Clinical nurse specialist earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:

$62.95 per hour

$130,930 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:

$52.20 per hour

$108,580 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:

$47.84 per hour

$99,500 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:

$39.33 per hour

$81,810 per year

10th percentile

Starting level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:

$33.91 per hour

$70,540 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 7% less than similar careers in Arizona. On average, they make less than optometrists but more than MRI technologists.

Career Median Salary
Optometrist salary $122K
Counseling psychologist salary $119K
Informatics nurse specialist salary $104K
Radiation therapist salary $109K
Nuclear medicine technologist salary $100K
Acute care nurse practitioner salary $100K
Clinical nurse specialist salary $100K
Advanced practice registered nurse salary $100K
Registered nurse salary $100K
MRI technologist salary $101K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)