Medical Surgical Nurse (medsurg) salary: $58.00/hr$2,320/wk$120,640/yr median.
Pay range $52.23$2,089$108,638–$62.36/hr$2,494/wk$129,709/yr across the middle 50% of active Med-Surg Nurse Registered Nurse (RN) postings nationwide.
106 unique employers · 743 cities · 98 states. Pay moved +6.8% over the last 30 days.
How Medical Surgical Nurse (medsurg) pay is distributed.
10% of postings pay under $47.00/hr$1,880/wk$97,760/yr. The top 10% pay above $67.00/hr$2,680/wk$139,360/yr.
How Medical Surgical Nurse (medsurg) pay has moved month over month.
Median pay moved from $59.00 in Nov 2025 to $58.50 in Apr 2026 (-0.8%). Bars show monthly posting volume; the line tracks the posting-weighted median.
| Month | Median /hr/wk/yr | P25–P75 | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | $59.00$2,360$122,720 | $53.00$2,120$110,240–$64.00$2,560$133,120 | 2,244 |
| Dec 2025 | $59.00$2,360$122,720 | $53.00$2,120$110,240–$63.00$2,520$131,040 | 1,071 |
| Jan 2026 | $59.00$2,360$122,720 | $53.00$2,120$110,240–$63.02$2,521$131,082 | 1,561 |
| Feb 2026 | $59.88$2,395$124,550 | $54.00$2,160$112,320–$63.76$2,550$132,621 | 1,303 |
| Mar 2026 | $55.03$2,201$114,462 | $50.13$2,005$104,270–$60.69$2,428$126,235 | 3,748 |
| Apr 2026 | $58.50$2,340$121,680 | $53.00$2,120$110,240–$61.40$2,456$127,712 | 912 |
Medical Surgical Nurse (medsurg) 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 Medical Surgical Nurse (medsurg) paychecks.
| City | State | Median /hr/wk/yr | P25–P75 | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| northampton | MA · MASSACHUSETTS | $85.74$3,430$178,339 | $83.49$3,340$173,659–$87.86$3,514$182,749 | 18 |
| cambridge | MA · MASSACHUSETTS | $74.75$2,990$155,480 | $73.00$2,920$151,840–$77.00$3,080$160,160 | 21 |
| brooklyn | NY · NEW YORK | $74.54$2,982$155,043 | $70.00$2,800$145,600–$88.01$3,520$183,061 | 18 |
| binghamton | NY · NEW YORK | $73.93$2,957$153,774 | $71.00$2,840$147,680–$73.93$2,957$153,774 | 15 |
| waukesha | WI · WISCONSIN | $73.35$2,934$152,568 | $71.90$2,876$149,552–$74.00$2,960$153,920 | 13 |
Where the top of the market is paying for Medical Surgical Nurse (medsurg).
| Employer | Median /hr/wk/yr | Range | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| $68.83$2,753$143,166 | $56.94$2,278$118,435–$122.50$4,900$254,800 | 121 | |
| adn healthcare | $77.17$3,087$160,514 | $50.72$2,029$105,498–$90.56$3,622$188,365 | 80 |
| amhs staffing alliance | $82.47$3,299$171,538 | $78.47$3,139$163,218–$82.47$3,299$171,538 | 25 |
| go healthcare | $64.81$2,592$134,805 | $59.88$2,395$124,550–$66.79$2,672$138,923 | 9 |
| honorvet technologies | $67.85$2,714$141,128 | $59.92$2,397$124,634–$90.47$3,619$188,178 | 27 |
| mader medx | $67.13$2,685$139,630 | $64.52$2,581$134,202–$80.61$3,224$167,669 | 7 |
| ps companies | $71.79$2,872$149,323 | $62.15$2,486$129,272–$71.79$2,872$149,323 | 5 |
| pulse healthcare services | $65.92$2,637$137,114 | $57.73$2,309$120,078–$69.54$2,782$144,643 | 11 |
| synergy medical staffing | $65.61$2,624$136,469 | $53.36$2,134$110,989–$84.48$3,379$175,718 | 10 |
| voca healthcare | $64.15$2,566$133,432 | $50.86$2,034$105,789–$80.43$3,217$167,294 | 69 |
Showing all 10 employers with live pay data.
How Medical Surgical Nurse (medsurg) pay shifts by schedule and contract type.
Permanent pays the most at $63.15/hr$2,526/wk$131,352/yr median — 8% above Travel Contract at $58.60/hr$2,344/wk$121,888/yr. Travel Contract drives the volume with 4,059 active postings.
How to become a Medical Surgical Nurse (medsurg).
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 Medical Surgical Nurse (medsurg) pay.
What is the average Medical Surgical Nurse (medsurg) salary in 2026?
The median Medical Surgical Nurse (medsurg) salary is $58.00/hr (approximately $120,640/yr) based on 10,839 active job postings.
What is the pay range for Medical Surgical Nurse (medsurg)?
Hourly pay ranges from $52.23 at the 25th percentile to $62.36 at the 75th percentile, with the top 10% earning above $67.00/hr.
Which state pays Medical Surgical Nurse (medsurg) roles the most?
Alabama currently leads with a median of $54.00/hr across 266 postings.
How many employers are hiring Medical Surgical Nurse (medsurg)s?
Our dataset shows 106 unique employers posting Medical Surgical Nurse (medsurg) roles across 98 states.
Where does TrueRounds get Medical Surgical Nurse (medsurg) salary data?
All salary figures are computed from active US healthcare job postings with listed pay ranges, collected over a rolling 180-day window and weighted by posting volume.
Explore other Registered Nurse (RN) tracks.
Medical Surgical Nurse (medsurg) 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 180-day 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.