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Executive Director RN Salary in the United States

How much does an Executive Director RN make in the United States?

As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for an Executive Director RN in the United States is $168,434 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $81.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $200,858
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $151,951 to $185,406
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $136,944
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Executive Director RN Salaries

An Executive Director 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 Executive Director RN Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Executive Director 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): $117,918
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $138,010
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $167,187
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $205,352
  • Expert (over 8 years): $248,097
Levels Salary
Nursing S... Level Executive Director RN$117,918
Nursing M... Level Executive Director RN$138,010
Executive... Level Executive Director RN$167,187
Nursing D... Level Executive Director RN$205,352
Head of N... Level Executive Director RN$248,097
View as Graph

How Do Executive Director 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 Executive Director RNs. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $186,490.
  • California: $185,783.
  • Massachusetts: $183,307.

Top Paying Cities for Executive Director 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: $212,446
  • San Francisco: $210,120
  • Oakland: $205,692

What Skills Can Increase an Executive Director RN's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 9.9% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • CPR (Mentioned in 3.45% Job Postings): Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) combines rescue breathing (mouth-to-mouth) and chest compressions to temporarily pump enough blood to the brain until specialized treatment is available.
  • Acute Care (Mentioned in 1.77% 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.
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 9.9%
CPR 3.45%
Acute Care 1.77%
See More Skills

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 Executive Director RN's salary.

  • Coaching: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
  • Record Keeping: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
  • Integrity: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Coaching $173,487
3%
Record Keeping $171,803
2%
Integrity $171,803
2%
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Executive Director RN Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Executive Director RN roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Healthcare, offers compensation 20% above the average. Conversely, Executive Director RN positions in Business Services typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Executive Director RN as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for an Executive Director RN

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$202,121$97.020%

How Education impacts an Executive Director RN's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Executive Director RNs enter the field with a Bachelor'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 Executive Director RN with a Bachelor's Degree is between $159,426 and $171,713).

Executive Director RN Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Executive Director RN
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.5%
High School 1.5%
Associates 24.1%
Bachelors 35.1%
Masters 36.6%
Doctorate 2.8%
View as Graph

Executive Director RN Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Executive Director 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 October 01, 2026
$151,951
Average $168,434/year
$185,406
$12,663
Average $14,036/month
$15,451
$2,922
Average $3,239/week
$3,566
$73
Average $81/hour
$89
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $185,406 $15,451 $3,566 $89
Average $168,434 $14,036 $3,239 $81
25th Percentile $151,951 $12,663 $2,922 $73

Most common benefits for Executive Director RN

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

Common company salaries for Executive Director RN

Here are companies hiring for Executive Director RN and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Executive Director RN

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Executive Director RN?

The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Executive Director RN roles, with salaries approximately 20% 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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