Transplant Nurse salary
A transplant nurse earns about $103,400 a year — roughly $49.71/hour, with most earning between $85,150 and $119,090. This is an estimate — a starting point, not an exact figure.
Transplant Nurse — U.S. national
Specialty estimateMedian annual pay
$103,400
Hourly
$49.71/hr
- Typical range
- $85,150–$119,090
- What most nurses earn
- High end
- $145,720
- Top earners
- Entry level
- $73,080
- Newer nurses
What affects this pay
- Transplant coordinator vs bedside role
- Transplant-center experience
- Complex immunosuppression management
- Metro labor market
About Transplant Nurses
What they do
Transplant nurses care for organ-transplant recipients and living donors across the journey — evaluation, surgery, and long-term follow-up. They manage complex immunosuppression regimens, watch closely for rejection and infection, coordinate multidisciplinary care, and provide intensive education so patients can protect a transplanted organ for life.
How to become a Transplant Nurse
Transplant nurses are experienced RNs, often from ICU, med-surg, or nephrology backgrounds, who move into transplant units or coordinator roles at transplant centers. The work rewards sharp assessment and teaching skills; certifications such as the Certified Clinical Transplant Nurse (CCTN) recognize the specialized knowledge of immunosuppression and organ-specific care.
What drives the pay
Transplant nursing is not separately reported in federal wage data, so these figures are specialty estimates built from registered nurse pay. The premium reflects the complexity of immunosuppression management, the concentration of the work in a limited number of high-acuity transplant centers, and the coordination responsibility many transplant nurses carry.
Transplant Nurse pay by state
Estimated transplant 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 | $142,700 | +38% vs national |
| Hawaii | $124,080 | +20% vs national |
| Alaska | $122,020 | +18% vs national |
| Oregon | $122,020 | +18% vs national |
| Washington | $122,020 | +18% vs national |
| Massachusetts | $118,910 | +15% vs national |
| New York | $116,850 | +13% vs national |
| District of Columbia | $115,810 | +12% vs national |
Transplant Nurse salary by state
Open any state for estimated transplant nurse pay, local metros, and how it compares to the U.S. average.
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Transplant Nurse salary FAQ
- How much do Transplant Nurses make?
- Transplant Nurses earn an estimated $103,400 a year — about $49.71 an hour, with most between $85,150 and $119,090. Transplant 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 Transplant Nurses?
- Most Transplant Nurses are paid an hourly wage. The national estimate works out to about $49.71 an hour at a full-time schedule, with a typical range of $40.94 to $57.25. Nights, weekends, and overtime differentials push the real hourly rate higher.
- Which state pays Transplant Nurses the most?
- California is among the highest-paying states for Transplant Nurses, at roughly $142,700 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 Transplant Nurse pay shown as an estimate?
- No public source measures Transplant 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
Transplant Nurse is not broken out by BLS. Figures are modeled from the SOC 29-1141 median using a specialty differential of 1.06×, 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.