The average salary for a clinical nurse specialist in the United States is around $77,600 per year.
Avg Salary
Clinical nurse specialists earn an average yearly salary of $77,600.
Wages typically start from $59,450 and go up to $120,250.
22% above national average Updated in 2021
Clinical nurse specialist earnings by seniority
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Clinical nurse specialist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Oregon | $99,410 |
| Alaska | $99,110 |
| Washington | $96,980 |
| New York | $96,170 |
| District of Columbia | $95,220 |
| Massachusetts | $94,960 |
| New Jersey | $94,690 |
| Connecticut | $83,860 |
| Nevada | $79,360 |
| Minnesota | $79,100 |
| Rhode Island | $78,900 |
| Maryland | $78,350 |
| New Mexico | $78,340 |
| Arizona | $78,260 |
| Colorado | $78,070 |
| Illinois | $77,580 |
| Texas | $77,320 |
| New Hampshire | $77,230 |
| Pennsylvania | $76,940 |
| Virginia | $76,900 |
| Michigan | $76,710 |
| Wisconsin | $76,560 |
| Idaho | $75,560 |
| Delaware | $75,380 |
| Vermont | $75,380 |
| Georgia | $75,040 |
| Maine | $75,040 |
| Florida | $75,000 |
| Montana | $75,000 |
| Utah | $75,000 |
| Wyoming | $75,000 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $74,710 |
| Ohio | $74,080 |
| North Dakota | $73,250 |
| South Carolina | $72,650 |
| North Carolina | $72,220 |
| Louisiana | $64,450 |
| Nebraska | $64,000 |
| Kentucky | $62,480 |
| Indiana | $62,400 |
| Tennessee | $62,390 |
| West Virginia | $62,390 |
| Oklahoma | $62,170 |
| Missouri | $61,920 |
| Iowa | $61,790 |
| Kansas | $61,790 |
| Arkansas | $61,530 |
| Mississippi | $60,790 |
| South Dakota | $60,550 |
| Alabama | $60,510 |
| Guam | $58,980 |
| Puerto Rico | $36,320 |
| California | $125,340 |
| Hawaii | $111,070 |
How do clinical nurse specialist salaries compare to similar careers?
Clinical nurse specialists earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than biomedical engineers but more than orthotists and prosthetists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Biomedical engineer salary | $97K |
| Radiation therapist salary | $83K |
| Audiologist salary | $79K |
| Nuclear medicine technologist salary | $79K |
| Registered nurse salary | $78K |
| Acute care nurse practitioner salary | $78K |
| Clinical nurse specialist salary | $78K |
| Nurse educator salary | $77K |
| Diagnostic medical sonographer salary | $78K |
| Orthotist and prosthetist salary | $75K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)