Nurse Manager Salary Guide
A nurse manager is an advanced practice registered nurse who manages and oversees the nursing staff in a healthcare facility. These roles often earn high salaries; read on to learn how much you could make as a nurse manager.
What is the Average Nurse Manager Salary?
According to Indeed.com, the average nurse manager earned an annual base salary of $119,786 in 2024, while Salary.com reports a much higher annual salary of $123,600.
Popular Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Programs
Earn a valuable nursing credential at Purdue Global’s School of Nursing. Expand your expertise and prepare to take on leadership and independent practice opportunities. Complete your courses online, on your schedule.
Enrollment: Nationwide, but certain programs have state restrictions. Check with Purdue for details.
GCU's College of Nursing and Health Care Professions has a nearly 35-year tradition of preparing students to fill evolving healthcare roles as highly qualified professionals.
Enrollment: Nationwide
Earn your nursing degree from one of the largest nursing education providers in the U.S. Walden University’s BSN, MSN, post-master’s APRN certificate, and DNP programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Get enhanced practicum support with our Practicum Pledge.
Enrollment: Nationwide, excluding CT, ND, NY and RI. Certain programs have additional state restrictions. Check with Walden for details.
WGU's award-winning online programs are created to help you succeed while graduating faster and with less debt. WGU is a CCNE accredited, nonprofit university offering nursing bachelor's and master's degrees.
Enrollment: Nationwide
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Nurse Manager Salary Range
There is a significant variation in the salaries earned by nurse managers in the United States, with the lowest-paid 10% earning $102,394 per year and those in the highest-paid 10% earning $147,481, according to Salary.com.
Payscale.com reports that the lowest-paid 10% of nurse managers earn $73,000, while the highest-paid 10% earn $129,000.
Nurse Manager Salary by State
State | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
---|---|---|---|---|
Oregon | $118,506 | $9,875 | $2,278 | $56.97 |
Alaska | $117,924 | $9,827 | $2,267 | $56.69 |
North Dakota | $117,905 | $9,825 | $2,267 | $56.69 |
Massachusetts | $116,497 | $9,708 | $2,240 | $56.01 |
Hawaii | $115,414 | $9,617 | $2,219 | $55.49 |
Washington | $112,763 | $9,396 | $2,168 | $54.21 |
Nevada | $111,497 | $9,291 | $2,144 | $53.60 |
South Dakota | $111,433 | $9,286 | $2,142 | $53.57 |
Colorado | $110,035 | $9,169 | $2,116 | $52.90 |
Rhode Island | $109,764 | $9,147 | $2,110 | $52.77 |
New York | $104,591 | $8,715 | $2,011 | $50.28 |
Delaware | $103,437 | $8,619 | $1,989 | $49.73 |
Vermont | $102,134 | $8,511 | $1,964 | $49.10 |
Virginia | $101,941 | $8,495 | $1,960 | $49.01 |
Illinois | $101,910 | $8,492 | $1,959 | $49.00 |
Maryland | $100,176 | $8,348 | $1,926 | $48.16 |
Nebraska | $98,038 | $8,169 | $1,885 | $47.13 |
Missouri | $97,430 | $8,119 | $1,873 | $46.84 |
California | $97,160 | $8,096 | $1,868 | $46.71 |
South Carolina | $96,590 | $8,049 | $1,857 | $46.44 |
Pennsylvania | $95,813 | $7,984 | $1,842 | $46.06 |
New Jersey | $95,616 | $7,968 | $1,838 | $45.97 |
Oklahoma | $94,942 | $7,911 | $1,825 | $45.65 |
Maine | $94,892 | $7,907 | $1,824 | $45.62 |
Wisconsin | $94,692 | $7,891 | $1,821 | $45.53 |
North Carolina | $94,596 | $7,883 | $1,819 | $45.48 |
New Hampshire | $93,175 | $7,764 | $1,791 | $44.80 |
Idaho | $92,945 | $7,745 | $1,787 | $44.69 |
Texas | $92,320 | $7,693 | $1,775 | $44.38 |
Kentucky | $92,021 | $7,668 | $1,769 | $44.24 |
Wyoming | $91,697 | $7,641 | $1,763 | $44.09 |
Minnesota | $91,461 | $7,621 | $1,758 | $43.97 |
