LIVE MARKET·1,491 postings · last 180 days·Updated April 30, 2026

Nurse Supervisor salary: $51.00/hr$2,040/wk$106,080/yr median.

Pay range $44.50$1,780$92,560$71.63/hr$2,865/wk$148,990/yr across the middle 50% of active Nursing Leadership Nursing Leadership postings nationwide.

572 unique employers · 631 cities · 87 states. Pay moved -6.7% over the last 30 days.

Show pay as
Median /hr/wk/yr
$51.00$2,040$106,080
P25–P75
$44.50$1,780$92,560$71.63$2,865$148,990
middle 50%
Postings
1,491
22.5%
Coverage
87 states
572 employers
01·PAY DISTRIBUTION·P10 → P90

How Nurse Supervisor pay is distributed.

10% of postings pay under $39.50/hr$1,580/wk$82,160/yr. The top 10% pay above $84.86/hr$3,394/wk$176,509/yr.

P10
$39.50
P25
$44.50
P50
$51.00
P75
$71.63
P90
$84.86
P10
$39.50/hr$1,580/wk$82,160/yr
P25
$44.50/hr$1,780/wk$92,560/yr
P50 (median)
$51.00/hr$2,040/wk$106,080/yr
P75
$71.63/hr$2,865/wk$148,990/yr
P90
$84.86/hr$3,394/wk$176,509/yr
03·STATE BREAKDOWN·n=1,491

Nurse Supervisor pay across every state with live data.

01Alabama AL11 postings
$39.50/hr
02Alaska AK15 postings
$82.17/hr
03Arizona AZ8 postings
$35.50/hr
04California CA125 postings
$77.78/hr
05Colorado CO44 postings
$91.12/hr
06Connecticut CT19 postings
$52.50/hr
07Delaware DE5 postings
$45.00/hr
08Florida FL25 postings
$41.50/hr
09Georgia GA17 postings
$47.50/hr
10Illinois IL44 postings
$48.50/hr
11Indiana IN5 postings
$39.50/hr
12Maryland MD43 postings
$47.00/hr
13Massachusetts MA84 postings
$52.00/hr
14Michigan MI10 postings
$82.02/hr
15Minnesota MN11 postings
$44.00/hr
16New Jersey NJ60 postings
$47.50/hr
17New York NY243 postings
$56.00/hr
18North Carolina NC50 postings
$55.00/hr
19Ohio OH23 postings
$42.00/hr
20Oregon OR38 postings
$74.47/hr
21Pennsylvania PA101 postings
$45.00/hr
22Rhode Island RI9 postings
$46.50/hr
23South Carolina SC12 postings
$44.00/hr
24Tennessee TN8 postings
$51.88/hr
25Texas TX18 postings
$48.50/hr
26Vermont VT21 postings
$70.95/hr
27Virginia VA26 postings
$45.00/hr
28Washington WA78 postings
$75.15/hr
29West Virginia WV6 postings
$37.75/hr
30Wisconsin WI15 postings
$47.50/hr

Showing all 30 states with live data. Bars scale to the highest-paying state.

04·TOP-PAYING CITIES·METROS WITH ACTIVE POSTINGS

The metros writing the biggest Nurse Supervisor paychecks.

CityStateMedian /hr/wk/yrP25–P75Postings
castro valleyCA · CALIFORNIA$105.57$4,223$219,586$102.06$4,082$212,285$107.79$4,312$224,20316
brooklynNY · NEW YORK$102.10$4,084$212,368$62.50$2,500$130,000$107.14$4,286$222,85121
lamarCO · COLORADO$93.83$3,753$195,166$89.90$3,596$186,992$95.90$3,836$199,47235
northamptonMA · MASSACHUSETTS$84.88$3,395$176,550$83.48$3,339$173,638$88.30$3,532$183,66417
juneauAK · ALASKA$82.60$3,304$171,808$82.09$3,284$170,747$84.80$3,392$176,38412
05·EMPLOYER BREAKDOWN·TOP 20 BY PAY

Where the top of the market is paying for Nurse Supervisor.

EmployerMedian /hr/wk/yrRangePostings
$82.50$3,300$171,600$71.47$2,859$148,658$96.25$3,850$200,2008
assured nursing$90.55$3,622$188,344$65.86$2,634$136,989$107.75$4,310$224,1208
coast medical service$95.63$3,825$198,910$71.97$2,879$149,698$96.55$3,862$200,8245
cross country nurses$83.25$3,330$173,160$54.86$2,194$114,109$103.85$4,154$216,00817
health advocates network - nursing$81.28$3,251$169,062$67.86$2,714$141,149$122.08$4,883$253,9269
kaiser permanente$107.64$4,306$223,891$67.19$2,688$139,755$107.64$4,306$223,89115
premier medical staffing services$84.25$3,370$175,240$70.95$2,838$147,576$97.43$3,897$202,6547
prokatchers$81.04$3,242$168,563$77.61$3,104$161,429$81.94$3,278$170,4356
synergy medical staffing$81.84$3,274$170,227$73.90$2,956$153,712$95.28$3,811$198,1828
UC Irvine Health$93.50$3,740$194,480$93.50$3,740$194,480$93.50$3,740$194,4805

Showing all 10 employers with live pay data.

