The average salary for a clinical nurse specialist in Kentucky is around $81,040 per year.
Avg Salary
Clinical nurse specialists earn an average yearly salary of $81,040.
Wages typically start from $64,170 and go up to $111,750.
33% above national average Updated in 2025
Clinical nurse specialist earnings by seniority
Top-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$53.73 per hour
$111,750 per year
Senior-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$46.73 per hour
$97,200 per year
Mid-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$38.96 per hour
$81,040 per year
Junior-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$36.38 per hour
$75,670 per year
Starting level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$30.85 per hour
$64,170 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 Kentucky. On average, they make less than biomedical engineers but more than MRI technologists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Biomedical engineer salary | $95K |
| Audiologist salary | $93K |
| Nuclear medicine technologist salary | $95K |
| Diagnostic medical sonographer salary | $91K |
| Midwife salary | $92K |
| Registered nurse salary | $81K |
| Clinical nurse specialist salary | $81K |
| Acute care nurse practitioner salary | $81K |
| Advanced practice registered nurse salary | $81K |
| MRI technologist salary | $82K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)