Cath Lab Nurse salary: $78.04/hr$3,122/wk$162,323/yr median.
Pay range $74.15$2,966$154,232–$82.89/hr$3,316/wk$172,411/yr across the middle 50% of active Cardiac Nurse Registered Nurse (RN) postings nationwide.
197 unique employers · 467 cities · 52 states. Pay moved +5.3% over the last 30 days.
How Cath Lab Nurse pay is distributed.
10% of postings pay under $72.00/hr$2,880/wk$149,760/yr. The top 10% pay above $87.50/hr$3,500/wk$182,000/yr.
How Cath Lab Nurse pay has moved month over month.
Median pay moved from $76.00 in May 2026 to $47.00 in Oct 2026 (-38.2%). Bars show monthly posting volume; the line tracks the posting-weighted median.
| Month | Median /hr/wk/yr | P25–P75 | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | $76.00$3,040$158,080 | $71.98$2,879$149,718–$80.33$3,213$167,086 | 642 |
| Jun 2026 | $77.50$3,100$161,200 | $73.50$2,940$152,880–$82.73$3,309$172,078 | 2,281 |
| Jul 2026 | $79.00$3,160$164,320 | $75.00$3,000$156,000–$83.68$3,347$174,054 | 2,357 |
| Aug 2026 | $78.46$3,138$163,197 | $75.00$3,000$156,000–$83.33$3,333$173,326 | 1,672 |
| Sep 2026 | $50.00$2,000$104,000 | $45.00$1,800$93,600–$51.50$2,060$107,120 | 5 |
| Oct 2026 | $47.00$1,880$97,760 | $45.25$1,810$94,120–$48.50$1,940$100,880 | 3 |
Cath Lab Nurse pay across every state with live data.
Showing all 48 states with live data. Bars scale to the highest-paying state.
The metros writing the biggest Cath Lab Nurse paychecks.
| City | State | Median /hr/wk/yr | P25–P75 | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mountain view | CA · CALIFORNIA | $98.35$3,934$204,568 | $88.68$3,547$184,454–$105.18$4,207$218,774 | 25 |
| new york | NY · NEW YORK | $92.29$3,692$191,963 | $86.51$3,460$179,941–$96.44$3,858$200,595 | 14 |
| hilo | HI · HAWAII | $91.32$3,653$189,946 | $88.40$3,536$183,872–$94.44$3,778$196,435 | 64 |
| palo alto | CA · CALIFORNIA | $89.63$3,585$186,430 | $84.28$3,371$175,302–$90.99$3,640$189,259 | 31 |
| escondido | CA · CALIFORNIA | $87.83$3,513$182,686 | $83.77$3,351$174,242–$88.00$3,520$183,040 | 10 |
CITY PAY DATA
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Where the top of the market is paying for Cath Lab Nurse.
| Employer | Median /hr/wk/yr | Range | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| amergis healthcare staffing, inc. | $85.15$3,406$177,112 | $72.15$2,886$150,072–$97.22$3,889$202,218 | 37 |
| cloudinfrait inc | $92.28$3,691$191,942 | $77.29$3,092$160,763–$98.13$3,925$204,110 | 7 |
| curam staffing | $92.50$3,700$192,400 | $72.70$2,908$151,216–$94.23$3,769$195,998 | 8 |
| express healthcare staffing illinois | $89.05$3,562$185,224 | $88.11$3,524$183,269–$101.65$4,066$211,432 | 8 |
| express healthcare staffing ny | $96.15$3,846$199,992 | $74.10$2,964$154,128–$101.22$4,049$210,538 | 28 |
| integrated healthcare services | $85.11$3,404$177,029 | $74.00$2,960$153,920–$101.53$4,061$211,182 | 20 |
| medlivo | $90.00$3,600$187,200 | $78.00$3,120$162,240–$94.60$3,784$196,768 | 5 |
| metasense, inc. | $88.87$3,555$184,850 | $74.53$2,981$155,022–$93.76$3,750$195,021 | 5 |
| theraex staffing services | $90.00$3,600$187,200 | $72.00$2,880$149,760–$101.20$4,048$210,496 | 11 |
| united staffing solutions | $86.63$3,465$180,190 | $74.15$2,966$154,232–$98.11$3,924$204,069 | 16 |
Showing all 10 employers with live pay data.
How Cath Lab Nurse pay shifts by schedule and contract type.
Travel Contract pays the most at $78.65/hr$3,146/wk$163,592/yr median — 79% above Fulltime at $44.00/hr$1,760/wk$91,520/yr.
