PACU Nurse vs Operating Room Nurse salary in New York
In New York, operating room nurses earn more — an estimated $119,050 a year versus $116,850 for pacu nurses, a gap of about $2,200 (roughly 2% more). Both are estimates based on national pay for each role adjusted for New York.
PACU Nurse — New York
Specialty estimateMedian annual pay
$116,850
+13% vs nationalHourly
$56.18/hr
- Typical range
- $96,220–$134,570
- What most nurses earn
- High end
- $164,660
- Top earners
- Entry level
- $82,580
- Newer nurses
Operating Room Nurse — New York
Specialty estimateMedian annual pay
$119,050
+13% vs nationalHourly
$57.24/hr
- Typical range
- $98,030–$137,110
- What most nurses earn
- High end
- $167,770
- Top earners
- Entry level
- $84,130
- Newer nurses
Why the gap in New York
PACU (post-anesthesia) and OR nurse pay is close, since both are perioperative RN roles on the same wage base. OR nursing carries surgical-case and call demands; PACU focuses on recovery and airway monitoring. Certifications, call coverage, and the local market drive the small differences. The New York figures apply the same local pay adjustment to both roles, so the gap here mirrors the national picture, shifted for New York's cost of labor. Actual pay varies with experience, specialty, shift, and employer — compare the national PACU Nurse vs Operating Room Nurse comparison or personalize the calculator.
PACU Nurse vs Operating Room Nurse in New York — FAQ
- Do pacu nurses or operating room nurses earn more in New York?
- In New York, operating room nurses earn more — an estimated $119,050 a year versus $116,850 for pacu nurses, a gap of about $2,200 (roughly 2% more). Both are estimates based on national pay for each role adjusted for New York's local pay level.
- How much is the pacu nurse vs operating room nurse pay gap in New York?
- The estimated gap in New York is about $2,200 a year, or roughly 2% more for operating room nurses. Your actual pay depends on experience, specialty, shift, and employer — use the calculator to compare both for your situation.
- Are these New York figures exact?
- No — they're modeled estimates, not verified New York wages. They start from each role's national pay and adjust for New York's cost of labor, and they update to verified numbers when official state data is loaded.
- 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 estimate (BLS national × state wage index)
New York figures are estimated by adjusting the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS national median for local pay levels (a state adjustment of 1.13×).
Source year 2025. Last reviewed July 3, 2026. Full methodology
Estimated figures for New York. Last reviewed July 3, 2026.