Nursing Informatics Salary: How Much Do Informatics Nurses Make?

What is the average nursing informatics salary? Payscale.com reports the average salary of an informatics nurse is $83,593 or $36.52 per hour; however, the 2023 HIMSS Nursing Informatics Workforce Survey found that in 2022, 60% of nurse informaticists were earning salaries above $100,000. This is up from 45% in 2017 and 33% in 2014.

>>Related: 4 Nursing Informatics Examples

If you are planning a career as a nurse informaticist and are interested in optimizing your earnings potential, the most direct way of doing so is by pursuing an advanced degree in the field or obtaining nursing informatics certifications. 

Most of the Master’s- and Doctoral-level programs offer the ability to continue to pursue your education while working, offering the dual benefit of adding to your years of experience in the field.

Earning your nursing informatics certification is another valuable way of adding to your earning power: Not only does it often result in increased compensation, but can also open the doors to career advancement and management positions that pay higher salaries. In fact, 41% of the respondents to the HIMSS survey who earned their certification report having advanced to a new role, with more than half switching roles within a year of certification.

>> Related: Nursing Informatics Career Overview

1.  Highest Level of Education Attained

Nursing Informatics is a field that is relatively new, and the knowledge base is expanding rapidly and changing daily. Though entry to the field is available to anybody with a nursing degree, there is a significant difference in compensation based on the individual’s level of education,

• 25% of Ph.D. or equivalent degrees have a salary over $176,000, compared to 8%-12% of all other degrees.

• Only 10% of nurse informaticists with an ADN or LPN degree earn at that level

2.  Years of Nurse Informaticist Experience

The more experience that a nurse informaticist has in the field, the higher their salary is likely to be. 

• 42% of Informatics nurses with 16+ years of experience earn more than $150,000 per year

• Only 6% of informatics with less than five years of experience earn at that level

3. Nursing Informatics Certification

Being certified in informatics by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) has a significant impact on an individual’s salary

• 85% of nurses certified in informatics earn more than $100,000 per year

>> Show Me Nursing Informatics Programs

Though nurse informaticist salaries are impacted to the greatest degree by their level of education and years of experience, there is also significant variability in compensation based on where they work, both in terms of the type of facility and the geographic region. 

Nursing Informatics Salary by State 

Source ZipRecruiter

In addition to their salaries, nurse informaticists receive additional benefits that include paid time off, retirement plans, medical and dental insurance, and life insurance. Many receive additional perks, including tuition reimbursement, short- and long-term disability, reimbursement for expenses related to attending conferences or continuing education events, healthcare savings accounts, and certification reimbursement.

According to the HIMSS 2023 Nursing Informatics Workforce Survey, nursing informaticists enjoy very good benefits. More than 70% receive each of the following benefits: 401k/403(b) (68%), medical/dental insurance (68%), and life insurance (58%).

>> Show Me Nursing Informatics Programs

Technology has created dramatic shifts in patient care, and nurse informaticists are the professionals who are leading the way in combining clinical care with data. From electronic medical records and computerized provider order entry to medical economics, these clinically skilled, analytical professionals are on the cutting edge of medical innovation, greater efficiency in workflows for healthcare staff, and improved experiences and outcomes for patients. 

• How Long Does it Take to Become an Informatics Nurse?

  • It generally takes four-to-six years to complete a nursing informatics program, and though this represents a significant investment of time, those who pursue the career consider it well worth it. 

• Is Nursing Informatics a Good Career?

  • A career in nursing informatics is tremendously rewarding, both financially and professionally. According to the HIMSS survey, more than 76% are highly satisfied with their career choice overall. This reflects the growing importance of the role and the high level of respect that they command as they work to develop, implement, and optimize new systems that improve the quality and efficiency of patient care and health operations. 

• Where Can You Work in Nursing Informatics?

  • Their expertise has made them integral to a wide range of employers, including hospitals and health systems, government and military settings, and ambulatory care settings, as well as the management, scientific, and technical vendors that provide these environments with technology and implementation services. 

• What Do Informatics Nurses Do?

  • Combining clinical nursing skills and knowledge with information and communication technologies facilitates better communication, data management, and patient care. Those who choose this cutting-edge career have the opportunity to collaborate with healthcare professionals at all levels, to improve healthcare and implement nursing science, and to see tangible results of their efforts.