90,036

Vineland, NJ $90,017

Providence, RI $89,766

Chicago, IL $89,514

Bellingham, WA $89,411

Springfield, MA $89,341

Baltimore, MD $89,315

Chico, CA $89,099

Pittsfield, MA $88,865

Manchester, NH $88,700

Spokane, WA $88,319

Denver, CO $88,310

Albany, NY $87,903

Troy, NY $87,869

Nassau, NY $87,776

Schenectady, NY $87,687

Wilmington, DE $87,617

Burlington, VT $87,496

Salem, OR $87,462

Portland, ME $87,193

Yakima, WA $87,106

Rochester, MN $86,838

Reno, NV $86,795

Fresno, CA $86,795

Milwaukee, WI $86,717

Detroit, MI $86,630

Ann Arbor, MI $86,615

Allentown, PA $86,604

Colorado Springs, CO $86,457

Syracuse, NY $86,413

Carson City, NV $86,413

Houston, TX $86,292

Eugene, OR $86,249

Gary, IN $86,145

Springfield, OR $86,076

Bismarck, ND $86,058

Galveston, TX $85,998

Medford, OR $85,868

Fort Collins, CO $85,833

Concord, NH $85,790

Austin, TX $85,764

Mesa, AZ $85,582

Reading, PA $85,573

Phoenix, AZ $85,565

Dallas, TX $85,539

Saint Cloud, MN $85,455

Madison, WI $85,339

Utica, NY $85,105

Rochester, NY $84,967

Des Moines, IA $84,958

Raleigh, NC $84,950

Atlanta, GA $84,820

Battle Creek, MI $84,794

Salt Lake City, UT $84,768

Lancaster, PA $84,638

Harrisburg, PA $84,516

Kansas City, MO $84,430

Champaign, IL $84,412

Kansas City, KS $84,412

Fort Worth, TX $84,404

Columbus, OH $84,389

Boca Raton, FL $84,369

Pittsburgh, PA $84,334

Richmond, VA $84,300

Indianapolis, IN $84,283

Cleveland, OH $84,274

Las Vegas, NV $84,170

Cincinnati, OH $84,170

Petersburg, VA $84,040

Huntsville, AL $83,910

Lansing, MI $83,852

Lebanon, PA $83,841

Pueblo, CO $83,832

Appleton, WI $83,806

Buffalo, NY $83,771

Dayton, OH $83,745

Racine, WI $83,728

Charlotte, NC $83,719

Saint Louis, MO $83,694

York, PA $83,642

Elkhart, IN $83,642

Gastonia, NC $83,625

Billings, MT $83,604

Beaumont, TX $83,581

Lorain, OH $83,564

Benton Harbor, MI $83,546

Toledo, OH $83,529

Binghamton, NY $83,486

Rock Hill, SC $83,477

Rockford, IL $83,434

Springfield, IL $83,399

Elyria, OH $83,390

Fargo, ND $83,390

Flagstaff, AZ $83,330

Fort Lauderdale, FL $83,278

Duluth, MN $83,226

Miami, FL $83,226

Cheyenne, WY $83,165

Grand Forks, ND $83,165

Bangor, ME $82,975

Cedar Rapids, IA $82,879

Durham, NC $82,843

Louisville, KY $82,836

Grand Rapids, MI $82,819

Hialeah, FL $82,810

Casper, WY $82,689

Scranton, PA $82,585

New Orleans, LA $82,559

Virginia Beach, VA $82,550

Akron, OH $82,507

Peoria, IL $82,394

Sarasota, FL $82,377

Nashville, TN $82,316

Omaha, NE $82,316

Green Bay, WI $82,316

Baton Rouge, LA $82,273

Charleston, SC $82,256

Jamestown, NY $82,212

Davenport, IA $82,212

Tucson, AZ $82,169

Saint Petersburg, FL $82,117

Tampa, FL $82,100

Evansville, IN $82,048

Port Arthur, TX $82,048

Bradenton, FL $82,013

Santa Fe, NM $81,857

Orlando, FL $81,701

Clearwater, FL $81,675

Canton, OH $81,493

La Crosse, WI $81,493

Albuquerque, NM $81,441

Newport News, VA $81,433

High Point, NC $81,407

Ogden, UT $81,372

Corpus Christi, TX $81,303

Norfolk, VA $81,251

Laramie, WY $81,251

Rock Island, IL $81,199

Saginaw, MI $81,181

Jacksonville, FL $81,173

Salisbury, NC $81,155

Boise, ID $81,138

Moline, IL $81,095

Fort Myers, FL $81,069

Memphis, TN $81,052

Tulsa, OK $81,008

Waterloo, IA $80,956

Spartanburg, SC $80,870

Lincoln, NE $80,826

Fort Wayne, IN $80,809

Provo, UT $80,800

Cedar Falls, IA $80,696

San Antonio, TX $80,662

Greensboro, NC $80,627

South Bend, IN $80,618

Savannah, GA $80,523

Muskegon, MI $80,489

Birmingham, AL $80,480

Winston Salem, NC $80,437

Lake Charles, LA $80,229

Anderson, IN $80,211

Lexington, KY $80,185

Augusta, GA $80,159

Greenville, SC $80,159

Lima, OH $80,090

Wichita, KS $80,081

Tuscaloosa, AL $80,081

Columbia, SC $80,003

Springfield, OH $79,986

Asheville, NC $79,848

Bloomington, IN $79,787

Knoxville, TN $79,475

Shreveport, LA $79,466

Wilmington, NC $79,354

Roanoke, VA $79,354

Topeka, KS $79,198

Frankfort, KY $79,188

Oklahoma City, OK $79,129

Chillicothe, OH $79,094

Longview, TX $79,085

Melbourne, FL $79,077

Sioux Falls, SD $78,938

Mobile, AL $78,929

Terre Haute, IN $78,895

Altoona, PA $78,843

Amarillo, TX $78,782

Killeen, TX $78,756

Fayetteville, AR $78,687

Chattanooga, TN $78,661

Sioux City, IA $78,583

Idaho Falls, ID $78,566

Lynchburg, VA $78,496

Gainesville, FL $78,384

Portsmouth, OH $78,340

Little Rock, AR $78,323

Lafayette, LA $78,288

Youngstown, OH $78,288

Daytona Beach, FL $78,236

Clarksville, TN $78,228

Pensacola, FL $78,219

Temple, TX $78,213

Hopkinsville, KY $77,959

Erie, PA $77,942

Florence, SC $77,907

Charleston, WV $77,769

Great Falls, MT $77,725

Macon, GA $77,604

Tallahassee, FL $77,595

Fayetteville, NC $77,578

Waco, TX $77,561

Helena, MT $77,500

Pine Bluff, AR $77,467

Vincennes, IN $77,361

Lubbock, TX $77,327

Alamogordo, NM $77,275

Twin Falls, ID $77,197

Rapid City, SD $77,171

Jackson, MS $77,015

Huntington, WV $77,009

Greenville, MS $77,006

Parkersburg, WV $76,918