Michigan | $91,093 | $7,591 | $1,751 | $43.79 |
New Mexico | $90,945 | $7,578 | $1,748 | $43.72 |
Indiana | $90,485 | $7,540 | $1,740 | $43.50 |
Ohio | $88,902 | $7,408 | $1,709 | $42.74 |
Arizona | $88,614 | $7,384 | $1,704 | $42.60 |
Connecticut | $88,164 | $7,347 | $1,695 | $42.39 |
Mississippi | $87,545 | $7,295 | $1,683 | $42.09 |
Iowa | $87,435 | $7,286 | $1,681 | $42.04 |
Montana | $87,279 | $7,273 | $1,678 | $41.96 |
Arkansas | $86,961 | $7,246 | $1,672 | $41.81 |
Alabama | $86,189 | $7,182 | $1,657 | $41.44 |
Utah | $84,936 | $7,078 | $1,633 | $40.83 |
Tennessee | $84,876 | $7,073 | $1,632 | $40.81 |
Kansas | $82,430 | $6,869 | $1,585 | $39.63 |
Georgia | $80,292 | $6,691 | $1,544 | $38.60 |
Louisiana | $79,853 | $6,654 | $1,535 | $38.39 |
West Virginia | $73,998 | $6,166 | $1,423 | $35.58 |
Florida | $71,059 | $5,921 | $1,366 | $34.16 |
Sourced from ZipRecruiter.com
Nurse Manager Salary by Years of Experience
According to Payscale.com, a nurse manager’s salary will increase with years of experience:
- <1 year of experience earns an average annual salary of $86,000
- 1 to 4 years of experience earns an average annual salary of $89,000
- 5 to 9 years of experience earns an average annual salary of $92,000
- 10 to 19 years of experience earns an average annual salary of $99,000
- 20+ years of experience earns an average annual salary of $102,000
Popular Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Programs
Earn a valuable nursing credential at Purdue Global’s School of Nursing. Expand your expertise and prepare to take on leadership and independent practice opportunities. Complete your courses online, on your schedule.
Enrollment: Nationwide, but certain programs have state restrictions. Check with Purdue for details.
GCU's College of Nursing and Health Care Professions has a nearly 35-year tradition of preparing students to fill evolving healthcare roles as highly qualified professionals.
Enrollment: Nationwide
Earn your nursing degree from one of the largest nursing education providers in the U.S. Walden University’s BSN, MSN, post-master’s APRN certificate, and DNP programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Get enhanced practicum support with our Practicum Pledge.
Enrollment: Nationwide, excluding CT, ND, NY and RI. Certain programs have additional state restrictions. Check with Walden for details.
WGU's award-winning online programs are created to help you succeed while graduating faster and with less debt. WGU is a CCNE accredited, nonprofit university offering nursing bachelor's and master's degrees.
Enrollment: Nationwide
Nurse Manager Salary by Work Setting
Nurse managers can be found working in all types of care facilities, with most working in hospitals and/or clinics. They usually have several responsibilities:
- Manage a team of nurses, CNAs, and techs on a unit
- Supervise patient care
- Ensure that standards are upheld and best practices applied at all times
- Oversee departmental supply budget
- Train the nurses on their staff
- Provide input as to who is hired to their team
Their leadership and organizational skills are so critical to the smooth operations of a department that their clinical setting has far less impact on a nurse manager’s salary that they earn than their experience and education.
How to Increase Your Salary as a Nurse Manager
Nurse managers are highly paid professionals, but there are steps you can take and credentials that can boost your salary further.
Pursue Further Education
Nurse managers are leaders, and their job responsibilities require both innate and learned skills. By pursuing degrees beyond an Associate's or Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, you can significantly enhance your own abilities and increase your value to an employer.
