ICU Nurse Average Salary

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the importance of capable medical staff. We're all dependent on them, from minor health concerns to life-threatening injuries. Due to the critical nature of their working environment, the ICU staff and nurses, in particular, are paid better than other departments. 

ICU Nurses have to deal with a lot of emergencies and life-threatening situations and provide warm care and comfort at the same time. Even though it’s a challenging occupation, becoming an ICU nurse isn't beneficial only for the pay. Other benefits include the opportunity to help save lives and give warmth to the already difficult hospital stay. 

In this article, we'll explore the intensive care nurse salary depending on different factors and what an ICU nurse does during the work day. 

What Is an ICU Nurse?

ICU nurses are highly trained medical professionals that work in the intensive care unit and treat patients with life-threatening injuries or diseases. They can work in different settings in a hospital, from the neonatal to the seniors' ward. Becoming an ICU nurse requires an extensive skill set, from people skills, like compassion, communication, and teamwork, to more technical and professional skills like:

  • Organizational skills - working in a demanding and unpredictable environment requires them to have organizational skills that help them find equipment and devices during medical emergencies. 

  • Advanced medical knowledge - they must be able to provide proper medical treatments depending on the stability of the patients. 

  • Decision-making skills - when treating patients with life-threatening injuries, ICU nurses will have to decide about the right treatment for their patients. That's why they must remain calm and make the right decisions in those stressful situations. 

  • Time management - they must have an effective system to respond to several patients at a time or work on different schedules.

What Does an ICU Nurse Do?

The ICU is a challenging and unpredictable work environment. ICU nurses are highly skilled professionals who can remain calm and make quick decisions in emergent situations. They have to put the patients first, be compassionate with patients and their families, respond to life-threatening situations, provide care for severely ill patients, have strong morals, respect patient confidentiality, and care for the overall needs of patients during their hospital stay.

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A typical day for ICU nurses includes: 

  • detailing the patients' families on their condition,

  • ordering medical tests,

  • monitoring the patient's condition for any change,

  • responding to life-threatening situations,

  • keeping doctors up-to-date with patient's conditions,

  • maintaining patient records, and

  • beginning treatment and monitoring doses.

Additional duties of an ICU nurse are:

  • helping with medical procedures,

  • providing comfort for mortally ill or injured patients,

  • setting up and monitoring medical equipment,

  • ensuring all patients' needs are met,

  • cleaning wounds, and

  • collaborating with a team of medical professionals to provide the best care.

Furthermore, they can work in specialized units like:

  • Cardiothoracic ICU - they work with patients with serious heart conditions.

  • Oncology ICU - treat critically ill patients with cancer. 

  • Surgical ICU - care for post-operation patients and monitor their stability.

  • Pediatric ICU - nurses working in this unit treat ill children or injured children.

  • Neonatal ICU - treat infants with life-threatening injuries and diseases. Nurses working in this unit must have a thorough understanding of diseases that can affect newborns and how to treat injuries in newborns.

  • Trauma ICU - treat patients with injuries from various accidents, drowning, attempted suicide and homicide, etc. Specialized skills include quick assessment and detection, and extensive knowledge of vital organ injuries.

How Much Does an ICU Nurse Make?

The salary of an ICU nurse depends on different factors like location, level of experience, additional education and skills, etc. However, in general, ICU nurses make above-average salaries. 

Average ICU nurse salary

The average ICU nurse salary varies on different salary information sites. You should note that these salaries depend on the information provided by the ICU nurses in the country. 

According to Glassdoor, the average salary is $81,610, with salaries ranging from $69K to $173K, depending on location and years of experience. The additional pay, which includes bonuses, commissions, and profit sharing, is $18,515. 

Whereas according to Salary.com, the average salary is $78,995, with salaries ranging between $71,179 and $85,835. 

And according to ZipRecruiter, ICU nurses make on average $120,243 per year or $58 per hour, with top earners at $225,500 to the 25th percentile at $76,500. 

ICU nurse salary based on years of experience

Generally, experience plays a huge role in the estimated salary. According to PayScale, the ICU nurses' salary, based on their years of experience per hour, is:

  • Entry level (1 yr) - $27.90

  • Early career (1-4 yrs) - $30,60

  • Mid career (5-9 yrs) - $34,31

  • Late career (10-19 yrs) - $39.47

  • Experienced (20+ yrs) - $42.14

ICU nurse salary based on state

The ICU nurses' salary also depends on the state in which they practice. This in itself depends on the cost of living in that state., which means the higher the cost of living, the higher a salary needs to be in order to cover all expenses. 

Following, we'll mention the top 10 highest-paying states for ICU nurses:

  1. California - 106,110

  2. Hawaii - 92,260

  3. Massachusetts - $84,710

  4. Oregon - $84,698

  5. Alaska - $83,850

  6. Washington - $80,360

  7. New York - $79,000

  8. Nevada - $78,990

  9. New Jersey - $75,440

  10. Connecticut - $74,680

Lastly, we'll also mention the five least paying states, which are:

  1. Alabama - $53,010

  2. South Dakota - $53,650

  3. Mississippi - $53,910

  4. Iowa - $55,070

  5. Arkansas - $56,010

How Can You Increase Your ICU Nurse Salary?

As we've mentioned above, many factors weigh on a salary. However, that doesn't mean that the salary is fixed. If you want to increase your ICU nurse salary, here are a few options that can help:

  • Further education - going back to school and getting certified will help you have more job opportunities and get promoted. 

  • Becoming a traveling ICU nurse - traveling nurses go to different hospitals and healthcare facilities to help with nursing shortages. They have been crucial in filling nursing shortages during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

  • Working different schedules - ICU nurses can work in different shifts, with the second and third shifts paying more per hour. The first shift starts from 7 or 8 am to 4 or 5 pm, the second shift starts from 3 pm to 11:30 pm, and the third shift starts from 11 pm to 7:30 am. 

  • Picking up extra shifts - this method is a double-edged sword because though it increases the pay, you have less free time for yourself and it may lead to burnout.

  • Negotiation - during the hiring process, you can negotiate for a higher salary, especially if the healthcare facility is short-staffed. 

ICU Nurse Job Outlook

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports an increase of 9% (as fast as average) in the job outlook for registered nurses (ICU nurses included) in the 2020-2030 time period. This number could be even higher due to the number of people retiring or changing occupations. 

Conclusion

Being a critical care nurse is hard and demanding both physically and mentally, but that work is invaluable to saving countless lives. Therefore, we must always respect and honor their work and sacrifice. 

If you're interested in pursuing a career in critical care, it's important to note that, while there are challenges, it's one of the most honorable professions and will always be in demand. 

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