Associate Chief Nurse Salary in the United States

How much does an Associate Chief Nurse make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for an Associate Chief Nurse in the United States is $238,972 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $115.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $303,100
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $213,400 to $272,539
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $190,118
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View as table View as graph 25% $213,400 10% $190,118 90% $303,100 75% $272,539 $238,972 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Associate Chief Nurse Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $272,539 $22,712 $5,241 $131
Average $238,972 $19,914 $4,596 $115
25th Percentile $213,400 $17,783 $4,104 $103
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Key Factors That Influence Associate Chief Nurse Salaries

An Associate Chief 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 Associate Chief Nurse Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Associate Chief 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): $114,498
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $133,948
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $162,257
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $199,275
  • Expert (over 8 years): $240,748
Levels Salary
Nursing S... Level Associate Chief Nurse$114,498
Nursing M... Level Associate Chief Nurse$133,948
Nursing S... Level Associate Chief Nurse$162,257
Nursing D... Level Associate Chief Nurse$199,275
Associate... Level Associate Chief Nurse$240,748
$114,498 0 yr
$133,948 < 2 yrs
$162,257 2-4 yrs
$199,275 5-8 yrs
$240,748 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

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

  • District of Columbia: $264,590.
  • California: $263,586.
  • Massachusetts: $260,073.

Top Paying Cities for Associate Chief 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: $301,415
  • San Francisco: $298,452
  • Oakland: $291,833

What Skills Can Increase an Associate Chief Nurse's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 9.82% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Assisted Living (Mentioned in 3.56% Job Postings): Assisted living exemplifies the shift from "care as service" to "care as business" in the broader health care arena predicted more than three decades ago. A consumer-driven industry, assisted living offers a wide range of options, levels of care, and diversity of services (Lockhart, 2009) and is subject to state rather than federal regulatory oversight. "Assisted living" means depends on both the state and provider in question: variations in state regulatory definitions are significant and provider variables include everything from philosophy, geographic location and auspice, to organizational size and structure.
  • Acute Care (Mentioned in 1.74% 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.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 9.82%
Assisted Living 3.56%
Acute Care 1.74%
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 Associate Chief Nurse's salary.
  • Clinical Services: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
  • Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
  • Coaching: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Clinical Services
$248,531
4%
Commitment
$248,531
4%
Coaching
$246,141
3%
Community Health
$246,141
3%
Staff Development
$246,141
3%
Integrity
$246,141
3%
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How Education impacts an Associate Chief Nurse's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Associate Chief Nurses enter the field with a Master's Degree or MBA 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 Associate Chief Nurse with a Master's Degree or MBA is between $249,885 and $271,966).

Associate Chief Nurse Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Associate Chief Nurse
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.1%
High School 1.1%
Associates 11.1%
Bachelors 22.2%
Masters 57.9%
Doctorate 7.7%
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Associate Chief Nurse Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Associate Chief 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 April 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Associate Chief Nurse

Salaries for an Associate Chief Nurse can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $202,855 in 2023 to around $204,744 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Associate Chief Nurse salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Associate Chief Nurse Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$202,855
2024
$206,654
2025
$204,744
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $202,855
2024 $206,654
2025 $204,744
2026
View More
2027
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Most common benefits for Associate Chief Nurse

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Associate Chief 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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