How much do ICU nurses make?
About these figures: BLS does not publish separate pay for ICU nurses. The pay figures on this page are for all registered nurses (SOC 29-1141), the occupation ICU nurses belong to. What differs for ICU nurses.
Answer
BLS does not publish pay for ICU nurses separately. Registered nurses, the occupation ICU nurses belong to, earned a median of $97,550 a year ($46.90 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $80,330 to $112,350.
- Median annual pay
- $97,550
- Mean $101,420
- Median hourly pay
- $46.90
- Mean $48.76
- Typical range (10th–90th)
- $68.9K–$137K
- $68,940 to $137,470
- US jobs
- 3,379,720
- +5.6% projected, 2025–35
BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026; figures for all registered nurses. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology
How to become an ICU nurse: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: California
Pay range for all registered nurses
Annual wages, May 2025
- 10th percentile$68,940
- 25th percentile$80,330
- Median$97,550
- 75th percentile$112,350
- 90th percentile$137,470
Half of all registered nurses earned more than $97,550 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $68,940; the top 10% made over $137,470. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $80,330 to $112,350.
These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $68,940 | $33.14 | $5,745 |
| 25th | $80,330 | $38.62 | $6,694 |
| Median (50th) | $97,550 | $46.90 | $8,129 |
| 75th | $112,350 | $54.02 | $9,363 |
| 90th | $137,470 | $66.09 | $11,456 |
| Mean (average) | $101,420 | $48.76 | $8,452 |
ICU Nurse salary by state: pay for all registered nurses
Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024
Highest-paying states
- 1. California $140,270
- 2. Hawaii $136,320
- 3. Oregon $129,010
- 4. Washington $124,200
- 5. Alaska $109,480
Lowest-paying states
- 51. Alabama $77,080
- 50. Mississippi $77,090
- 49. South Dakota $78,060
- 48. Iowa $78,630
- 47. Arkansas $78,940
Best after cost of living: California. Its median of $140,270 is worth about $126,689 at national-average prices.
| Alabama | $77,080 | 51 | $86,779 | 49 | $37.06 | 54,340 | 25.71 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $109,480 | 5 | $106,957 | 5 | $52.64 | 7,510 | 23.06 |
| Arizona | $99,500 | 18 | $98,831 | 16 | $47.84 | 73,150 | 22.58 |
| Arkansas | $78,940 | 47 | $90,801 | 32 | $37.95 | 29,400 | 22.55 |
| California | $140,270 | 1 | $126,689 | 1 | $67.44 | 338,940 | 18.61 |
| Colorado | $100,260 | 14 | $97,291 | 21 | $48.20 | 54,490 | 18.96 |
| Connecticut | $102,740 | 10 | $99,160 | 13 | $49.39 | 40,110 | 23.65 |
| Delaware | $99,520 | 17 | $99,711 | 11 | $47.85 | 14,290 | 29.48 |
| District of Columbia | $102,540 | 11 | $93,302 | 29 | $49.30 | 11,440 | 16.30 |
| Florida | $84,190 | 34 | $81,411 | 51 | $40.48 | 229,940 | 23.16 |
| Georgia | $93,550 | 27 | $97,151 | 22 | $44.98 | 100,950 | 20.65 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 | 2 | $123,983 | 3 | $65.54 | 12,940 | 20.62 |
| Idaho | $92,460 | 28 | $96,823 | 23 | $44.45 | 16,880 | 19.69 |
| Illinois | $95,990 | 21 | $96,030 | 24 | $46.15 | 138,910 | 22.78 |
| Indiana | $83,500 | 36 | $89,468 | 41 | $40.14 | 68,980 | 21.55 |
| Iowa | $78,630 | 48 | $89,595 | 39 | $37.80 | 34,420 | 22.08 |
| Kansas | $79,320 | 46 | $88,067 | 47 | $38.14 | 33,800 | 23.51 |
| Kentucky | $81,040 | 42 | $89,886 | 37 | $38.96 | 50,300 | 25.14 |
| Louisiana | $80,230 | 44 | $90,957 | 31 | $38.57 | 48,970 | 25.31 |
| Maine | $86,990 | 29 | $89,634 | 38 | $41.82 | 16,540 | 25.83 |
| Maryland | $99,790 | 15 | $95,075 | 26 | $47.98 | 52,910 | 19.15 |
| Massachusetts | $104,550 | 8 | $98,859 | 15 | $50.27 | 88,200 | 24.25 |
| Michigan | $94,300 | 25 | $98,008 | 19 | $45.34 | 104,950 | 23.83 |
| Minnesota | $101,510 | 12 | $102,929 | 7 | $48.80 | 70,110 | 23.77 |
| Mississippi | $77,090 | 50 | $88,657 | 45 | $37.06 | 29,060 | 24.99 |
