Acute Care Nurses earn a median of $97,550 per year ($46.90/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 5.6% through 2035, with about 180,800 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 29-1141
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Last updated October 15, 2026
At a glance
Acute Care Nurse in four numbers
- Median pay
- $97,550a year, or $46.90/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $69KTop 10% $137K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +5.6%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+5.6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +5.6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 180,8003,465,400 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20253.5M
- Projected 20353.7M
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 3.5M Projected 2035 3.7M - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Associate's19.1%
- Bachelor's57.1%
- Post-bacc certificate9.5%
- Master's4.8%
- Post-master’s certificate4.8%
- Doctorate4.8%
Highest education held by acute care nurses Segment Value Associate's 19.1% Bachelor's 57.1% Post-bacc certificate 9.5% Master's 4.8% Post-master’s certificate 4.8% Doctorate 4.8%
Also advertised as: Acute Care Nurse, Cardiac Interventional Care Nurse, Cardiovascular ICU Nurse (Cardiovascular Intense Care Unit Nurse), Cardiovascular Surgery Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (Cardiovascular Surgery ACNP), Charge Nurse, DSU Nurse (Day Surgery Unit Nurse).
Pay
How much do acute care nurses make?
Acute Care Nurses earn a median of $97,550 a year ($46.90 an hour, or about $8,130 a month); the lowest-paid 10% earn less than $68,940 and the top 10% more than $137,470 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The best-paying state is California, with a median of $140,270. See Acute care nurse salary in California and every other state. By city, pay is highest around San Jose ($194,960 average): salary in every city.
Every acute care nurse in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$97,550
Middle half earn $80,330 to $112,350
- 10th
- $68,940
- 25th
- $80,330
- 75th
- $112,350
- 90th
- $137,470
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $68,940 |
| 25th | $80,330 |
| Median | $97,550 |
| 75th | $112,350 |
| 90th | $137,470 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $97,550
- Median hourly wage
- $46.90/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $101,420
- People employed
- 3,379,720
Versus all US occupations
At $97,550, Acute Care Nurses earn 91% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $46,570 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $102,760, this is 5% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $137,470 or more while the bottom 10% earn $68,940, a gap of 2.0×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 70% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
California pays the most at $140,270, and still leads at $126,689 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay acute care nurses the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $140,270 | $126,689 | 338,940 |
| 2Hawaii | $136,320 | $123,983 | 12,940 |
| 3Oregon | $129,010 | $124,815 | 39,730 |
| 4Washington | $124,200 | $116,061 | 69,260 |
| 5Alaska | $109,480 | $106,957 | 7,510 |
| 6New York | $109,440 | $101,408 | 205,810 |
| 7New Jersey | $106,500 | $97,882 | 92,680 |
| 8Massachusetts | $104,550 | $98,859 | 88,200 |
| 9Nevada | $103,670 | $103,692 | 27,070 |
| 10Connecticut | $102,740 | $99,160 | 40,110 |
Job outlook
Is acute care nurse a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +5.6% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Acute Care Nurses | +5.6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Acute Care Nurses to change 5.6% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 194,700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 180,800 openings are projected each year, 5.2% of the 3,465,400 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Demand for healthcare services is projected to increase because of the large number of older people, who typically have more medical problems than younger people. Registered nurses are expected to also be needed to educate and care for patients with chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity.
Job growth is expected across most types of healthcare settings, including hospitals and outpatient care centers that provide same-day services, such as chemotherapy, rehabilitation, and surgery. In addition, because many older people prefer to be treated at home, registered nurses will likely continue to be in demand in home healthcare settings.
AI exposure: high
BLS places this occupation in its high relative AI exposure category, above the middle of the pack: a substantial share of the work overlaps with what AI can do.
Getting in
How to become an acute care nurse
Registered nurses usually take one of three education paths: a bachelor’s degree in nursing, an associate’s degree in nursing, or a diploma from an approved nursing program. Registered nurses must be licensed.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as acute care nurses.
- Bachelor's Degree57.1%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree19.1%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate9.5%
- Master's Degree4.8%
- Post-Master's Certificate4.8%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 57.1% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 19.1% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 9.5% |
| Master's Degree | 4.8% |
| Post-Master's Certificate | 4.8% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an acute care nurse do?
Provide advanced nursing care for patients with acute conditions such as heart attacks, respiratory distress syndrome, or shock. May care for pre- and post-operative patients or perform advanced, invasive diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.
Registered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients and their families.
Day-to-day tasks
- Discuss illnesses and treatments with patients and family members.
- Perform emergency medical procedures, such as basic cardiac life support (BLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), and other condition-stabilizing interventions.
- Document data related to patients' care, including assessment results, interventions, medications, patient responses, or treatment changes.
- Administer blood and blood product transfusions or intravenous infusions, monitoring patients for adverse reactions.
- Obtain specimens or samples for laboratory work.
- Manage patients' pain relief and sedation by providing pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions, monitoring patients' responses, and changing care plans accordingly.
- Collaborate with members of multidisciplinary health care teams to plan, manage, or assess patient treatments.
- Assess the needs of patients' family members or caregivers.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Fatal injury rate: 0.4 per 100,000 workers (0.1x the 3.3 average)
BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2024: 13 deaths that year.
Nurses who work in hospitals and nursing care facilities usually work in shifts to provide round-the-clock coverage. They may work nights, weekends, and holidays. They may be on call, which means that they are on duty and must be available to work on short notice.