How to become a Cath Lab Nurse.
Cath Lab nurses provide specialized nursing care during cardiac catheterization procedures, including diagnostic angiograms, interventions, and electrophysiology studies.
Cath lab nursing typically requires ICU, telemetry, or cardiac step-down experience (1-3 years) before transitioning. Extensive on-the-job training in cardiac procedures (6-12 months).
| Degree | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree in NursingADN | 2-3 years | Entry-level option. Most cath labs accept ADN nurses with critical care background. |
| Bachelor of Science in NursingBSN | 4 years | Preferred by most academic medical centers and large cardiovascular programs. |
| Master of Science in NursingMSN | 2-3 years post-BSN | Required for Cardiovascular Clinical Nurse Specialist or Acute Care NP roles. |
State RN license required. Must pass NCLEX-RN examination.
CPR certification required.
Required for cath lab. Essential for managing cardiac emergencies during procedures.
| Credential | Issued by | Pay impact |
|---|---|---|
| CCRN Critical Care Registered Nurse Valuable certification demonstrating critical care expertise. Many cath lab nurses pursue CCRN. | AACN | +10-15% |
| RCIS Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist Credential validating cardiovascular invasive procedure competence. Can be earned by RNs and techs. | CCI | +5-10% |
| CMC Cardiac Medicine Certification Demonstrates expertise in cardiac nursing. Complements cath lab experience. | AACN | +5-10% |
| CVAHP Certified Vascular Access Health Professional Validates vascular access expertise. Relevant for arterial and venous access in cath lab. | AVA | +3-5% |
- 1-3 yearsICU/Telemetry/CCU Nurse
Building critical care foundation and cardiac knowledge before cath lab transition.
- 6-12 monthsCath Lab Orientation
Intensive training in cath lab procedures, circulating, and monitoring roles.
- 2-5 yearsStaff Cath Lab Nurse
Independent practice during diagnostic and interventional procedures.
- 5-7 yearsSenior Cath Lab Nurse
Expert nurse handling complex cases (TAVR, STEMI, structural heart). Preceptor role.
- 7-10 yearsCath Lab Charge Nurse / Team Lead
Coordinates daily operations, case scheduling, and staff assignments.
- 10+ yearsCath Lab Manager / Director
Oversees cardiovascular lab operations, quality metrics, and staff. MSN often preferred.
- 15+ yearsCardiovascular Service Line Administrator
Executive role overseeing all cardiovascular services including cath lab, EP, vascular, CT surgery.
Schedule. Typically weekday shifts with on-call requirements for STEMI coverage. Call can be demanding depending on program volume. Some positions offer 4x10-hour shifts.
Physical demands. Moderate demands. Standing during procedures (1-3 hours), wearing lead aprons, and responding quickly to emergencies. Radiation exposure monitoring required.
Cardiovascular disease remains prevalent, driving cath lab demand. Structural heart programs (TAVR, MitraClip) are expanding. Travel cath lab positions pay $2,500-4,000+/week.
What clinicians ask about Cath Lab Nurse pay.
What is the average Cath Lab Nurse salary in 2026?
The median Cath Lab Nurse salary is $78.04/hr (approximately $162,323/yr) based on 7,304 active job postings.
What is the pay range for Cath Lab Nurse?
Hourly pay ranges from $74.15 at the 25th percentile to $82.89 at the 75th percentile, with the top 10% earning above $87.50/hr.
Which state pays Cath Lab Nurse roles the most?
Hawaii currently leads with a median of $88.88/hr across 118 postings.
How many employers are hiring Cath Lab Nurses?
Our dataset shows 197 unique employers posting Cath Lab Nurse roles across 52 states.
Where does TrueRounds get Cath Lab Nurse salary data?
All salary figures are computed from active US healthcare job postings with listed pay ranges, collected over a rolling 6-month window and weighted by posting volume.
Explore other Registered Nurse (RN) tracks.
Cath Lab Nurse sits inside the Cardiac Nurse track. Here are sibling tracks across Registered Nurse (RN) — same category, different clinical focus and pay envelope.
Active US healthcare postings. Weighted by volume. Refreshed daily.
Pay benchmarks are computed from active job postings with listed pay ranges, collected on a rolling 6-month window. Each role's percentiles are weighted by posting volume so a metro with two postings doesn't outweigh a metro with two hundred. Outliers (postings priced more than 4× the role median) are dropped to avoid contract-line distortion.
Use the data, then push back.
Bring these numbers into your next contract conversation. Recruiters know what the market pays — now you do too.