06·SHIFT & CONTRACT MIX·PAY BY WORK PATTERN

How Nurse Supervisor pay shifts by schedule and contract type.

Staff Position pays the most at $107.64/hr$4,306/wk$223,891/yr median — 171% above PRN at $39.75/hr$1,590/wk$82,680/yr. Fulltime drives the volume with 738 active postings.

BY SHIFT
Not Specified
1,091 postings
$47.50/hr$1,900/wk$98,800/yr
Days
141 postings
$81.94/hr$3,278/wk$170,435/yr
Nights
140 postings
$79.54/hr$3,182/wk$165,443/yr
Rotating
42 postings
$79.88/hr$3,195/wk$166,150/yr
Day
30 postings
$78.07/hr$3,123/wk$162,386/yr
Flexible
14 postings
$83.78/hr$3,351/wk$174,262/yr
Evenings
14 postings
$77.33/hr$3,093/wk$160,846/yr
PM
7 postings
$107.64/hr$4,306/wk$223,891/yr
Variable
4 postings
$107.64/hr$4,306/wk$223,891/yr
AM
4 postings
$93.09/hr$3,724/wk$193,627/yr
BY JOB TYPE
Fulltime
738 postings
$47.50/hr$1,900/wk$98,800/yr
Travel Contract
385 postings
$80.08/hr$3,203/wk$166,566/yr
Parttime
175 postings
$48.00/hr$1,920/wk$99,840/yr
Per Diem
80 postings
$48.50/hr$1,940/wk$100,880/yr
Not Specified
75 postings
$47.50/hr$1,900/wk$98,800/yr
Staff Position
14 postings
$107.64/hr$4,306/wk$223,891/yr
Contract
13 postings
$54.00/hr$2,160/wk$112,320/yr
PRN
10 postings
$39.75/hr$1,590/wk$82,680/yr
08·HOW TO BECOME·CAREER PATHWAY·GENERAL TO NURSING LEADERSHIP

How to become a Nurse Supervisor.

Nursing leadership roles run the operational and clinical management side of nursing — staffing, budget, quality, throughput, and workforce development for a unit, department, or system. The category includes charge nurses, nurse supervisors, nurse managers, directors of nursing, and chief nursing officers. Every leadership role builds on years of bedside RN experience plus progressively more education and operational responsibility.

Education·Min: BSN · Preferred: MSN (with leadership focus) or DNP

Standard path: BSN + 5-10 years of clinical experience → MSN in nursing administration or MBA/MHA → progressive leadership roles from charge nurse to nurse manager to director to CNO. Most CNOs hold an MSN-NL or DNP plus 15+ years of nursing experience including operational leadership.

DegreeDurationNotes
Bachelor of Science in NursingBSN4 yearsFunctional baseline for charge and lead RN roles. Some smaller systems still hire ADN-prepared charge nurses, but BSN is the norm.
MSN — Nursing Administration / Executive LeadershipMSN-NL2 years post-BSNStandard credential for nurse manager, director, and CNO tracks. Covers healthcare finance, HR, quality, and systems leadership.
MBA / MHA2 yearsAlternative or supplement to MSN-NL for nurse leaders moving toward CNO, COO, or system executive roles.
Doctor of Nursing Practice — ExecutiveDNP3-4 yearsDoctoral terminal degree for executive nursing roles. Increasingly common for CNO and Vice President roles in academic systems.
Licenses & Exams·2 credentials
RN LicenseRegistered Nurse LicenseRequired
Exam: NCLEX-RN · Issued by: State Board of Nursing

Active unencumbered RN license required for all nurse leader roles up through CNO. Bedside licensure remains the foundation for clinical credibility.

BLSBasic Life SupportRequired
Issued by: American Heart Association

Required at most systems even for leadership roles that don't deliver direct care.

