LIVE MARKET·59 postings · last 180 days·Updated April 30, 2026

Oncology Med-Surg Nurse salary: $61.50/hr$2,460/wk$127,920/yr median.

Pay range $57.12$2,285$118,810$67.13/hr$2,685/wk$139,630/yr across the middle 50% of active Med-Surg Nurse Registered Nurse (RN) postings nationwide.

16 unique employers · 33 cities · 21 states. Pay moved +4.6% over the last 30 days.

Show pay as
Median /hr/wk/yr
$61.50$2,460$127,920
P25–P75
$57.12$2,285$118,810$67.13$2,685$139,630
middle 50%
Postings
59
91.4%
Coverage
21 states
16 employers
01·PAY DISTRIBUTION·P10 → P90

How Oncology Med-Surg Nurse pay is distributed.

10% of postings pay under $49.24/hr$1,970/wk$102,419/yr. The top 10% pay above $73.33/hr$2,933/wk$152,526/yr.

P10
$49.24
P25
$57.12
P50
$61.50
P75
$67.13
P90
$73.33
P10
$49.24/hr$1,970/wk$102,419/yr
P25
$57.12/hr$2,285/wk$118,810/yr
P50 (median)
$61.50/hr$2,460/wk$127,920/yr
P75
$67.13/hr$2,685/wk$139,630/yr
P90
$73.33/hr$2,933/wk$152,526/yr
03·STATE BREAKDOWN·n=59

Oncology Med-Surg Nurse pay across every state with live data.

01Georgia GA11 postings
$56.30/hr
02Massachusetts MA8 postings
$73.33/hr
03Missouri MO5 postings
$64.75/hr
04New York NY5 postings
$83.28/hr

Showing all 4 states with live data. Bars scale to the highest-paying state.

05·EMPLOYER BREAKDOWN·TOP 20 BY PAY

Where the top of the market is paying for Oncology Med-Surg Nurse.

EmployerMedian /hr/wk/yrRangePostings
$66.25$2,650$137,800$64.85$2,594$134,888$83.89$3,356$174,4917
ahs staffing$56.29$2,252$117,083$48.67$1,947$101,234$62.98$2,519$130,9988
american traveler$66.33$2,653$137,966$46.03$1,841$95,742$78.08$3,123$162,40621
trs healthcare$53.61$2,144$111,509$46.33$1,853$96,366$58.92$2,357$122,5545

Showing all 4 employers with live pay data.

06·SHIFT & CONTRACT MIX·PAY BY WORK PATTERN

How Oncology Med-Surg Nurse pay shifts by schedule and contract type.

BY SHIFT
Nights
32 postings
$61.89/hr$2,476/wk$128,731/yr
Days
22 postings
$63.28/hr$2,531/wk$131,622/yr
Day
4 postings
$61.36/hr$2,454/wk$127,629/yr
BY JOB TYPE
Travel Contract
59 postings
$61.50/hr$2,460/wk$127,920/yr
08·HOW TO BECOME·CAREER PATHWAY·GENERAL TO MED-SURG NURSE (MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSE)

How to become a Oncology Med-Surg Nurse.

Medical-Surgical nurses provide care to adult patients with a wide variety of medical conditions and post-surgical needs on hospital medical-surgical units.

Education·Min: ADN · Preferred: BSN

Med-surg nursing is often the entry point for new graduate RNs. Most nurses complete BSN, pass NCLEX-RN, and start on med-surg units to build foundational skills.

DegreeDurationNotes
Associate Degree in NursingADN2-3 yearsEntry-level nursing degree. Many med-surg units accept ADN nurses with RN-to-BSN completion plans.
Bachelor of Science in NursingBSN4 yearsPreferred by most hospitals. Required for magnet facilities and leadership advancement.
RN-to-BSN ProgramRN-to-BSN1-2 yearsOnline completion program for ADN nurses to earn BSN while working.
Licenses & Exams·3 credentials
RN LicenseRegistered Nurse LicenseRequired
Exam: NCLEX-RN · Issued by: State Board of Nursing

State RN license required. Must pass NCLEX-RN examination.

