Critical Care Nurse Salary Trends in the US (2026 - 2022)
Critical Care Nurse compensation varies with care setting, specialty responsibility, scheduled hours, shift differentials, collective bargaining, geography, and applicable credentials. Bedside RN pay is kept separate from student, nursing director, and executive nursing cohorts.
Category (Experience)
Year
Min - Max (USD)
Salary Range (Min - Max in USD)
Student Nurse Intern(Prelicensure placement)
2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
$17-$25/hr
$16-$24/hr
$16-$23/hr
$15-$22/hr
$14-$21/hr
New Graduate Critical Care Nurse(0 to 1 years)
2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
$70K - $108K
$68K - $104K
$65K - $100K
$62K - $96K
$59K - $92K
Entry Level Critical Care Nurse(1 to 2 years)
2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
$73K - $112K
$70K - $108K
$68K - $104K
$65K - $100K
$62K - $96K
Critical Care Nurse(2 to 3 years)
2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
$76K - $118K
$73K - $114K
$70K - $110K
$67K - $106K
$64K - $102K
Experienced Critical Care Nurse(3 to 5 years)
2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
$79K - $132K
$76K - $127K
$73K - $123K
$69K - $118K
$66K - $113K
Senior Critical Care Nurse(5 to 8 years)
2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
$84K - $145K
$81K - $140K
$78K - $136K
$74K - $131K
$71K - $126K
Charge Nurse(Relevant leadership experience)
2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
$85K - $150K
$82K - $145K
$79K - $140K
$76K - $136K
$73K - $132K
Critical Care Nursing Director(Nursing management experience)
2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
$110K - $220K
$106K - $210K
$102K - $230K
$98K - $205K
$94K - $195K
Chief Nursing Officer(Executive nursing leadership)
2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
$180K - $310K
$170K - $290K
$168K - $285K
$160K - $280K
$150K - $265K
Critical Care Nurse Resume Examples
Explore the resume examples below to find the one that best matches your target Critical Care Nurse role.
New Graduate Critical Care Nurse0-1 years; supervised transition to critical care
Critical Care Nurse1+ years
Critical Care Charge Nurse3+ years