ICU Nurse salary
A icu nurse earns about $104,830 a year — roughly $50.40/hour, with most earning between $85,110 and $112,870. This is an estimate — a starting point, not an exact figure.
ICU Nurse — U.S. national
Specialty estimateMedian annual pay
$104,830
Hourly
$50.40/hr
- Typical range
- $85,110–$112,870
- What most nurses earn
- High end
- $151,560
- Top earners
- Entry level
- $73,950
- Newer nurses
What affects this pay
- Critical-care certification (CCRN)
- Unit acuity and patient ratios
- Nights and weekend differentials
- Metro labor market
- Travel vs staff
About ICU Nurses
What they do
ICU (critical care) nurses care for the most unstable patients — those on ventilators, vasoactive drips, and continuous monitoring — usually at a 1:1 or 1:2 nurse-to-patient ratio.
How to become an ICU Nurse
ICU nurses are RNs who build critical-care experience and often earn the CCRN certification from the AACN. Most units expect prior med-surg or new-grad residency time before independent practice.
What drives the pay
Public wage data doesn’t separately track ICU nurses, so figures here are based on registered nurse pay. The premium over a general RN reflects high acuity, certification, and heavy night/weekend differential exposure rather than a separate official wage.
ICU Nurse pay by state
Where this role tends to pay the most.
| State | Annual pay | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| California | $144,670 | +38% vs national |
| Hawaii | $125,800 | +20% vs national |
| Alaska | $123,700 | +18% vs national |
| Oregon | $123,700 | +18% vs national |
| Washington | $123,700 | +18% vs national |
| Massachusetts | $120,560 | +15% vs national |
| New York | $118,460 | +13% vs national |
| District of Columbia | $117,410 | +12% vs national |
Compare next
Roles nurses weigh against this one.
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
ICU Nurse is not broken out by BLS. Figures are modeled from the SOC 29-1141 median using a specialty differential of 1.12×, reflecting commonly reported pay differences. Treat as directional, not precise.
Source year 2024. Last reviewed June 1, 2025. 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 June 1, 2025.