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Clinical Nurse Specialist

Average base salary, New York
$117,500 / year
$9,800 per month · $56.49 per hour

BLS May 2025 state data for New York · median $113,500
25th percentile
$98,000
Average
$117,500
75th percentile
$134,000
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (occupation group), with detailed role definition from O*NET, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Clinical Nurse Specialist salary by state
Alabama$79,500
Alaska$119,000
Arizona$103,000
Arkansas$84,500
California$155,500
Colorado$103,000
Connecticut$109,000
Delaware$103,000
Florida$94,000
Georgia$98,500
Hawaii$128,500
Idaho$96,000
Illinois$97,500
Indiana$92,500
Iowa$83,500
Kansas$85,000
Kentucky$89,000
Louisiana$87,000
Maine$95,000
Maryland$102,500
Michigan$97,500
Minnesota$107,000
Missouri$89,000
Montana$94,500
Nebraska$91,500
Nevada$109,500
New Jersey$114,000
New Mexico$98,500
New York$117,500
Ohio$91,000
Oklahoma$88,000
Oregon$127,500
Rhode Island$105,000
Tennessee$88,500
Texas$98,500
Utah$94,000
Vermont$100,000
Virginia$97,000
Washington$126,000
Wisconsin$98,000
Wyoming$91,500
About this role

Clinical Nurse Specialist is a professional role within the function in the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical job family.

Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.

What Clinical Nurse Specialists do

Typical education: Bachelor's Degree

  • Provide specialized direct and indirect care to inpatients and outpatients within a designated specialty, such as obstetrics, neurology, oncology, or neonatal care.
  • Collaborate with other health care professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care.
  • Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.
  • Develop, implement, or evaluate standards of nursing practice in specialty area, such as pediatrics, acute care, and geriatrics.
  • Maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or infection control standards.

Top skills: Speaking Social Perceptiveness Service Orientation Reading Comprehension Monitoring Judgment and Decision Making

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Clinical Nurse Specialist pay by experience level
Entry level$71,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$83,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$101,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$116,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$142,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+4.9%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
189,100
projected openings per year
Growing about as fast as average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Clinical Nurse Specialist salary by industry
Hospitals

2,020,230 workers

$108,000

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals

1,902,960 workers

$108,000

Hospitals, Privately Owned

1,730,350 workers

$107,500

Ambulatory Health Care Services

648,820 workers

$101,000

Offices of Physicians

232,420 workers

$94,000

Nursing and Residential Care Facilities

198,830 workers

$91,500

Home Health Care Services

198,180 workers

$97,000

Hospitals, Local Government Owned

181,690 workers

$104,500

Outpatient Care Centers

173,380 workers

$116,500

Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS

169,640 workers

$120,500

National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares

Clinical Nurse Specialist pays 35% below the average across 91 roles in the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical job family (family average $162,000).

Similar-paying roles in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Careers related to Clinical Nurse Specialist
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions

How much does a Clinical Nurse Specialist make?

The average base salary for a Clinical Nurse Specialist in the United States is $105,000 per year, or about $50.48 per hour.

What is the typical salary range?

Pay typically falls between $83,000 and $116,500 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.

How does this compare with other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical roles?

The Healthcare Practitioners and Technical job family averages $162,000 across 91 roles tracked by WePayFairly.

Need a defensible market price for this role?
WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.

Explore Market DataOur Methodology

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