The median Icu Nurse salary is $64.00 per hour, or $133,120 per year, based on 15,972 job postings across 94 states. Compare pay by location, employer, shift, and contract type.
$64.00
Median hourly
$133,120
Annual salary
$51-$84
Pay range
94
States tracked
Salary guide
A typical Icu Nurse earns $64.00/hr, with most posted roles landing between $57.50 and $75.54/hr.
Recent posted pay is up, with the last 30 days showing +6.6% movement versus the prior period.
Location matters: Klamath Falls, OREGON is currently among the highest-paying cities, while Fort Oglethorpe, GEORGIA sits near the lower end.
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
+6.6%
Current median: $63.54/hr
Prior period: $59.61/hr
Job openings
-85.9%
1,045 recent postings
Previous period: 7,431 postings
Daily pay signal
$65.00/hr latest
Year-over-year
Building
We are collecting enough historical Icu Nurse postings to show a reliable year-over-year pay comparison.
Pay is moving up even though posting volume changed. Recent listings are showing a median of $63.54/hr, up from $59.61/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
$50.61
$105,269/yr
Median
$64.00
$133,120/yr
Top earners
$84.00
$174,720/yr
MARKET TRENDS
Month-over-month median hourly pay and posting volume.
| Month | Median Hourly | Postings |
|---|---|---|
Apr 2026Current | $63.96/hr | 982 |
Mar 2026 | $59.61/hr | 7,494 |
Feb 2026 | $71.15/hr | 1,580 |
Jan 2026 | $77.05/hr | 1,939 |
Dec 2025 | $75.42/hr | 1,497 |
Nov 2025 | $66.67/hr | 2,480 |
BY LOCATION
See how pay varies across the country. Ranked by job volume.
219 postings · 61 companies
$54.48
$51-$57
124 postings · 49 companies
$79.50
$75-$84
802 postings · 99 companies
$63.52
$56-$73
59 postings · 35 companies
$55.00
$50-$59
2,496 postings · 115 companies
$81.81
$71-$88
213 postings · 66 companies
$64.30
$59-$70
128 postings · 37 companies
$63.70
$61-$70
12 postings · 10 companies
$66.32
$61-$68
79 postings · 25 companies
$60.06
$57-$65
159 postings · 45 companies
$51.11
$47-$57
528 postings · 95 companies
$52.78
$47-$58
156 postings · 44 companies
$70.72
$64-$84
24 postings · 13 companies
$54.00
$49-$57
761 postings · 90 companies
$63.88
$59-$73
210 postings · 63 companies
$54.67
$52-$59
219 postings · 64 companies
$62.86
$60-$66
321 postings · 69 companies
$57.08
$54-$61
291 postings · 61 companies
$57.61
$55-$61
140 postings · 33 companies
$56.00
$54-$59
137 postings · 37 companies
$64.00
$61-$68
229 postings · 56 companies
$58.75
$53-$63
1,030 postings · 105 companies
$73.47
$67-$79
183 postings · 57 companies
$64.25
$60-$69
64 postings · 28 companies
$65.77
$62-$72
54 postings · 33 companies
$52.32
$48-$60
236 postings · 56 companies
$59.60
$56-$62
53 postings · 35 companies
$67.50
$63-$76
327 postings · 59 companies
$63.54
$61-$66
40 postings · 21 companies
$70.02
$61-$81
253 postings · 63 companies
$70.45
$66-$78
102 postings · 39 companies
$66.37
$63-$70
198 postings · 55 companies
$57.50
$53-$62
1,102 postings · 116 companies
$75.89
$67-$81
314 postings · 72 companies
$54.39
$51-$60
128 postings · 43 companies
$65.05
$60-$71
264 postings · 63 companies
$56.86
$51-$60
258 postings · 48 companies
$72.00
$64-$77
182 postings · 63 companies
$70.29
$65-$83
147 postings · 47 companies
$61.36
$57-$73
111 postings · 23 companies
$66.08
$65-$68
71 postings · 37 companies
$52.03
$49-$58
847 postings · 52 companies
$60.92
$59-$64
280 postings · 62 companies
$51.64
$49-$55
706 postings · 94 companies
$50.27
$45-$56
Estimated from national data
~$61.69
—
129 postings · 38 companies
$66.64
$64-$70
344 postings · 59 companies
$60.92
$58-$66
144 postings · 46 companies
$63.60
$61-$68
96 postings · 43 companies
$60.13
$53-$64
627 postings · 71 companies
$64.50
$62-$68
13 postings · 12 companies
$61.61
$61-$67
Est.Estimated values are based on national averages.
BY CITY
See which cities offer the highest and lowest Icu Nurse salaries.
