ICU Staff Nurse Salary in the United States

How much does an ICU Staff Nurse make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for an ICU Staff Nurse in the United States is $93,324 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $45.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $114,691
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $85,347 to $104,508
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $78,084
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View as table View as graph 25% $85,347 10% $78,084 90% $114,691 75% $104,508 $93,324 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

ICU Staff Nurse Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $104,508 $8,709 $2,010 $50
Average $93,324 $7,777 $1,795 $45
25th Percentile $85,347 $7,112 $1,641 $41
Check out ICU Staff Nurse Job Openings in the United States
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Key Factors That Influence ICU Staff Nurse Salaries

An ICU Staff 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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects ICU Staff Nurse Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an ICU Staff Nurse'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): $88,458
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $88,689
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $91,770
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $96,120
  • Expert (over 8 years): $96,430
Levels Salary
Entry Level ICU Staff Nurse$88,458
Intermediate Level ICU Staff Nurse$88,689
Senior Level ICU Staff Nurse$91,770
Specialist Level ICU Staff Nurse$96,120
Expert Level ICU Staff Nurse$96,430
$88,458 0 yr
$88,689 < 2 yrs
$91,770 2-4 yrs
$96,120 5-8 yrs
$96,430 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do ICU Staff 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 ICU Staff Nurses. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $103,328.
  • California: $102,936.
  • Massachusetts: $101,564.

Top Paying Cities for ICU Staff 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: $117,709
  • San Francisco: $116,552
  • Oakland: $113,967

What Skills Can Increase an ICU Staff Nurse's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Planning (Mentioned in 5.95% 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.
  • Acute Care (Mentioned in 5.49% 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.
  • Nursing Practice (Mentioned in 2.93% Job Postings): Nursing practice may be work experience that is direct and/or indirect patient care in clinical practice, nursing administration, education, research, or consultation in the specialty represented by the credential.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Planning 5.95%
Acute Care 5.49%
Nursing Practice 2.93%
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 ICU Staff Nurse's salary.
  • Telecommunications: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
  • Staff Development: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Written Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Telecommunications
$102,656
10%
Staff Development
$99,856
7%
Written Communication
$98,923
6%
Risk Management
$98,923
6%
Verbal Communication
$97,990
5%
Oral Communication
$97,990
5%
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How Education impacts an ICU Staff Nurse's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many ICU Staff Nurses 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 ICU Staff Nurse with a Associate's Degree is between $82,257 and $86,847).

ICU Staff Nurse Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for ICU Staff Nurse
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.4%
High School 1.6%
Associates 32.0%
Bachelors 59.4%
Masters 6.5%
Doctorate 0.2%
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ICU Staff Nurse Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an ICU Staff 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.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

Salary Trends for ICU Staff Nurse

Salaries for an ICU Staff Nurse can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $209,503 in 2023 to around $203,770 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of ICU Staff Nurse salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of ICU Staff Nurse Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$209,503
2024
$211,753
2025
$203,770
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $209,503
2024 $211,753
2025 $203,770
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for ICU Staff Nurse

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for ICU Staff Nurse

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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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