Med Surg/Telemetry Nurse salary: $66.29/hr$2,652/wk$137,883/yr median.
Pay range $62.65$2,506$130,312–$72.92/hr$2,917/wk$151,674/yr across the middle 50% of active Med-Surg Nurse Registered Nurse (RN) postings nationwide.
73 unique employers · 110 cities · 36 states. Pay moved -33.3% over the last 30 days.
How Med Surg/Telemetry Nurse pay is distributed.
10% of postings pay under $61.25/hr$2,450/wk$127,400/yr. The top 10% pay above $82.56/hr$3,302/wk$171,725/yr.
How Med Surg/Telemetry Nurse pay has moved month over month.
Median pay moved from $62.10 in May 2026 to $53.00 in Oct 2026 (-14.7%). Bars show monthly posting volume; the line tracks the posting-weighted median.
| Month | Median /hr/wk/yr | P25–P75 | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | $62.10$2,484$129,168 | $60.85$2,434$126,568–$65.61$2,624$136,469 | 22 |
| Jun 2026 | $66.75$2,670$138,840 | $62.65$2,506$130,312–$80.00$3,200$166,400 | 165 |
| Jul 2026 | $66.90$2,676$139,152 | $63.50$2,540$132,080–$71.48$2,859$148,678 | 146 |
| Aug 2026 | $67.13$2,685$139,630 | $63.19$2,528$131,435–$76.20$3,048$158,496 | 86 |
| Sep 2026 | $56.00$2,240$116,480 | $51.00$2,040$106,080–$62.50$2,500$130,000 | 3 |
| Oct 2026 | $53.00$2,120$110,240 | $45.50$1,820$94,640–$60.50$2,420$125,840 | 2 |
Med Surg/Telemetry Nurse pay across every state with live data.
Showing all 18 states with live data. Bars scale to the highest-paying state.
The metros writing the biggest Med Surg/Telemetry Nurse paychecks.
| City | State | Median /hr/wk/yr | P25–P75 | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| boston | MA · MASSACHUSETTS | $83.66$3,346$174,013 | $81.91$3,276$170,373–$85.10$3,404$177,008 | 10 |
| palo alto | CA · CALIFORNIA | $83.14$3,326$172,931 | $81.31$3,252$169,125–$96.09$3,844$199,867 | 26 |
| wichita | KS · KANSAS | $69.33$2,773$144,206 | $66.96$2,678$139,277–$72.47$2,899$150,738 | 10 |
| marshfield | WI · WISCONSIN | $69.29$2,772$144,123 | $66.52$2,661$138,362–$70.83$2,833$147,326 | 13 |
| brockton | MA · MASSACHUSETTS | $68.23$2,729$141,918 | $67.18$2,687$139,734–$69.19$2,768$143,915 | 10 |
CITY PAY DATA
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Where the top of the market is paying for Med Surg/Telemetry Nurse.
| Employer | Median /hr/wk/yr | Range | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| amergis healthcare staffing boston | $90.86$3,634$188,989 | $81.17$3,247$168,834–$91.06$3,642$189,405 | 5 |
| cross country nurses | $72.50$2,900$150,800 | $64.38$2,575$133,910–$83.89$3,356$174,491 | 18 |
| fastaff travel nursing | $72.92$2,917$151,674 | $60.63$2,425$126,110–$76.94$3,078$160,035 | 12 |
| fusion medical staffing-nursing | $81.31$3,252$169,125 | $81.31$3,252$169,125–$82.86$3,314$172,349 | 14 |
| ghr healthcare | $72.10$2,884$149,968 | $63.00$2,520$131,040–$81.19$3,248$168,875 | 5 |
| hcs 247 | $69.19$2,768$143,915 | $61.73$2,469$128,398–$81.39$3,256$169,291 | 6 |
| jedy network | $82.56$3,302$171,725 | $65.50$2,620$136,240–$89.47$3,579$186,098 | 6 |
| medpro healthcare staffing | $69.12$2,765$143,770 | $59.52$2,381$123,802–$75.25$3,010$156,520 | 6 |
| talentburst, inc | $82.33$3,293$171,246 | $66.98$2,679$139,318–$85.50$3,420$177,840 | 7 |
| tripod partners usa | $71.42$2,857$148,554 | $68.21$2,728$141,877–$73.63$2,945$153,150 | 8 |
Showing all 10 employers with live pay data.
