The median Mental Health Nurse salary is $85.00 per hour, or $176,800 per year, based on 382 job postings across 62 states. Compare pay by location, employer, shift, and contract type.
$85.00
Median hourly
$176,800
Annual salary
$45-$143
Pay range
62
States tracked
Salary guide
A typical Mental Health Nurse earns $85.00/hr, with most posted roles landing between $72.63 and $100.00/hr.
Recent posted pay is down, with the last 30 days showing -4.4% 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
-4.4%
Current median: $81.25/hr
Prior period: $85.00/hr
Job openings
+18.3%
84 recent postings
Previous period: 71 postings
Daily pay signal
$95.00/hr latest
Year-over-year
Building
We are collecting enough historical Mental Health Nurse postings to show a reliable year-over-year pay comparison.
Pay is moving down in recent listings, falling from $85.00/hr to $81.25/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
$45.00
$93,600/yr
Median
$85.00
$176,800/yr
Top earners
$142.95
$297,336/yr
MARKET TRENDS
Month-over-month median hourly pay and posting volume.
| Month | Median Hourly | Postings |
|---|---|---|
Apr 2026Current | $82.50/hr | 81 |
Mar 2026 | $85.00/hr | 74 |
Feb 2026 | $74.00/hr | 19 |
Jan 2026 | $85.00/hr | 96 |
Dec 2025 | $85.00/hr | 90 |
Nov 2025 | $76.25/hr | 22 |
BY LOCATION
See how pay varies across the country. Ranked by job volume.
Estimated from national data
~$81.10
—
Estimated from national data
~$77.87
—
Estimated from national data
~$84.53
—
Estimated from national data
~$96.48
—
25 postings · 16 companies
$105.00
$90-$125
17 postings · 4 companies
$44.50
$41-$45
5 postings · 4 companies
$112.50
$113-$120
Estimated from national data
~$94.18
—
Estimated from national data
~$89.96
—
11 postings · 7 companies
$87.50
$79-$124
7 postings · 6 companies
$77.50
$70-$114
Estimated from national data
~$78.64
—
Estimated from national data
~$92.78
—
8 postings · 7 companies
$75.50
$60-$84
Estimated from national data
~$86.34
—
Estimated from national data
~$93.04
—
5 postings · 3 companies
$40.50
$41-$47
25 postings · 3 companies
$85.00
$85-$85
Estimated from national data
~$91.81
—
Estimated from national data
~$78.38
—
18 postings · 15 companies
$75.00
$66-$84
6 postings · 4 companies
$100.00
$81-$123
Estimated from national data
~$80.13
—
Estimated from national data
~$91.65
—
Estimated from national data
~$79.11
—
Estimated from national data
~$85.26
—
Estimated from national data
~$95.85
—
Estimated from national data
~$81.13
—
Estimated from national data
~$94.09
—
Estimated from national data
~$77.33
—
7 postings · 6 companies
$102.50
$92-$107
Estimated from national data
~$84.05
—
19 postings · 12 companies
$97.50
$84-$109
Estimated from national data
~$84.78
—
Estimated from national data
~$81.09
—
8 postings · 5 companies
$82.50
$53-$87
Estimated from national data
~$81.98
—
7 postings · 6 companies
$90.00
$72-$94
10 postings · 7 companies
$80.00
$80-$97
Estimated from national data
~$74.66
—
Estimated from national data
~$88.48
—
Estimated from national data
~$75.89
—
Estimated from national data
~$74.78
—
28 postings · 10 companies
$85.00
$76-$85
Estimated from national data
~$84.11
—
Estimated from national data
~$91.28
—
9 postings · 6 companies
$90.00
$85-$113
8 postings · 8 companies
$86.25
$75-$89
Estimated from national data
~$74.78
—
Estimated from national data
~$81.11
—
Estimated from national data
~$80.53
—
Est.Estimated values are based on national averages.
BY EMPLOYER
See which companies pay the most and least for Mental Health Nurse positions.
Grow Therapy
37 postings
$146.00/hr
Bluesky Telepsych
83 postings
$85.00/hr
Unknown
20 postings
$65.00/hr
Hca Healthone Aurora
8 postings
$44.50/hr
Hca Healthone Aurora
8 postings
$44.50/hr
Unknown
20 postings
$65.00/hr
Bluesky Telepsych
83 postings
$85.00/hr
Grow Therapy
37 postings
$146.00/hr
RELATED POSITIONS
| Job Title | Postings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (pmhnp) | 114 | $85.00/hr |
| Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner | 78 | $81.25/hr |
| Remote Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner — Pmhnp | 32 | $147.00/hr |
| Psychiatric-mental Health Nurse Practitioner | 7 | $73.00/hr |
| Mental Health Nurse Practitioner | 7 | $77.50/hr |
| Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner — Pmhnp | 6 | $147.00/hr |
| Adult Mental Health Nurse - Rn | 4 | $44.50/hr |
| Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (pmhnp-bc) | 4 | $93.00/hr |
| Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner - 1 Saturday Per Month | 4 | $60.00/hr |
| Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (part-time) | 4 | $150.00/hr |
PAY FACTORS
How shift type, contract length, and employment type impact Mental Health Nurse salaries.
FAQ
The median Mental Health Nurse salary is $85.00 per hour, or $176,800 annually. Pay ranges from $45.00/hr (10th percentile) to $142.95/hr (90th percentile) depending on location, experience, and employer.
Based on 382 job postings, the highest paying states for Mental Health Nurses include Connecticut, California, New Jersey. Pay rates vary based on cost of living, demand, and state regulations.
There are currently 382 Mental Health Nurse job postings across 62 states, from 180 different healthcare employers.
Mental Health 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.
Mental Health Nurse pay is currently trending downward. Over the past 30 days, median hourly rates decreased 4.4%.
Mental Health Nurse pay varies by specialty and setting. Travel positions typically pay $15.00 to $57.95 more per hour than staff positions. Night shifts and weekend differentials also increase earnings.
Mental Health Nurse 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 Mental Health Nurses typically earn around $45.00 to $72.63 per hour ($93,600 to $151,070 annually). With experience, pay increases toward the median of $85.00/hr.
DATA METHOD
Source
Based on 382 active postings with listed compensation for Mental Health 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
See how your salary compares to 382 similar positions. It's free, anonymous, and takes about 2 minutes.