| Missouri | $81,780 | 40 | $90,049 | 36 | $39.32 | 76,310 | 25.99 |
| Montana | $85,280 | 30 | $90,105 | 35 | $41.00 | 10,950 | 21.41 |
| Nebraska | $84,730 | 31 | $94,037 | 28 | $40.74 | 24,720 | 24.14 |
| Nevada | $103,670 | 9 | $103,692 | 6 | $49.84 | 27,070 | 17.45 |
| New Hampshire | $99,700 | 16 | $95,714 | 25 | $47.93 | 15,390 | 22.52 |
| New Jersey | $106,500 | 7 | $97,882 | 20 | $51.20 | 92,680 | 21.62 |
| New Mexico | $94,340 | 24 | $102,308 | 8 | $45.36 | 17,980 | 20.65 |
| New York | $109,440 | 6 | $101,408 | 10 | $52.62 | 205,810 | 21.24 |
| North Carolina | $84,350 | 33 | $89,424 | 42 | $40.56 | 111,120 | 22.49 |
| North Dakota | $80,730 | 43 | $90,750 | 33 | $38.81 | 11,340 | 26.40 |
| Ohio | $82,510 | 38 | $88,937 | 43 | $39.67 | 143,730 | 25.90 |
| Oklahoma | $82,920 | 37 | $94,396 | 27 | $39.87 | 38,270 | 22.41 |
| Oregon | $129,010 | 3 | $124,815 | 2 | $62.02 | 39,730 | 20.20 |
| Pennsylvania | $96,430 | 20 | $98,830 | 17 | $46.36 | 146,520 | 24.16 |
| Rhode Island | $100,640 | 13 | $98,397 | 18 | $48.39 | 10,090 | 20.13 |
| South Carolina | $82,360 | 39 | $87,852 | 48 | $39.60 | 49,750 | 21.58 |
| South Dakota | $78,060 | 49 | $88,118 | 46 | $37.53 | 14,710 | 32.17 |
| Tennessee | $81,500 | 41 | $88,712 | 44 | $39.18 | 72,200 | 22.02 |
| Texas | $95,970 | 22 | $98,880 | 14 | $46.14 | 271,380 | 19.29 |
| Utah | $84,600 | 32 | $85,572 | 50 | $40.67 | 27,420 | 15.80 |
| Vermont | $97,460 | 19 | $99,492 | 12 | $46.86 | 7,410 | 24.39 |
| Virginia | $93,600 | 26 | $92,578 | 30 | $45.00 | 77,490 | 18.86 |
| Washington | $124,200 | 4 | $116,061 | 4 | $59.71 | 69,260 | 19.51 |
| West Virginia | $80,130 | 45 | $89,534 | 40 | $38.52 | 23,430 | 33.39 |
| Wisconsin | $95,530 | 23 | $101,525 | 9 | $45.93 | 68,060 | 23.14 |
| Wyoming | $83,760 | 35 | $90,365 | 34 | $40.27 | 5,330 | 19.00 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.
Best-paying metro areas for registered nurses
374 metro areas with published pay
| Metro area | Median | Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $216,740 | $196,282 | 22,930 |
| Vallejo, CA | $203,290 | $187,400 | 4,120 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $186,610 | $161,409 | 41,750 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $174,550 | $161,944 | 3,720 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $171,460 | $160,739 | 23,590 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $170,960 | $155,565 | 1,750 |
| Yuba City, CA | $149,320 | $143,256 | 1,080 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $144,350 | $131,955 | 1,270 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $139,520 | $124,697 | 28,680 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $139,260 | $125,504 | 9,680 |
| Metro area | Jobs | Median | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 197,740 | $119,720 | $106,358 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 109,360 | $135,560 | $119,367 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 100,240 | $100,490 | $97,003 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 76,680 | $101,420 | $98,380 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 73,790 | $101,180 | $98,660 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 65,910 | $99,830 | $101,218 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 64,240 | $106,180 | $98,073 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 61,670 | $91,380 | $80,049 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 56,460 | $100,490 | $100,432 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 53,700 | $100,830 | $97,594 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).
What moves ICU nurse pay: employers and settings
BLS does not publish separate pay for ICU or critical care nurses. The figures on this page cover all registered nurses, the parent occupation, across every unit and setting, from intensive care to clinics and schools. They give the range ICU nurses fall within, not a specialty-specific number.