According to Fortune.com, there is a “particular need” for nurses who have earned their master’s degrees or higher, and they are often paid substantially higher salaries. Many facilities offer tuition reimbursement, essentially paying you to increase your earning potential. Earning a Master’s Degree in Nursing Administration is a great option for nurse managers.
Certifications
Nurse managers are able to demonstrate their expertise, knowledge, and value through certification in a variety of specializations.
One great way nurses can distinguish themselves is by becoming a certified nurse manager and leader, offered through the American Organization for Nursing Leadership.
Additional certification demonstrates commitment to the field, enhances your image, reflects your achievements, and establishes your professional credentials.
Negotiate
Negotiating salary demonstrates both professionalism and confidence in your value to an organization, and that is the approach that nurses find most successful.
When discussing compensation, it is a good idea to focus less on yourself and your needs than on the value that you bring to the organization. Make a note of previous accomplishments that reflect well on your employer as well as exemplify your superlative leadership and patient care.
Travel
Nurse managers offer tremendous relief to facilities that are experiencing staff shortages, and as a result, they are paid significantly higher hourly rates than nurses in permanent positions.
Travel nurses enjoy the novelty and excitement of working in a new environment while also being paid sign-on bonuses and stipends for housing, food, mileage, and other job-related expenses. Travel nurses can also explore different areas of the country and expand their network of colleagues, friends, and career experiences.
Nurse Manager Education Costs
Nursing is both emotionally and financially rewarding. Whether you are considering becoming a nurse manager out of interest in elevating patient care or for its compensation and stability, it’s important to remember that becoming a nurse manager requires a significant investment of time and money.
At a minimum, becoming a registered nurse requires an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), and most facilities are looking for nurses who have earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree or higher.
Only you can assess the value of the time you’ll spend pursuing a nursing degree. However, the financial investment in school is easier to compare to the overall career salary, even with the wide range of tuition costs charged by different schools.
For example, a two-year ADN degree costs an average of between $6,000 and $20,000 overall. A four-year BSN program costs, on average, between $35,000 and $120,000. Even using the lowest average nurse manager salary reported($100,476), it is clear that nurse managers can quickly pay for their education and reap the rewards of this highly paid position.
Related Nursing Careers
Charge Nurse
A charge nurse vs nurse manager salary comparison reveals significant differences in these management positions. Charge nurses earn $98,506 annually, while nurse managers earn $123,600. Despite these differences, charge nursing is an excellent stepping stone to prepare for a nurse management career.
Director of Nursing
According to Salary.com, the average annual director of nursing salary is $167,200, with the lowest-paid 10% earning $127,272 and the highest-paid 10% earning as much as $215,916.
Nurse Educator
Glassdoor.com reports that nursing instructors earn an average salary of $112K.
Manager of Patient Services
This position earns an average salary of $145,800, according to Salary.com. The salary range for the position ranges from $128,100 and $174,600.
Popular Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Programs
Earn a valuable nursing credential at Purdue Global’s School of Nursing. Expand your expertise and prepare to take on leadership and independent practice opportunities. Complete your courses online, on your schedule.
Enrollment: Nationwide, but certain programs have state restrictions. Check with Purdue for details.
GCU's College of Nursing and Health Care Professions has a nearly 35-year tradition of preparing students to fill evolving healthcare roles as highly qualified professionals.
Enrollment: Nationwide
Earn your nursing degree from one of the largest nursing education providers in the U.S. Walden University’s BSN, MSN, post-master’s APRN certificate, and DNP programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Get enhanced practicum support with our Practicum Pledge.
Enrollment: Nationwide, excluding CT, ND, NY and RI. Certain programs have additional state restrictions. Check with Walden for details.
WGU's award-winning online programs are created to help you succeed while graduating faster and with less debt. WGU is a CCNE accredited, nonprofit university offering nursing bachelor's and master's degrees.
Enrollment: Nationwide