Nurses who work in offices, schools, and other places that do not provide 24-hour care are more likely to work regular business hours.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes carry very serious consequences.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Where acute care nurses work
Share of jobs by employer type
- Hospitals; state, local, and private59%
- Ambulatory healthcare services19%
- Nursing and residential care facilities6%
- Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals5%
- Educational services; state, local, and private3%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | 59% |
| Ambulatory healthcare services | 19% |
| Nursing and residential care facilities | 6% |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | 5% |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 3% |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Speaking4.1
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Active Listening4.0
- Writing4.0
- Active Learning4.0
- Monitoring4.0
- Learning Strategies3.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.1 |
| Speaking | 4.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Writing | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Service Orientation4.1
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Coordination4.0
- Complex Problem Solving4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0
- Instructing3.5
- Time Management3.5
- Persuasion3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Service Orientation | 4.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Coordination | 4.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.0 |
| Instructing | 3.5 |
| Time Management | 3.5 |
| Persuasion | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Medical software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
The workforce
Who works as an acute care nurse?
Women make up 87.3% of acute care nurses, against 47.1% of all employed people: a female-dominated occupation.
21.4% are 55 or older, close to the 23.2% across all jobs.
The median worker is 42.3 years old (all workers: 42.1).
- Women
- 87.3%All workers 47.1% · BLS CPS, 2025
- Median age
- 42.3All workers 42.1 · BLS CPS, 2025
- Aged 55+
- 21.4%All workers 23.2% · BLS CPS, 2025
- Employed (CPS)
- 3,528,000BLS CPS, 2025
| Group | Share of acute care nurses | All employed people |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 87.3% | 47.1% |
| White | 70.6% | 75.7% |
| Black or African American | 16.0% | 12.7% |
| Asian | 10.6% | 7.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 10.0% | 20.0% |
| Aged 55 and over | 21.4% | 23.2% |
| Aged 16 to 24 | 5.7% | 12.2% |
Current Population Survey annual averages, 2025 (BLS tables 11 and 11b). Race groups can overlap with Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, so they do not sum to 100%.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an acute care nurse?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Acute Care Nurse |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 6 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 6 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Social5.8
- Investigative5.7
- Realistic3.7
- Conventional3.3
- Enterprising1.8
- Artistic1.8
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Acute Care Nurse
O*NET related occupations
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
More healthcare practitioners and technical careers
Median annual pay, with acute care nurses highlighted
- Anesthesiologist$391,490
- Physician Assistant$135,880
- Nurse Practitioner$132,300
- Physical Therapist$102,760
- Dental Hygienist$98,100
- Acute Care Nurse$97,550
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographer$96,590
- Radiologic Technologist and Technician$80,110
- Surgical Technologist$64,650
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Anesthesiologist | $391,490 |
| Physician Assistant | $135,880 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $132,300 |
| Physical Therapist | $102,760 |
| Dental Hygienist | $98,100 |
| Acute Care Nurse | $97,550 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | $96,590 |
| Radiologic Technologist and Technician | $80,110 |
| Surgical Technologist | $64,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Acute Care Nurse appears on
Questions
Acute Care Nurse: frequently asked questions
How much do acute care nurses make?
Acute Care Nurses earn a median of $97,550 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 91% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $46.90/hr. The middle half earn between $80,330 and $112,350. The top 10% earn $137,470 or more.
How much do acute care nurses make an hour?
The median hourly wage for acute care nurses is $46.90 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). On a full-year basis the $97,550 annual median works out to about $8,130 a month before tax.
What is the starting salary for an acute care nurse?
BLS does not publish a starting salary. The nearest measure is the low end of the pay range: the lowest-paid 10% of acute care nurses earn less than $68,940 a year and the bottom quarter less than $80,330 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). New workers often start near that end, but where a particular job starts depends on the employer, the state and the credentials you bring, so read these as the bottom of the range rather than a guaranteed entry wage.
Do acute care nurses make $100k?
Some do. $100,000 sits between the median ($97,550) and the 75th percentile ($112,350), so roughly a quarter to a half of acute care nurses earn more than that (BLS OEWS, May 2025). In 14 states the median itself is above $100,000: California ($140,270), Hawaii ($136,320), Oregon ($129,010), Washington ($124,200), and 10 more.
Which states pay acute care nurses the most?
The highest state medians for Acute Care Nurses are California ($140,270), Hawaii ($136,320), Oregon ($129,010) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What kind of acute care nurse earns the most?
BLS does not split acute care nurses' pay by specialty or employer, but its range shows how far the top end runs: the highest-paid 10% earn more than $137,470, against a median of $97,550 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Location moves pay the most in the published data: the best-paying states are California ($140,270), Hawaii ($136,320), Oregon ($129,010).
Do you need a degree to become an acute care nurse?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Acute Care Nurses, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 57.1% hold bachelor's degree.
How long does it take to become an acute care nurse?
BLS does not publish a fixed length; it depends on the route. What it does publish: the typical way in for acute care nurses is a bachelor's degree. O*NET classes the work as needing considerable preparation.
Is acute care nurse a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.6% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 180,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an acute care nurse do?
Registered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients and their families. A core O*NET task: discuss illnesses and treatments with patients and family members. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Enterprise resource planning ERP software.
Do acute care nurses work 40 hours a week?
Yes, for most. In O*NET's survey of people in the job, 5% of acute care nurses usually work more than 40 hours a week, 76% work exactly 40 and 19% work fewer. 76% say their schedule is regular and 24% irregular. Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, Work Context.
What personality type suits an acute care nurse?
O*NET scores Acute Care Nurses highest on the Social, Investigative and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISFJ, ISFP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.
What percentage of acute care nurses are women?
Women make up 87.3% of acute care nurses, against 47.1% of all employed people: a female-dominated occupation. 21.4% are 55 or older, close to the 23.2% across all jobs. The median worker is 42.3 years old (all workers: 42.1). Source: BLS Current Population Survey, 2025 annual averages.