Because nearly all ICU jobs are in hospitals, the hospital figure is the most relevant one: general medical and surgical hospitals pay RNs a median of $100,210; the all-RN median is $97,550. Federal government employers, which include VA medical centers with intensive care units, report a median of $121,240. Outpatient care centers come in at $99,350; nursing facilities are lower at $85,510.
State shapes pay strongly. California has the highest RN median at $140,270, followed by Hawaii at $136,320, and Oregon at $129,010, while Alabama ($77,080) and Mississippi ($77,090, just above it) are among the lowest. Within a hospital, ICU nurses' pay also depends on night and weekend shift differentials, overtime, union contracts and any pay a hospital attaches to the CCRN; BLS does not measure these separately, and its wage figures exclude overtime and shift differentials.
| Industry | Share of jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 56.3% | $100,210 |
| Offices of Physicians | 6.9% | $85,000 |
| Home Health Care Services | 5.9% | $84,930 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 5.1% | $99,350 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | 4.2% | $85,510 |
| Employment Services | 3% | $90,840 |
| Employer type | Jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Private employers | 2,841,730 | $97,170 |
| Federal government (incl. Postal Service) | 101,140 | $121,240 |
| State government (incl. schools and hospitals) | 157,270 | $102,440 |
| Local government (incl. schools and hospitals) | 279,580 | $85,420 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).
Registered nurses pay over time
Median annual pay, 2015–2025
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024
- 2025
The median rose from $67,490 in 2015 to $97,550 in 2025, up 45% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $91,233 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay grew 7% over the period.
BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.
What differs for ICU nurses
ICU nursing uses the same RN license as every other nursing job. What changes is the patient population and the skills expected. Critical care nurses manage ventilators, invasive lines, continuous drug infusions and hemodynamic monitoring, and they are expected to recognize shock, respiratory failure and arrhythmias early. ICUs also split into subtypes: medical, surgical, cardiac, cardiothoracic, neuro, trauma, burn, pediatric (PICU) and neonatal (NICU), each with its own skill set.
The main specialty credential is the CCRN from the AACN Certification Corporation, offered in adult, pediatric and neonatal versions. It requires 1,750 hours of direct care of acutely or critically ill patients over two years, or 2,000 hours over five years, and a three-hour exam. Hospitals commonly also require Advanced Cardiac Life Support.
Nurses move into the ICU in two ways. Some hospitals hire new graduates into critical care residency or fellowship programs with long orientations. Others prefer a year or two in step-down, telemetry or emergency nursing first.
What ICU nurses do
An ICU nurse, also called a critical care nurse, is a registered nurse who cares for the sickest patients in a hospital: people on ventilators, in septic or cardiac shock, recovering from open-heart or brain surgery, or badly injured in accidents. Because these patients can deteriorate within minutes, an ICU nurse usually looks after only one or two at a time and watches them continuously.
The work is technical. ICU nurses run several IV pumps of drugs that hold up blood pressure or keep a patient sedated, adjust doses based on monitors and lab values, manage arterial lines and central lines, suction breathing tubes and help turn and position patients who cannot move. When a patient crashes, they start resuscitation and work alongside intensivist physicians, respiratory therapists and pharmacists. They also spend much of the shift with frightened families, explaining what is happening and, at times, supporting them through end-of-life decisions. Most ICU nurses work 12-hour day or night shifts that include weekends and holidays.
A typical day
- Check every monitor reading, line and drip at the start of the shift and reassess patients at least hourly
- Titrate vasopressor, sedation and insulin drips against blood pressure, sedation scores and lab results
- Care for patients on mechanical ventilators, including suctioning, mouth care and spontaneous breathing trials with respiratory therapy
- Draw blood from arterial lines, read blood gases and report changes to the intensivist
- Start CPR and give emergency drugs during codes and rapid responses
- Turn, bathe and position immobile patients to prevent pressure injuries and pneumonia
- Update families at the bedside and take part in daily multidisciplinary rounds
Also called: critical care nurse.
How to become an ICU nurse
Full guideTo become an ICU nurse, you earn an associate (ADN) or bachelor's (BSN) degree in nursing, pass the NCLEX-RN and get a state RN license, then get hired into an intensive care unit, often after hospital experience or through a new-graduate critical care program. After about two years of ICU work you can earn the CCRN certification. Expect roughly 4 to 6 years in total.