How Med Surg/Telemetry Nurse pay shifts by schedule and contract type.
Travel Contract pays the most at $66.42/hr$2,657/wk$138,154/yr median — 36% above Fulltime at $49.00/hr$1,960/wk$101,920/yr.
How to become a Med Surg/Telemetry Nurse.
Medical-Surgical nurses provide care to adult patients with a wide variety of medical conditions and post-surgical needs on hospital medical-surgical units.
Med-surg nursing is often the entry point for new graduate RNs. Most nurses complete BSN, pass NCLEX-RN, and start on med-surg units to build foundational skills.
| Degree | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree in NursingADN | 2-3 years | Entry-level nursing degree. Many med-surg units accept ADN nurses with RN-to-BSN completion plans. |
| Bachelor of Science in NursingBSN | 4 years | Preferred by most hospitals. Required for magnet facilities and leadership advancement. |
| RN-to-BSN ProgramRN-to-BSN | 1-2 years | Online completion program for ADN nurses to earn BSN while working. |
State RN license required. Must pass NCLEX-RN examination.
CPR certification required for all nursing positions.
Often required or preferred, especially on telemetry or step-down units.
| Credential | Issued by | Pay impact |
|---|---|---|
| CMSRN Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse Primary certification for med-surg nurses. Validates expertise in adult medical-surgical nursing. Requires 2 years and 2,000 hours of practice. | AMSN/MSNCB | +5-10% |
| RN-BC Med-Surg Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Alternative med-surg certification from ANCC. Recognized nationally. | ANCC | +5-10% |
| PCCN Progressive Care Certified Nurse For nurses on step-down or progressive care units caring for moderately ill patients. | AACN | +5-10% |
| Wound Care Certification Wound Care Certified (WCC) Valuable specialization for med-surg nurses managing complex wounds. | NAWCO | +3-8% |
- 0-1 yearsNew Graduate Med-Surg Nurse
Entry-level position on med-surg unit. Building foundational nursing skills with preceptor support.
- 1-3 yearsStaff Med-Surg Nurse
Independent practice managing 4-6 patient assignments. Growing clinical confidence.
- 3-5 yearsSenior Med-Surg Nurse / Preceptor
Mentors new nurses, serves as unit resource, may lead patient care teams.
- 5-7 yearsMed-Surg Charge Nurse
Shift leadership coordinating admissions, discharges, and staffing. CMSRN often expected.
- 7-10 yearsUnit Educator / Clinical Coach
Focuses on staff development, competency validation, and quality improvement.
- 10+ yearsNurse Manager / Director
Leadership role overseeing unit operations, budget, and staff. MSN typically required.
Schedule. Primarily 12-hour shifts (7a-7p or 7p-7a). Rotating weekends and holidays required. Some facilities offer 8-hour day shifts.
Physical demands. Physically demanding with frequent walking, standing, lifting, and patient turning. Fast-paced with multiple patient assignments (typically 4-6 patients).
Med-surg is the largest nursing specialty and serves as the foundation for most nursing careers. High demand at all experience levels. Travel med-surg positions pay $2,000-3,000+/week.
What clinicians ask about Med Surg/Telemetry Nurse pay.
What is the average Med Surg/Telemetry Nurse salary in 2026?
The median Med Surg/Telemetry Nurse salary is $66.29/hr (approximately $137,883/yr) based on 445 active job postings.
What is the pay range for Med Surg/Telemetry Nurse?
Hourly pay ranges from $62.65 at the 25th percentile to $72.92 at the 75th percentile, with the top 10% earning above $82.56/hr.
Which state pays Med Surg/Telemetry Nurse roles the most?
California currently leads with a median of $81.31/hr across 43 postings.
How many employers are hiring Med Surg/Telemetry Nurses?
Our dataset shows 73 unique employers posting Med Surg/Telemetry Nurse roles across 36 states.
Where does TrueRounds get Med Surg/Telemetry 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.
Med Surg/Telemetry Nurse sits inside the Med-Surg 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.