BLSBasic Life SupportRequired
Issued by: American Heart Association

CPR certification required for all nursing positions.

ACLSAdvanced Cardiovascular Life SupportOptional
Issued by: American Heart Association

Often required or preferred, especially on telemetry or step-down units.

Optional Certifications·Pay boost where known
CredentialIssued byPay impact
CMSRN
Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse
Primary certification for med-surg nurses. Validates expertise in adult medical-surgical nursing. Requires 2 years and 2,000 hours of practice.
AMSN/MSNCB+5-10%
RN-BC Med-Surg
Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification
Alternative med-surg certification from ANCC. Recognized nationally.
ANCC+5-10%
PCCN
Progressive Care Certified Nurse
For nurses on step-down or progressive care units caring for moderately ill patients.
AACN+5-10%
Wound Care Certification
Wound Care Certified (WCC)
Valuable specialization for med-surg nurses managing complex wounds.
NAWCO+3-8%
Career Path·6 steps
  1. 0-1 years
    New Graduate Med-Surg Nurse

    Entry-level position on med-surg unit. Building foundational nursing skills with preceptor support.

  2. 1-3 years
    Staff Med-Surg Nurse

    Independent practice managing 4-6 patient assignments. Growing clinical confidence.

  3. 3-5 years
    Senior Med-Surg Nurse / Preceptor

    Mentors new nurses, serves as unit resource, may lead patient care teams.

  4. 5-7 years
    Med-Surg Charge Nurse

    Shift leadership coordinating admissions, discharges, and staffing. CMSRN often expected.

  5. 7-10 years
    Unit Educator / Clinical Coach

    Focuses on staff development, competency validation, and quality improvement.

  6. 10+ years
    Nurse Manager / Director

    Leadership role overseeing unit operations, budget, and staff. MSN typically required.

Work Environment
Hospital medical-surgical unitsTelemetry/step-down unitsOrthopedic unitsOncology unitsPost-surgical unitsObservation units

Schedule. Primarily 12-hour shifts (7a-7p or 7p-7a). Rotating weekends and holidays required. Some facilities offer 8-hour day shifts.

Physical demands. Physically demanding with frequent walking, standing, lifting, and patient turning. Fast-paced with multiple patient assignments (typically 4-6 patients).

Job Outlook·Strong
6% (2022-2032)

Med-surg is the largest nursing specialty and serves as the foundation for most nursing careers. High demand at all experience levels. Travel med-surg positions pay $2,000-3,000+/week.

FAQ — Becoming this role·4 questions
Is med-surg nursing a good starting point?

Yes, med-surg is often called the 'foundation of nursing.' You'll gain diverse experience with many conditions, making it excellent preparation for specialty units or advanced roles.

How many patients do med-surg nurses have?

Typically 4-6 patients per nurse, depending on state ratios and unit acuity. California mandates 1:5 ratios by law. Night shifts may have higher ratios.

How long should I stay in med-surg before specializing?

Most recommend 1-2 years to build solid assessment and time management skills. Some specialty units (ICU, ER) may hire earlier with residency programs.

Is CMSRN certification worth it?

Yes. CMSRN demonstrates expertise, often comes with pay increases ($1-3/hour), and can accelerate advancement to charge nurse or leadership roles.

09·FREQUENTLY ASKED·ONCOLOGY MED-SURG NURSE

What clinicians ask about Oncology Med-Surg Nurse pay.

What is the average Oncology Med-Surg Nurse salary in 2026?

The median Oncology Med-Surg Nurse salary is $61.50/hr (approximately $127,920/yr) based on 59 active job postings.

What is the pay range for Oncology Med-Surg Nurse?

Hourly pay ranges from $57.12 at the 25th percentile to $67.13 at the 75th percentile, with the top 10% earning above $73.33/hr.

Which state pays Oncology Med-Surg Nurse roles the most?

Alabama currently leads with a median of $63.45/hr across 0 postings.

How many employers are hiring Oncology Med-Surg Nurses?

Our dataset shows 16 unique employers posting Oncology Med-Surg Nurse roles across 21 states.

Where does TrueRounds get Oncology Med-Surg Nurse 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.