Montgomery, AL $76,902

Wichita Falls, TX $76,816

Springfield, MO $76,816

Biloxi, MS $76,772

Monroe, LA $76,686

Johnstown, PA $76,625

Sumter, SC $76,591

Columbus, GA $76,582

Pascagoula, MS $76,417

Abilene, TX $76,417

Kingsport, TN $76,192

Albany, GA $76,192

Gulfport, MS $76,166

Alexandria, LA $75,880

Fort Smith, AR $75,664

El Paso, TX $75,430

Las Cruces, NM $75,040

Harlingen, TX $74,820

Pocatello, ID $74,806

Florence, AL $74,694

Brownsville, TX $74,676

Mcallen, TX $74,494

Dothan, AL $74,373

Columbus, MS $73,859

Altus, OK $73,455

Lawton, OK $73,290

Pierre, SD $72,978

What Skills Can Increase an Acute RN's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Planning (Mentioned in 5.16% 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.
Nursing Process (Mentioned in 3.34% Job Postings): The nursing process is a modified scientific method. Nursing practise was first described as a four-stage nursing process by Ida Jean Orlando in 1958.
Long Term Care (Mentioned in 1.96% Job Postings): Long-term care (LTC) is a variety of services which help meet both the medical and non-medical needs of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods. Long term care is focused on individualized and coordinated services that promote independence, maximize patients' quality of life, and meet patients' needs over a period of time. It is common for long-term care to provide custodial and non-skilled care, such as assisting with normal daily tasks like dressing, feeding, using the bathroom. Increasingly, long-term care involves providing a level of medical care that requires the expertise of skilled practitioners to address the multiple chronic conditions associated with older populations. Long-term care can be provided at home, in the community, in assisted living facilities or in nursing homes. Long-term care may be needed by people of any age, although it is a more common need for senior citizens.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Planning	5.16%
Nursing Process	3.34%
Long Term Care	1.96%

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 Acute RN's salary.

Telemetry: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Accountability: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
Dedication: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Telemetry	$89,220	3%
Accountability	$88,354	2%
Dedication	$88,354	2%
Partnering	$88,354	2%
Innovation	$88,354	2%
Commitment	$88,354	2%

Get Latest Data

Acute RN Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Acute RN roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 35% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Software & Networking and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 15% above the average. In contrast, Acute RN positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or MFG Nondurable typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Acute RN as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for an Acute RN

Industry Sector	Average Annual Salary	Average Hourly Rate	Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking	$99,614	$48.0	15%
Biotechnology	$97,449	$47.0	12%
Energy & Utilities	$93,118	$45.0	7%
Insurance	$90,952	$44.0	5%

How Education impacts an Acute RN's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Acute RNs 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 an Acute RN with a Associate's Degree is between $81,300 and $85,864).

Acute RN Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Acute RN

No Diploma 0.1%

High School 2.1%

Associates 43.3%

Bachelors 48.9%

Masters 5.3%

Doctorate 0.3%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.1%
High School	2.1%
Associates	43.3%
Bachelors	48.9%
Masters	5.3%
Doctorate	0.3%

view as graph

Acute RN Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Acute 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 July 01, 2026

$80,766

Average $86,621/year

$95,061

$6,731

Average $7,218/month

$7,922

$1,553

Average $1,666/week

$1,828

$39

Average $42/hour

$46

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$95,061	$7,922	$1,828	$46
Average	$86,621	$7,218	$1,666	$42
25th Percentile	$80,766	$6,731	$1,553	$39

Salaries of jobs related to Acute RN

Salary Trends for Acute RN

Salaries for an Acute RN can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $74,772 in 2023 to around $74,938 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Acute RN salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Acute RN Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$74,772

2024

$75,415

2025

$74,938

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$74,772
2024	$75,415
2025	$74,938
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Acute RN

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Healthcare

Pension

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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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