- Typical time
- 4-6 years
- Fastest: About 3 years
- Minimum education
- Associate degree in nursing (ADN) or BSN plus a state RN license; many hospital ICUs prefer or require a BSN
- License
- RN license required in all 50 states and DC; no separate ICU license (CCRN certification is voluntary but often preferred)
- Typical training cost
- $14.6K–$38.4K
- See the guide for what it includes
Read the step-by-step guide to becoming an ICU nurse: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.
Is it worth it? Training cost against pay
Compare careers- Training time
- 4-6 years
- Typical path in our guide
- Training cost
- $14.6K–$38.4K
- Tuition and exam fees, before aid
- Median pay
- $97,550
- All registered nurses; $46,570 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
- Cost vs. one year's pay
- 15–39%
- Training cost as a share of a year at the median
Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($46,570 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year after training ends (4-6 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.
Job outlook for registered nurses
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +5.6%
- All occupations +3.5%
- Jobs in 2025
- 3,465,400
- 3,660,100 projected for 2035
- Openings each year
- 180,800
- New jobs plus replacements
- Self-employed
- 0.5%
- Not in the pay figures above
BLS does not project critical care separately, but it expects registered nurse jobs to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035, from 3,465,400 to 3,660,100, faster than the 3.5% for all occupations, with about 180,800 RN openings a year. BLS ties the growth to an aging population with more health problems and to patients with chronic conditions, with hiring expected in hospitals as well as outpatient and home settings. Most openings will come from nurses who change occupations or retire, not from new positions.
Related careers and their pay
- Nurse Practitioner$132,300
- LPN$64,400
- Nurse Midwife$134,040
- CRNA$236,590
- Physician Assistant$135,880
- CNA$42,260
- Paramedic$60,600
- EMT$44,470
Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.
ICU Nurse salary FAQ
How much do ICU nurses make an hour?
BLS does not publish separate pay for ICU nurses. For all registered nurses, the occupation they belong to, the median hourly wage was $46.90 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $33.14 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $66.09. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.
Which state pays ICU nurses the most?
BLS does not publish separate pay for ICU nurses. For all registered nurses, the occupation they belong to, California has the highest median pay, $140,270 a year, followed by Hawaii ($136,320) and Oregon ($129,010). After adjusting for each state's price level, California comes out ahead at about $126,689 in national-average dollars.
Do ICU nurses make six figures?
BLS does not publish separate pay for ICU nurses. For all registered nurses, the occupation they belong to, based on the BLS percentiles, between 25% and 50% of registered nurses earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $97,550, and the top 10% earn more than $137,470. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.
How many patients does an ICU nurse take care of?
Usually one or two. Patients who are very unstable, such as those on a heart pump or with several drips being adjusted at once, often get a nurse to themselves. More stable ICU patients are commonly paired. Exact assignments are set by each hospital and can be shaped by state rules, so ask about the unit's staffing when you interview.
Is ICU nursing stressful?
Often, yes. ICU nurses make fast decisions for patients who can deteriorate quickly, handle codes and see more deaths than most nurses. Families are under great strain too. Many nurses find the work satisfying because of the close patient contact and the depth of clinical knowledge it builds, but burnout is a real risk, so ask how a unit handles staffing and support after difficult cases.
What is the difference between an ICU nurse and a step-down nurse?
Step-down, or progressive care, units take patients who are too sick for a regular floor but stable enough not to need intensive care. Step-down nurses usually care for more patients at once than ICU nurses, with less intensive monitoring and support. Their matching AACN credential is the PCCN rather than the CCRN. Many nurses use step-down as a bridge into the ICU.
Sources
Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 29-1141
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
- O*NET 31.0 Database (29-1141.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
- Registered Nurses, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
- The Impact of Education on Nursing Practice, American Association of Colleges of Nursing · checked October 28, 2026
- Fees & Payment, NCLEX, National Council of State Boards of Nursing · checked October 28, 2026
- CCRN (Adult), AACN Certification Corporation · checked October 28, 2026
- Nurse Licensure Compact, National Council of State Boards of Nursing · checked October 28, 2026
- Frequently Asked Questions: CCRN Certification (Direct Care Pathway), AACN Certification Corporation · checked October 28, 2026
- How did the COA determine the entrance requirements ... including the requirement for a minimum of one year of critical care experience?, Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs · checked October 28, 2026
- CCRN-E, CCRN-K and PCCN-K Transition Announcement, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses · checked October 28, 2026
Careers and Salaries is not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Found an error? Tell us; corrections are listed on the editorial policy page.