Optional Certifications·Pay boost where known
CredentialIssued byPay impact
NE-BC
Nurse Executive - Board Certified
Standard board credential for nurse managers and directors. Eligibility requires a BSN, an MSN, and management experience.
ANCC+5-10%
NEA-BC
Nurse Executive, Advanced - Board Certified
Executive-level credential for CNOs and senior leaders. Requires graduate-level education plus 2+ years in a senior executive role.
ANCC+5-15%
CENP
Certified in Executive Nursing Practice
Executive nursing credential from the American Organization for Nursing Leadership. Common for VP and CNO tracks.
AONL / AONE+5-15%
Clinical specialty board
CCRN / CEN / CNOR / etc.
Clinical specialty certifications carry forward into unit-level leadership — a CCRN charge nurse and a CNOR OR director both signal credibility with their teams.
AACN / BCEN / CCI+5-10%
Career Path·6 steps
  1. 3-5 years RN
    Charge Nurse

    Shift-level leadership for a single unit. Handles assignments, admissions/discharges, breaks, and rapid-response coordination.

  2. 5-7 years
    Lead RN / Unit-Based Council Chair

    Recognized clinical and operational leader on a unit. Often the bridge role into formal nurse-manager appointments.

  3. 7-10 years
    Nurse Manager

    Full operational ownership of a unit or service line: staffing, budget, hiring, quality, and 24/7 unit performance. MSN often required.

  4. 10-15 years
    Director of Nursing

    Multi-unit or service-line oversight (e.g. all critical care, all perioperative services). Owns strategy and operational performance for that domain.

  5. 12-18 years
    Vice President of Nursing / Associate CNO

    System or hospital-level executive responsible for a major nursing domain. Often a stepping stone to the CNO seat.

  6. 15+ years
    Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)

    Top nursing executive in a hospital or system. Owns nursing strategy, workforce, and quality; partners with CMO and CEO on overall care delivery.

Work Environment
Hospitals (community and academic)Skilled nursing and long-term careAmbulatory and clinic groupsInsurance / managed care (clinical operations)Government / federal health systems

Schedule. Charge nurses work shifts; managers and above work primarily business hours with significant on-call exposure (24/7 unit accountability). Directors and CNOs work substantial weeks and weekends during crises, surveys, and major operational events.

Physical demands. Largely operational rather than physical. Leaders often back-fill bedside during staffing crises, especially nurse managers, so the underlying physical demands of the unit still apply intermittently.

Job Outlook·Strong
+28% (medical and health services managers, 2022-2032)

Healthcare management overall is one of the fastest-growing US occupational categories. Nursing leadership specifically benefits from workforce churn (post-pandemic retirements, manager burnout) plus the ongoing build-out of value-based care, quality reporting, and Magnet certification programs.

FAQ — Becoming this role·3 questions
Do I need an MSN to be a nurse manager?

It depends on the system. Many systems require an MSN (or accept MBA/MHA) for nurse manager roles, and an MSN or DNP for director and CNO. Smaller and community hospitals are sometimes more flexible. ANCC and AONL credentials (NE-BC, NEA-BC, CENP) increasingly substitute for advanced education in some markets.

Charge nurse vs nurse manager — what's different?

Charge nurse is a shift-level role: you're the on-duty lead for the unit during a 12-hour shift, coordinating assignments, admissions, and rapid response. Nurse manager is a 24/7 accountable role: you own the unit's staffing, budget, performance, and people leadership year-round. Most nurse managers are former charge nurses.

How long does it take to become a CNO?

Realistic timeline is 15-20 years post-BSN: 5-7 years bedside → 2-3 years charge / lead → 3-5 years as a nurse manager → 3-5 years as a director → CNO. Faster paths exist in smaller systems and rural hospitals.

09·FREQUENTLY ASKED·NURSE SUPERVISOR

What clinicians ask about Nurse Supervisor pay.

What is the average Nurse Supervisor salary in 2026?

The median Nurse Supervisor salary is $51.00/hr (approximately $106,080/yr) based on 1,491 active job postings.

What is the pay range for Nurse Supervisor?

Hourly pay ranges from $44.50 at the 25th percentile to $71.63 at the 75th percentile, with the top 10% earning above $84.86/hr.

Which state pays Nurse Supervisor roles the most?

Alabama currently leads with a median of $39.50/hr across 11 postings.

How many employers are hiring Nurse Supervisors?

Our dataset shows 572 unique employers posting Nurse Supervisor roles across 87 states.

Where does TrueRounds get Nurse Supervisor salary data?

All salary figures are computed from active US healthcare job postings with listed pay ranges, collected over a rolling 180-day window and weighted by posting volume.

11·METHODOLOGY·HOW WE BUILD THESE NUMBERS

Active US healthcare postings. Weighted by volume. Refreshed daily.

Pay benchmarks are computed from active job postings with listed pay ranges, collected on a rolling 180-day window. Each role's percentiles are weighted by posting volume so a metro with two postings doesn't outweigh a metro with two hundred. Outliers (postings priced more than 4× the role median) are dropped to avoid contract-line distortion.

Use the data, then push back.

Bring these numbers into your next contract conversation. Recruiters know what the market pays — now you do too.