The average salary for a clinical nurse specialist in the United States is around $97,550 per year.
Avg Salary
Clinical nurse specialists earn an average yearly salary of $97,550.
Wages typically start from $68,940 and go up to $137,470.
47% above national average Updated in 2025
Clinical nurse specialist earnings by seniority
Top-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$66.09 per hour
$137,470 per year
Senior-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$54.02 per hour
$112,350 per year
Mid-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$46.90 per hour
$97,550 per year
Junior-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$38.62 per hour
$80,330 per year
Starting level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$33.14 per hour
$68,940 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Clinical nurse specialist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Maryland | $99,790 |
| New Hampshire | $99,700 |
| Delaware | $99,520 |
| Arizona | $99,500 |
| Vermont | $97,460 |
| Pennsylvania | $96,430 |
| Illinois | $95,990 |
| Texas | $95,970 |
| Wisconsin | $95,530 |
| New Mexico | $94,340 |
| Michigan | $94,300 |
| Virginia | $93,600 |
| Georgia | $93,550 |
| Idaho | $92,460 |
| Maine | $86,990 |
| Montana | $85,280 |
| Nebraska | $84,730 |
| Utah | $84,600 |
| North Carolina | $84,350 |
| Florida | $84,190 |
| Wyoming | $83,760 |
| Indiana | $83,500 |
| Oklahoma | $82,920 |
| Ohio | $82,510 |
| South Carolina | $82,360 |
| Missouri | $81,780 |
| Tennessee | $81,500 |
| Kentucky | $81,040 |
| North Dakota | $80,730 |
| Louisiana | $80,230 |
| West Virginia | $80,130 |
| Kansas | $79,320 |
| Arkansas | $78,940 |
| Iowa | $78,630 |
| South Dakota | $78,060 |
| Mississippi | $77,090 |
| Alabama | $77,080 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $74,710 |
| Guam | $58,980 |
| Puerto Rico | $36,320 |
| California | $140,270 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 |
| Oregon | $129,010 |
| Washington | $124,200 |
| Alaska | $109,480 |
| New York | $109,440 |
| New Jersey | $106,500 |
| Massachusetts | $104,550 |
| Nevada | $103,670 |
| Connecticut | $102,740 |
| District of Columbia | $102,540 |
| Minnesota | $101,510 |
| Rhode Island | $100,640 |
| Colorado | $100,260 |
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 biomedical engineers but more than audiologists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Biomedical engineer salary | $109K |
| Radiation therapist salary | $105K |
| Informatics nurse specialist salary | $106K |
| Counseling psychologist salary | $101K |
| Nuclear medicine technologist salary | $101K |
| Clinical nurse specialist salary | $98K |
| Advanced practice registered nurse salary | $98K |
| Acute care nurse practitioner salary | $98K |
| Registered nurse salary | $98K |
| Audiologist salary | $96K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)