Klamath Falls
Oregon · 12 postings
$114.78/hr
Billings
Montana · 12 postings
$107.22/hr
La Mesa
California · 17 postings
$98.47/hr
Madera
California · 10 postings
$89.81/hr
San Jose
California · 117 postings
$89.03/hr
Fort Oglethorpe
Georgia · 16 postings
$36.50/hr
Pasadena
Texas · 12 postings
$42.50/hr
Omaha
Ne · 31 postings
$44.00/hr
Corsicana
Texas · 26 postings
$44.60/hr
Houston
Tx · 24 postings
$45.00/hr
BY EMPLOYER
See which companies pay the most and least for Icu Nurse positions.
Flexstaff
12 postings
$90.64/hr
Theraex Staffing Services
70 postings
$88.45/hr
Medipro
6 postings
$87.22/hr
One Brooklyn Health System
5 postings
$86.13/hr
Amhs Staffing Alliance
16 postings
$85.47/hr
Texas Nursing Services
5 postings
$37.50/hr
Commonspirit Health
254 postings
$46.50/hr
American Medical Staffing
14 postings
$47.36/hr
Accurate Staffing Consultants
14 postings
$47.86/hr
Soloh Partners
5 postings
$48.28/hr
RELATED POSITIONS
| Job Title | Postings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Icu Registered Nurse | 3,408 | $61.61/hr |
| Icu Nurse | 213 | $62.00/hr |
| Icu Rn | 105 | $47.50/hr |
| Intensive Care Unit (icu) Registered Nurse | 104 | $64.16/hr |
| Cardiovascular Icu Rn | 87 | $60.03/hr |
| Medical Icu Rn | 81 | $57.81/hr |
| Nurse - Cardiac Icu $2,088/wk | 51 | $58.00/hr |
| Nurse - Cardiac Icu $2,304/wk | 47 | $64.00/hr |
| Cardio Thoracic Icu Rn | 43 | $61.13/hr |
| Intermediate Care Unit Registered Nurse | 41 | $58.75/hr |
EDUCATION & LICENSING
ICU nurses provide specialized care for critically ill patients requiring intensive monitoring and life-sustaining interventions in intensive care units.
Minimum: ADN
ADN
Associate Degree in Nursing
BSN
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
MSN
Master of Science in Nursing
Most ICU nurses start with a BSN, gain 1-2 years of acute care experience, then transition to ICU through residency programs. Many pursue CCRN certification within 2-3 years.
RN License
RequiredRegistered Nurse License
BLS
RequiredBasic Life Support
ACLS
RequiredAdvanced Cardiovascular Life Support
NIHSS
NIH Stroke Scale Certification
ICU Residency / New Grad ICU
0-1 years experience
Staff ICU Nurse
1-3 years experience
Senior ICU Nurse / Preceptor
3-5 years experience
ICU Charge Nurse
5-7 years experience
ICU Clinical Nurse Specialist / Educator
7-10 years experience
Certifications can significantly increase earning potential
CCRN
+10-20%Critical Care Registered Nurse
CCRN-K
+5-10%Critical Care Registered Nurse - Knowledge
CMC
+5-15%Cardiac Medicine Certification
CSC
+5-15%Cardiac Surgery Certification
Job Outlook
Very Strong Growth (9% (2022-2032))
ICU nursing demand exceeds supply in most regions. COVID-19 highlighted critical care staffing shortages. Travel ICU nurses command premium rates ($3,000-5,000+/week).
PAY FACTORS
How shift type, contract length, and employment type impact Icu Nurse salaries.
FAQ
The median Icu Nurse salary is $64.00 per hour, or $133,120 annually. Pay ranges from $50.61/hr (10th percentile) to $84.00/hr (90th percentile) depending on location, experience, and employer.
Based on 15,972 job postings, the highest paying states for Icu Nurses include California, Alaska, New York. Pay rates vary based on cost of living, demand, and state regulations.
There are currently 15,972 Icu Nurse job postings across 94 states, from 293 different healthcare employers.
Icu Nurse 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.
Icu Nurse pay is currently trending upward. Over the past 30 days, median hourly rates increased 6.6%.
Icu Nurse pay varies by specialty and setting. Travel positions typically pay $11.54 to $20.00 more per hour than staff positions. Night shifts and weekend differentials also increase earnings.
Pay varies significantly by location. Top paying cities like Klamath Falls offer $114.78/hr, while lower cost areas may pay around $36.50/hr. However, rural areas often offer signing bonuses and housing stipends to attract talent.
Entry-level Icu Nurses typically earn around $50.61 to $57.50 per hour ($105,269 to $119,600 annually). With experience, pay increases toward the median of $64.00/hr.
DATA METHOD
Source
Based on 15,972 active postings with listed compensation for Icu Nurse. 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.
EXPLORE MORE
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