Neuroscience Nurse salary
A neuroscience nurse earns about $101,450 a year — roughly $48.77/hour, with most earning between $83,540 and $116,840. This is an estimate — a starting point, not an exact figure.
Neuroscience Nurse — U.S. national
Specialty estimateMedian annual pay
$101,450
Hourly
$48.77/hr
- Typical range
- $83,540–$116,840
- What most nurses earn
- High end
- $142,970
- Top earners
- Entry level
- $71,700
- Newer nurses
What affects this pay
- Neuroscience certification (CNRN)
- Neuro ICU vs floor acuity
- Stroke-center experience
- Metro labor market
About Neuroscience Nurses
What they do
Neuroscience nurses care for patients with brain, spine, and nervous-system conditions — strokes, seizures, traumatic brain injury, and neurosurgical recovery. They perform frequent detailed neuro assessments, catch subtle changes that signal deterioration, manage devices like external ventricular drains, and move quickly during time-critical events such as acute strokes.
How to become a Neuroscience Nurse
Neuroscience nurses are RNs who gain experience on neuro floors or in neuro ICUs, where the assessment demands are high. Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support and stroke-certification training are common, and with experience nurses can earn the Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN) credential recognized at stroke and neurosurgery centers.
What drives the pay
Neuroscience nursing is not tracked on its own in federal wage surveys, so these are specialty estimates based on registered nurse pay. The premium reflects the higher acuity of neuro ICU and stroke work, the precision required in serial neuro assessments, and certification rather than a separately measured wage.
Neuroscience Nurse pay by state
Estimated neuroscience 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 | $140,000 | +38% vs national |
| Hawaii | $121,740 | +20% vs national |
| Alaska | $119,710 | +18% vs national |
| Oregon | $119,710 | +18% vs national |
| Washington | $119,710 | +18% vs national |
| Massachusetts | $116,670 | +15% vs national |
| New York | $114,640 | +13% vs national |
| District of Columbia | $113,630 | +12% vs national |
Neuroscience Nurse salary by state
Open any state for estimated neuroscience nurse pay, local metros, and how it compares to the U.S. average.
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Neuroscience Nurse salary FAQ
- How much do Neuroscience Nurses make?
- Neuroscience Nurses earn an estimated $101,450 a year — about $48.77 an hour, with most between $83,540 and $116,840. Neuroscience 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 Neuroscience Nurses?
- Most Neuroscience Nurses are paid an hourly wage. The national estimate works out to about $48.77 an hour at a full-time schedule, with a typical range of $40.16 to $56.17. Nights, weekends, and overtime differentials push the real hourly rate higher.
- Which state pays Neuroscience Nurses the most?
- California is among the highest-paying states for Neuroscience Nurses, at roughly $140,000 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 Neuroscience Nurse pay shown as an estimate?
- No public source measures Neuroscience 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
Neuroscience Nurse is not broken out by BLS. Figures are modeled from the SOC 29-1141 median using a specialty differential of 1.04×, 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.