Clinical nurse specialist earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:

$61.42 per hour

$127,750 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:

$57.30 per hour

$119,180 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:

$50.62 per hour

$105,300 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:

$38.44 per hour

$79,960 per year

10th percentile

Starting level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:

$30.43 per hour

$63,300 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Clinical nurse specialist salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Oregon $91,220
District of Columbia $88,800
Alaska $87,650
Massachusetts $86,860
New York $85,300
Nevada $85,210
New Jersey $81,820
Connecticut $79,920
Washington $79,920
Minnesota $77,940
Rhode Island $77,650
Arizona $75,770
Maryland $75,660
Illinois $73,890
Delaware $73,030
Colorado $72,870
Texas $72,000
New Hampshire $71,640
New Mexico $71,310
Michigan $70,590
Wisconsin $70,150
Pennsylvania $69,170
Virginia $68,000
Georgia $67,870
Idaho $66,780
Montana $65,960
Vermont $65,740
Maine $65,630
Wyoming $65,100
Florida $64,400
Ohio $64,200
North Dakota $63,870
Utah $63,570
North Carolina $62,940
South Carolina $62,910
Nebraska $62,730
Louisiana $62,400
Indiana $62,330
Missouri $62,270
Kentucky $61,780
Oklahoma $61,750
Virgin Islands, U.S. $60,950
West Virginia $60,890
Tennessee $60,120
Kansas $59,680
Arkansas $59,650
Iowa $59,130
Alabama $57,930
South Dakota $57,510
Mississippi $57,440
Guam $57,320
Puerto Rico $32,800
Hawaii $105,300
California $104,410

How do clinical nurse specialist salaries compare to similar careers?

Clinical nurse specialists earn 8% less than similar careers in Hawaii. On average, they make less than physician assistants but more than diagnostic medical sonographers.

Career Median Salary
Physician assistant salary $116K
Anesthesiologist assistant salary $116K
Nurse practitioner salary $124K
Optometrist salary $119K
Registered nurse salary $96K
Acute care nurse practitioner salary $105K
Clinical nurse specialist salary $105K
Clinical psychologist salary $78K
Counseling psychologist salary $78K
Diagnostic medical sonographer salary $95K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)