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Healthcare

Critical Care Nurses

Stacks well

Provide specialized nursing care for patients in critical or coronary care units.

Median salary (BLS)

$97,550

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$69k – $137k

Job outlook

+5% (faster than average)

AI exposure

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports one wage for this occupational group, which covers 4 related roles — so read the median as an approximate group figure, and the range as the truer picture for this specific title. BLS source.

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $93,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Critical Care Nurses

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Bachelor's degree

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How to qualify

License required

Cost to qualify

$6,300–$80,650

Time to qualify

2.2 yr

Renewal

$75/yr

  1. 1

    Nursing degree (ADN or BSN)

    Degree

    2-year associate or 4-year bachelor's in nursing from an accredited program.

    $6,000–$80,000 · 2 years source

  2. 2

    NCLEX-RN exam

    Exam

    National licensing exam for registered nurses.

    $200–$350 · 1 months source

  3. 3

    State RN license

    License

    Apply to your state board of nursing after passing the NCLEX.

    $100–$300 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Which occupations require a license and in which states: CareerOneStop License Finder (U.S. DOL). Costs/hours are curated estimates that vary by state and change — see each step's official source.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Critical Care Nurses

    Entry / Junior

    $68,940

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Critical Care Nurses

    Established

    $97,550

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Critical Care Nurses

    Senior

    $117,510

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Evaluate patients' vital signs or laboratory data to determine emergency intervention needs.
  • •Monitor patients for changes in status and indications of conditions such as sepsis or shock and institute appropriate interventions.
  • •Administer medications intravenously, by injection, orally, through gastric tubes, or by other methods.
  • •Monitor patients' fluid intake and output to detect emerging problems, such as fluid and electrolyte imbalances.
  • •Prioritize nursing care for assigned critically ill patients, based on assessment data or identified needs.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Healthcare

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.