ICU nurse pay
$102,482median posted offer#64 of 189 specialties
Read from 465 live ICU postings that state pay — 6% above the all-nursing median of $96,720. Updated July 24, 2026.
Where does your pay sit in ICU?
Checked against 465 live postings that state pay. Your number stays in your browser.
Enter your pay to see your percentile.
Posted offers on live listings — not take-home pay or a promise of what any one nurse will earn.
Where ICU pays the most
| # | State | Median | Top 10% from | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $134,856 | $141k | 11 |
| 2 | California | $128,118 | $156k | 58 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | $122,002 | $158k | 11 |
| 4 | Washington | $120,114 | $146k | 12 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $117,074 | $125k | 7 |
| 6 | Virginia | $115,050 | $145k | 6 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $112,314 | $122k | 19 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $107,864 | $131k | 14 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $107,500 | $116k | 7 |
| 10 | Louisiana | $104,440 | $106k | 5 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $103,291 | $118k | 6 |
| 12 | New Mexico | $102,805 | $123k | 26 |
| 13 | Missouri | $101,355 | $112k | 13 |
| 14 | Ohio | $100,163 | $117k | 21 |
| 15 | Indiana | $99,892 | $119k | 13 |
| 16 | Illinois | $98,280 | $123k | 19 |
| 17 | Arizona | $95,872 | $108k | 12 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $93,581 | $101k | 27 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $93,481 | $101k | 11 |
| 20 | Georgia | $93,461 | $117k | 14 |
| 21 | Colorado | $93,232 | $103k | 6 |
| 22 | Florida | $91,700 | $116k | 9 |
| 23 | Texas | $90,783 | $123k | 39 |
| 24 | Arkansas | $86,402 | $107k | 5 |
What to do with this
- See the rolesJobs in your state paying around $102,482Every posting behind these numbers is a live job you can open and apply to.
- Offer in hand?Run it through the offer reality calculatorAnnualize it honestly and see what it's worth where you'd actually live — then compare offers side by side.
- 3-minute fit quizFind out which roles actually fit youPay is one axis. Shift, specialty, setting, and commute decide whether the job is worth it.
- CommunityAsk nurses what they really take homeDifferentials, ratios, and the offer nobody posts. Bring your number and compare notes.
Want the craft behind the numbers — differentials, negotiating, travel packages? Read the pay & salary guides.
Questions nurses ask
- How much do ICU nurses make?
- Across 465 live ICU postings that state pay, the median offer is $102,482 a year. The middle half runs $93,600–$118,352, and the top 10% start at $135,647.
- Does ICU pay more than nursing overall?
- ICU ranks #64 of 189 specialties on posted pay. Its median is 6% above the all-nursing median of $96,720.
- Which states pay ICU nurses the most?
- By posted median right now: #1 New York ($134,856), #2 California ($128,118), #3 Wisconsin ($122,002). Rankings move as postings change — this page updates continuously.
- Where do these numbers come from?
- Midpoint of stated salary ranges on live nursing job postings; values outside $20,000–$800,000/yr treated as parse artifacts and excluded; groups under 5 postings suppressed. Community-reported figures are anonymous, unverified, and reported separately.