The average salary for a clinical nurse specialist in the United States is around $82,794 per year.
Avg Salary
Clinical nurse specialists earn an average yearly salary of $82,794.
Wages typically start from $61,294 and go up to $111,834.
29% above national average Updated in 2023
Clinical nurse specialist earnings by seniority
Top-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$53.77 per hour
$111,834 per year
Senior-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$46.63 per hour
$96,988 per year
Mid-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$39.80 per hour
$82,794 per year
Junior-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$33.98 per hour
$70,676 per year
Starting level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$29.47 per hour
$61,294 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Clinical nurse specialist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Oregon | $99,410 |
| Alaska | $99,110 |
| Washington | $96,980 |
| New York | $96,170 |
| District of Columbia | $95,220 |
| Massachusetts | $94,960 |
| New Jersey | $94,690 |
| Connecticut | $83,860 |
| Nevada | $79,360 |
| Minnesota | $79,100 |
| Rhode Island | $78,900 |
| Maryland | $78,350 |
| New Mexico | $78,340 |
| Arizona | $78,260 |
| Colorado | $78,070 |
| Illinois | $77,580 |
| Texas | $77,320 |
| New Hampshire | $77,230 |
| Pennsylvania | $76,940 |
| Virginia | $76,900 |
| Michigan | $76,710 |
| Wisconsin | $76,560 |
| Idaho | $75,560 |
| Delaware | $75,380 |
| Vermont | $75,380 |
| Georgia | $75,040 |
| Maine | $75,040 |
| Florida | $75,000 |
| Montana | $75,000 |
| Utah | $75,000 |
| Wyoming | $75,000 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $74,710 |
| Ohio | $74,080 |
| North Dakota | $73,250 |
| South Carolina | $72,650 |
| North Carolina | $72,220 |
| Louisiana | $64,450 |
| Nebraska | $64,000 |
| Kentucky | $62,480 |
| Indiana | $62,400 |
| Tennessee | $62,390 |
| West Virginia | $62,390 |
| Oklahoma | $62,170 |
| Missouri | $61,920 |
| Iowa | $61,790 |
| Kansas | $61,790 |
| Arkansas | $61,530 |
| Mississippi | $60,790 |
| South Dakota | $60,550 |
| Alabama | $60,510 |
| Guam | $58,980 |
| Puerto Rico | $36,320 |
| California | $125,340 |
| Hawaii | $111,070 |
How do clinical nurse specialist salaries compare to similar careers?
Clinical nurse specialists earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than nuclear medicine technologists but more than nurses.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Nuclear medicine technologist salary | $89K |
| Nurse educator salary | $84K |
| Advanced practice registered nurse salary | $86K |
| Radiation therapist salary | $84K |
| MRI technologist salary | $84K |
| Clinical nurse specialist salary | $83K |
| Orthotist salary | $71K |
| Registered nurse salary | $71K |
| Midwife salary | $64K |
| Nurse salary | $70K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)