Psych Nurse Salary in the United States

How much does a Psych Nurse make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Psych Nurse in the United States is $88,372 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $42.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $106,270
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $80,262 to $97,740
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $72,878
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View as table View as graph 25% $80,262 10% $72,878 90% $106,270 75% $97,740 $88,372 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Psych Nurse Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $97,740 $8,145 $1,880 $47
Average $88,372 $7,364 $1,699 $42
25th Percentile $80,262 $6,688 $1,543 $39
Check out Psych Nurse Job Openings in the United States
Clinical Nurse Inpatient Psych

BJC - MANCHESTER, MO

Geri Psych Registered Nurse

BJC - OAK GROVE VILLAGE, MO

Registered Nurse Acute Psych Adult

CHRISTUS Health - LAKE CHARLES, LA

Search More Psych Nurse Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Psych Nurse Salaries

A Psych 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 Psych Nurse Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Psych 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): $86,457
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $86,682
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $89,694
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $93,945
  • Expert (over 8 years): $94,248
Levels Salary
Entry Level Psych Nurse$86,457
Intermediate Level Psych Nurse$86,682
Senior Level Psych Nurse$89,694
Specialist Level Psych Nurse$93,945
Expert Level Psych Nurse$94,248
$86,457 0 yr
$86,682 < 2 yrs
$89,694 2-4 yrs
$93,945 5-8 yrs
$94,248 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Psych 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: $111,463
  • San Francisco: $110,367
  • Oakland: $107,919

What Skills Can Increase a Psych Nurse's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Accountability (Mentioned in 4.51% Job Postings): Setting and holding oneself and others to stated expectations by associating tasks with our business's mission, values, and goals.
  • Acute Care (Mentioned in 3.91% 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.
  • Data Collection (Mentioned in 1.72% Job Postings): Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring information on targeted variables in an established system, which then enables one to answer relevant questions and evaluate outcomes. Data collection is a component of research in all fields of study including physical and social sciences, humanities, and business. While methods vary by discipline, the emphasis on ensuring accurate and honest collection remains the same. The goal for all data collection is to capture quality evidence that allows analysis to lead to the formulation of convincing and credible answers to the questions that have been posed.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Accountability 4.51%
Acute Care 3.91%
Data Collection 1.72%
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 a Psych Nurse's salary.
  • Telecommunications: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Collective Bargaining: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
  • Data Collection: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Telecommunications
$94,558
7%
Collective Bargaining
$91,906
4%
Data Collection
$91,906
4%
Workday
$91,906
4%
Integrity
$91,023
3%
Staff Development
$90,139
2%
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How Education impacts a Psych Nurse's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Psych 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 a Psych Nurse with a Associate's Degree is between $82,114 and $86,534).

Psych Nurse Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Psych Nurse
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 2.8%
High School 2.8%
Associates 36.2%
Bachelors 55.3%
Masters 5.0%
Doctorate 0.7%
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Psych Nurse Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Psych 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 Psych Nurse

Salaries for a Psych Nurse can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $209,189 in 2023 to around $203,464 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Psych Nurse salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Psych Nurse Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$209,189
2024
$211,436
2025
$203,464
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $209,189
2024 $211,436
2025 $203,464
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Psych Nurse

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

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

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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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