Top Nursing Specialties According to Salary
As a nurse, one of the more common ways to increase both your pay and employment opportunities is by going in to one of the nursing specialties. The idea of specialization for nurses and other healthcare practitioners is nothing new, but it has become increasingly more prevalent of the past few decades. One of the main reasons for the increase in nursing specializations is the advancement of medical care and technology.
But before you go out there to get certified and the education to focus on a niche or specialization, you should have some idea on which of the nursing specialties are currently in demand. In the following article from Nursing Classes Online will look at the top nursing specialties in demand today according to their salary level. All information in this article has been gathered from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*Net Online.
Top Nursing Specialties According to Salary
When looking for the top nursing specialties in demand, it is necessary to look at the projected growth in the specific area. Oftentimes salary directly reflects the demand of a particular position, as the more money the position makes the greater its demand for the particular position, although usually the more schooling and work on the field it requires as well. For anyone looking at nursing specialties in demand, these are the top 15 in terms of salary.
1. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
Individuals who work with anesthetist as both doctors and nurses make the most in their respected fields. After all, this is a very specific and calculated position, as if a patient doesn’t receive enough anesthetist they might wake up during the operating, while someone who receives too much might never wake up at all. The median salary is $148,200 or over $71 an hour.
2. Orthopedic Nurse
This RN nursing specialty focuses on issues such as acute fractures, joint replacement as well as chronic disorders leading to the loss of bone density. In other words their specialty is working on the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. The median pay for this type of specialty is in the high range of a registered nurse (RN) or around $90,000 a year.
3. Nurse Practitioner
Not necessarily a specialty, the position of a nurse practitioner (NP) can be found working in both hospitals and private practice offices, they serve as a defacto physician in a lot of instances. With the expected shortage of medical doctors (MD), the demand for nurse practitioners has grown tremendously. This position is going to earn a median salary of $90,000 a year and is one of the top nursing specialties in demand.
4. Certified Nurse Midwife
As long as individuals continue to age and require assistance in home, this is going to stay towards the top of the list of nursing specialties in demand, as too is the salary, which brings in a median salary of $89,500 a year.
5. Pediatric Endocrinology Nurse
This is a very specific nursing job position commonly held by a registered nurse (RN), with individuals working with children who have certain hormone problems and diseases. It also brings a median salary of $81,000 a year.
6. Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
As long as individuals continue to age and live longer lives, this is also going to be one of the most in demand nursing positions around. When working in this field, a professional is able to make a median salary of $75,000 annually. It is also a position that is in high demand throughout the country, no matter the region or the location.
7. Neonatal Nurse
One of the top paying labor and child birthing nurse position, someone who decides to enter this particular field and obtain the specific training and job preparation is going to make an average of $74,000 a year while working the specific position.
Projected Growth According to Position
8. Renal Dialysis Dialysis Nurse
This is a highly in demand nursing position that is desired throughout the country, as more and more individuals are growing older. They help evaluate patients who have experienced kidney failure and help plan and implement treatments and nursing care. The median salary of this position is $70,000 a year.
9. Cardiac Catheterization Lab Nurse
Working with heart patients and the placement of catheters is an important field, and it is why it made the list of top paying nurse positions, as it fell just out of the top 10. This is one of the top nursing specialties in demand in terms of pay, as the average salary sits at $69,000 a year.
10. Cardiovascular Operating Room Nurse
This nurse is going to be in the operating room, assisting the doctor and working with other nurses at the same time during heart and lungs operations such as transplants. It also has an median salary of $67,000 a year.
11. Clinical Nurse Specialist
Individuals who decide to work as a clinical nurse specialist are going to be rewarded with an average salary of $65,500, although as this is the average salary it is always possible to earn more, depending on the location, years of experience and several other factors.
12. Labor and Delivery Nurse
This is a rather popular line of nursing as there are tens of thousands of individuals who go to school to work inside the nursing and delivery room. As this is a field not likely to go away, it is also heavily in demand and a desirable pay range of $66,000 a year.
13. Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse
Another infant nursing position, this individual works directly with babies who have often been born prematurely or have other major health problems when born. It also has the same pay range as a nurse working in the labor and delivery room at $66,000 a year.
14. Psychiatric Nurse
Working in the mental health community is smaller than other career paths, but it is the small size that makes it such a highly, in demand position, as fewer individuals go into it. It also comes with one of the very best pay ranges, as individuals make a median salary of $65,500 a year.
15. Nurse Educator
As one might guess, a nurse educator demonstrates and instructs nursing students on the art of patient care. Helping train the next generation of nursing professionals, nursing instructor positions are growing daily as the more people are considering healthcare as a profession. The median salary for a nurse educator is a little under $65,000 a year.
