The median Clinical Nurse Specialist (cns) salary is $74.05 per hour, or $154,024 per year, based on 24 job postings across 7 states. Compare pay by location, employer, shift, and contract type.
$74.05
Median hourly
$154,024
Annual salary
$59-$99
Pay range
7
States tracked
Salary guide
A typical Clinical Nurse Specialist (cns) earns $74.05/hr, with most posted roles landing between $70.00 and $80.57/hr.
Recent posted pay is steady, with the last 30 days showing stable movement versus the prior period.
Compare locations before accepting an offer, especially when travel stipends or weekend differentials are included.
30-day market pulse
Compare the most recent 30 days of job postings against the previous 30 days. Use this as a quick read on whether pay and hiring volume are moving together.
Posted pay
Stable
Current median: —/hr
Prior period: —/hr
Job openings
Stable
— recent postings
Previous period: — postings
Daily pay signal
$63.50/hr latest
Year-over-year
Building
We are collecting enough historical Clinical Nurse Specialist (cns) postings to show a reliable year-over-year pay comparison.
Pay is holding steady across recent listings at about —/hr.
Pay range
The middle band is usually the most useful offer benchmark. The 10th and 90th percentiles show the broader market floor and ceiling.
Entry / low
$58.67
$122,034/yr
Median
$74.05
$154,024/yr
Top earners
$98.92
$205,754/yr
MARKET TRENDS
Month-over-month median hourly pay and posting volume.
| Month | Median Hourly | Postings |
|---|---|---|
Jan 2026Current | $63.50/hr | 5 |
Dec 2025 | $71.68/hr | 6 |
Nov 2025 | $77.13/hr | 13 |
BY LOCATION
See how pay varies across the country. Ranked by job volume.
Estimated from national data
~$65.21
—
Estimated from national data
~$83.45
—
Estimated from national data
~$68.22
—
Estimated from national data
~$70.46
—
8 postings · 2 companies
$77.13
$77-$107
Estimated from national data
~$73.57
—
Estimated from national data
~$75.70
—
Estimated from national data
~$68.43
—
Estimated from national data
~$74.27
—
Estimated from national data
~$82.63
—
Estimated from national data
~$74.23
—
Estimated from national data
~$84.13
—
Estimated from national data
~$74.28
—
Estimated from national data
~$74.62
—
Estimated from national data
~$69.82
—
Estimated from national data
~$69.49
—
Estimated from national data
~$66.06
—
Estimated from national data
~$70.85
—
Estimated from national data
~$76.57
—
Estimated from national data
~$83.86
—
Estimated from national data
~$84.41
—
Estimated from national data
~$75.54
—
Estimated from national data
~$78.32
—
7 postings · 3 companies
$71.28
$70-$72
Estimated from national data
~$73.91
—
Estimated from national data
~$82.85
—
Estimated from national data
~$78.19
—
Estimated from national data
~$79.21
—
Estimated from national data
~$75.48
—
Estimated from national data
~$68.61
—
Estimated from national data
~$65.71
—
Estimated from national data
~$74.87
—
Estimated from national data
~$63.74
—
Estimated from national data
~$68.45
—
Estimated from national data
~$69.28
—
Estimated from national data
~$82.96
—
Estimated from national data
~$79.95
—
Estimated from national data
~$70.56
—
Estimated from national data
~$67.80
—
Estimated from national data
~$63.61
—
Estimated from national data
~$71.71
—
Estimated from national data
~$64.69
—
Estimated from national data
~$83.84
—
Estimated from national data
~$63.53
—
Estimated from national data
~$83.88
—
Estimated from national data
~$74.17
—
Estimated from national data
~$83.71
—
Estimated from national data
~$74.82
—
Estimated from national data
~$66.37
—
Estimated from national data
~$67.15
—
Estimated from national data
~$64.70
—
Est.Estimated values are based on national averages.
BY EMPLOYER
See which companies pay the most and least for Clinical Nurse Specialist (cns) positions.
Kaiser Permanente
13 postings
$77.13/hr
Kaiser Permanente
13 postings
$77.13/hr
RELATED POSITIONS
| Job Title | Postings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Rn - Clinical Document Improvement Specialist | 9 | $72.08/hr |
PAY FACTORS
How shift type, contract length, and employment type impact Clinical Nurse Specialist (cns) salaries.
FAQ
The median Clinical Nurse Specialist (cns) salary is $74.05 per hour, or $154,024 annually. Pay ranges from $58.67/hr (10th percentile) to $98.92/hr (90th percentile) depending on location, experience, and employer.
Based on 24 job postings, the highest paying states for Clinical Nurse Specialist (cns)s include California, Minnesota. Pay rates vary based on cost of living, demand, and state regulations.
There are currently 24 Clinical Nurse Specialist (cns) job postings across 7 states, from 7 different healthcare employers.
Clinical Nurse Specialist (cns) pay varies based on geographic location, years of experience, certifications, shift differentials (nights/weekends), employment type (travel vs. staff), facility type, and specialized skills. Travel contracts typically pay higher hourly rates.
Clinical Nurse Specialist (cns) pay is currently stable. Over the past 30 days, median hourly rates have remained relatively stable.
Clinical Nurse Specialist (cns) pay varies by specialty and setting. Travel positions typically pay $6.52 to $24.87 more per hour than staff positions. Night shifts and weekend differentials also increase earnings.
Clinical Nurse Specialist (cns) pay varies by location based on cost of living, local demand, and facility type. Urban areas typically pay more but have higher living costs.
Entry-level Clinical Nurse Specialist (cns)s typically earn around $58.67 to $70.00 per hour ($122,034 to $145,600 annually). With experience, pay increases toward the median of $74.05/hr.
DATA METHOD
Source
Based on 24 active postings with listed compensation for Clinical Nurse Specialist (cns). We prioritize postings with explicit hourly or annual pay and exclude rows without usable compensation signals from salary percentiles.
Range
Percentiles show the spread of posted pay, not a guaranteed offer or take-home pay after taxes. State and city views use available market observations and label estimated values when direct samples are limited.
Freshness
Current dataset window: 2025-11-01 to 2026-04-30. Recent trend cards compare the latest posting window with the prior period so short-term pay movement is separated from the full historical median.
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