Rehabilitation Nurse salary
A rehabilitation nurse earns about $97,550 a year — roughly $46.90/hour, with most earning between $80,330 and $112,350. This is an estimate — a starting point, not an exact figure.
Rehabilitation Nurse — U.S. national
Specialty estimateMedian annual pay
$97,550
Hourly
$46.90/hr
- Typical range
- $80,330–$112,350
- What most nurses earn
- High end
- $137,470
- Top earners
- Entry level
- $68,940
- Newer nurses
What affects this pay
- Rehabilitation certification (CRRN)
- Inpatient rehab vs skilled nursing setting
- Experience and caseload
- Metro labor market
About Rehabilitation Nurses
What they do
Rehabilitation nurses help patients regain independence after strokes, spinal-cord and brain injuries, amputations, or major surgery. They manage bowel, bladder, skin, and mobility programs, prevent complications during long recoveries, reinforce physical and occupational therapy goals, and coach patients and families toward the highest possible function.
How to become a Rehabilitation Nurse
Rehab nurses are RNs who develop patience and goal-setting skills for long recovery arcs, often after med-surg or neuro experience. They work in inpatient rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing, and home settings, and can earn the Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN) credential once they have rehabilitation practice hours.
What drives the pay
Rehabilitation nursing has no distinct federal wage category, so these numbers are specialty estimates anchored to registered nurse pay. Pay sits close to the general RN baseline because the setting is typically lower-acuity than critical care, with certification and inpatient-rehab experience providing modest lift.
Rehabilitation Nurse pay by state
Estimated rehabilitation 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 | $134,620 | +38% vs national |
| Hawaii | $117,060 | +20% vs national |
| Alaska | $115,110 | +18% vs national |
| Oregon | $115,110 | +18% vs national |
| Washington | $115,110 | +18% vs national |
| Massachusetts | $112,180 | +15% vs national |
| New York | $110,230 | +13% vs national |
| District of Columbia | $109,260 | +12% vs national |
Rehabilitation Nurse salary by state
Open any state for estimated rehabilitation nurse pay, local metros, and how it compares to the U.S. average.
Compare next
Roles nurses weigh against this one.
Rehabilitation Nurse salary FAQ
- How much do Rehabilitation Nurses make?
- Rehabilitation Nurses earn an estimated $97,550 a year — about $46.90 an hour, with most between $80,330 and $112,350. Rehabilitation 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 Rehabilitation Nurses?
- Most Rehabilitation Nurses are paid an hourly wage. The national estimate works out to about $46.90 an hour at a full-time schedule, with a typical range of $38.62 to $54.01. Nights, weekends, and overtime differentials push the real hourly rate higher.
- Which state pays Rehabilitation Nurses the most?
- California is among the highest-paying states for Rehabilitation Nurses, at roughly $134,620 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 Rehabilitation Nurse pay shown as an estimate?
- No public source measures Rehabilitation 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
Rehabilitation Nurse is not broken out by BLS. Figures are modeled from the SOC 29-1141 median using a specialty differential of 1.00×, 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.