Ambulatory Care Nurse salary
A ambulatory care nurse earns about $95,600 a year — roughly $45.96/hour, with most earning between $78,720 and $110,100. This is an estimate — a starting point, not an exact figure.
Ambulatory Care Nurse — U.S. national
Specialty estimateMedian annual pay
$95,600
Hourly
$45.96/hr
- Typical range
- $78,720–$110,100
- What most nurses earn
- High end
- $134,720
- Top earners
- Entry level
- $67,560
- Newer nurses
What affects this pay
- Ambulatory certification (RN-BC)
- Clinic vs surgery-center setting
- Weekday schedule (fewer differentials)
- Metro labor market
About Ambulatory Care Nurses
What they do
Ambulatory care nurses deliver care in outpatient settings — clinics, specialty practices, and surgery centers — across brief, high-volume patient encounters. They triage symptoms in person and by phone, administer treatments and immunizations, coordinate care between visits, and provide the education that helps patients manage chronic conditions at home.
How to become an Ambulatory Care Nurse
Ambulatory care nurses are RNs who bring strong assessment, triage, and communication skills to fast-paced outpatient environments. Many come from inpatient backgrounds and value the weekday schedule; the Ambulatory Care Nursing certification (RN-BC) recognizes expertise in telephone triage, care coordination, and outpatient practice.
What drives the pay
Ambulatory care nursing has no distinct federal wage category, so these are specialty estimates based on registered nurse pay. Pay often sits slightly below the inpatient RN baseline because outpatient roles carry fewer night, weekend, and shift differentials, even as the clinical judgment required in triage remains high.
Ambulatory Care Nurse pay by state
Estimated ambulatory care nurse pay where this role tends to earn the most. Open a state for the full local picture.
| State | Est. annual pay | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| California | $131,930 | +38% vs national |
| Hawaii | $114,720 | +20% vs national |
| Alaska | $112,810 | +18% vs national |
| Oregon | $112,810 | +18% vs national |
| Washington | $112,810 | +18% vs national |
| Massachusetts | $109,940 | +15% vs national |
| New York | $108,030 | +13% vs national |
| District of Columbia | $107,070 | +12% vs national |
Ambulatory Care Nurse salary by state
Open any state for estimated ambulatory care nurse pay, local metros, and how it compares to the U.S. average.
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Ambulatory Care Nurse salary FAQ
- How much do Ambulatory Care Nurses make?
- Ambulatory Care Nurses earn an estimated $95,600 a year — about $45.96 an hour, with most between $78,720 and $110,100. Ambulatory Care Nurses aren't reported as a separate role in public wage data, so this is a specialty estimate that starts from registered nurse pay.
- What is the hourly pay for Ambulatory Care Nurses?
- Most Ambulatory Care Nurses are paid an hourly wage. The national estimate works out to about $45.96 an hour at a full-time schedule, with a typical range of $37.85 to $52.93. Nights, weekends, and overtime differentials push the real hourly rate higher.
- Which state pays Ambulatory Care Nurses the most?
- California is among the highest-paying states for Ambulatory Care Nurses, at roughly $131,930 a year, followed by other West Coast and Northeast states. State figures are estimates based on national pay and local cost of living.
- Why is Ambulatory Care Nurse pay shown as an estimate?
- No public source measures Ambulatory Care Nurses as a separate occupation, so we start from registered nurse pay and apply the pay difference these nurses typically see. The figure is clearly labeled an estimate and sharpens as nurses submit their own pay.
- Why are some figures verified and others estimates?
- National pay for the main nursing roles — registered nurses, LPNs/LVNs, nurse practitioners, CRNAs, nurse midwives, and nursing assistants — comes from verified public wage data. State, city, and specialty figures that aren't reported on their own start from that national pay and are labeled "Estimated" or "Specialty estimate." We never show an estimate as a verified figure.
Source & confidence— An estimate for a specialty that public pay data does not list on its own. A ballpark to start from, not an exact figure.
Modeled specialty estimate
Ambulatory Care Nurse is not broken out by BLS. Figures are modeled from the SOC 29-1141 median using a specialty differential of 0.98×, reflecting commonly reported pay differences. Treat as directional, not precise.
Source year 2025. Last reviewed July 3, 2026. Full methodology
This role isn’t broken out in public wage data, so the figure starts from registered nurse pay and sharpens as nurses submit their pay. Last reviewed July 3, 2026.