Long shifts, sleepless nights, and endless vigilance – ICU nurses are the front-line heroes saving lives each day. But ever wondered how much ICU nurses make? How much is ICU Nurse Salary in 2025? Ever thought that their paycheck really reflects the intensity of their work? Here in this blog, we will discuss how much ICU nurses and travel ICU nurses are making in 2025, the factors that impact their pay, and what pay they should expect from this challenging but rewarding career.
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What are ICU nurses?
The word ICU stands for Intensive Care Unit, and ICU nurses are the registered nurses who provide care to critical and unstable patients. Patients in the ICU unit need continuous monitoring and life support systems as their condition can get worse at any time. ICU nurses are also known as critical care nurses who need critical thinking skills, advanced clinical skills, and emotional resilience to work in an ICU. Some of the responsibilities of ICU nurses are as follows:
Responsibilities of ICU nurses
- Continuously monitoring the vital signs of the patient, performing head-to-toe physical assessments, and interpreting lab values to detect subtle changes before they get worse.
- Patients in critical care or on advanced life support systems. The duty of ICU nurses is to manage and operate these complex, advanced life support systems and devices such as ventilators, PICC lines, etc.
- Administering complex medications and helping with diagnostic imaging.
- Responding to emergencies such as code blue and performing CPR.
- Documenting reports in the electronic health record (EHR).
- Communicating with the patients and the other healthcare teams for care plans and decisions.
How much are ICU nurses and travel ICU nurses making in 2025?
Here is the breakdown of ICU nurses’ and travel ICU nurses’ salaries in 2025.
Staff ICU nurse/ critical care nurses (non-travel)
ICU registered nurse salary: As of till Oct 2025, the ICU nurses’ pay is $60.79/ hour ( source: How Much RNs Are Actually Making In 2025? RN Salary Trends
CCRN certified critical RN nurse salary: It is approximately $93,000 to $108,000 per year. Let’s break it down experience-wise: ( source: Critical Care RN Salary in 2025 – Salary Solver
- Entry level (0-2 years): $72,000–$82,000 per year salary.
- Mid-level experience (3-7 years): $88,000–$95,000 per year salary.
- Experienced (8-15 years): $98,000–$110,000 per year salary.
- Senior or charge nurse (15+ years): $112,000–$125,000+ per year salary.
Cardiac ICU (CVICU) nurse salary: There are a lot of factors that affect CVICU nurses’ salaries, but the average salary is $85,000 – $105,000 per year or about $43 – $53 per hour. (source: Cardiac ICU Nurse Salary | PRN Healthcare
Critical care nurse practitioner (NP) salary: The average salary of a critical care nurse practitioner is $172,199/year in 2025, and in high-demand areas, it might go up to $220K. (source): Understanding Critical Care Nurse Practitioner Salary: What to Expect
Travel ICU nurses/ Contract nurses
Travel ICU RN salary: Travel ICU nurses’ hourly pay is higher than staff ICU nurses. The average travel ICU nurses’ pay is $61 per hour, but it depends on other factors such as location, assignment, experience, etc. (source: Travel Nurse Pay Trends Q1 2025: Winners & Losers by Region
Weekly pay for ICU travel nurses: The ICU travel nurses’ pay ranges from $2700 to 3600 per week. Explore high-paying travel ICU travel nursing jobs with SkillGigs, making up to $4000 a week.
What are the factors that affect ICU nurses’ and Travel ICU nurses’ salaries?
Factors that affect ICU nurses’ salaries and travel ICU nurses’ salaries in 2025 are as follows:
Experience:
The first thing is experience. Staff ICU nurses with less than 2 years of experience make around $72,000–$82,000 a year, whereas experienced ICU nurses make up to $112,000–$125,000+ per year. If we talk about travel ICU nurses, their hourly pay is higher than staff nurses. To become a travel ICU nurse, you need at least 2 years of experience. If you are a first-time travel nurse, then you can make up to $55–$60/hr, but if you are an experienced travel nurse, then you can make up to $70–$90/hr, which is the base pay.
Education and Certification:
Another important factor that affects ICU nurses and travel ICU nurse salaries is education and certifications (such as CCRN, ACLS, PALS). Additional certifications can boost your resume and increase your chances of high-paying jobs. If you are a travel nurse, then upload your 3d resume with SkillGigs and discover high-paying travel nursing jobs.
Location:
Location also affects the ICU nurse’s pay. Some states have a higher cost of living and are ready to pay a higher hourly rate to the ICU nurses, such as California, New York, Massachusetts, etc. If you are a travel ICU nurse, then location really matters. The pay increases in high-demand areas.
Shift types and Hours:
One other important factor that plays a role in ICU nurse salary is shift type and hours. Night shifts, holiday shifts, and overtime pay are more. If you are working on holidays or weekends, you will have higher hourly pay that can boost your income. With SkillGigs, you can not only boost your income by signing high-paying travel nurse contracts and bonuses, but you also have the freedom to choose your own shift types and hours. So, make more with SkillGigs and sign up today.
Other factors affecting Travel ICU nurse pay
Some of the other factors that affect travel nurses’ ICU pay are:
- Bonuses
- Referral bonuses
- Meal and travel incentives
- Housing stipends
- Benefit packages
Highest paying states for ICU RN in 2025
The top high-paying states for ICU nurses in 2025 are: source: RN pay by state – Becker’s ASC
- California
- Hawaii
- Oregon
- Washington
- Alaska
Highest paying states for travel ICU RN in 2025
The top high-paying states for travel ICU RN are:
- California
- New York
- Washington
- Oregon
- Texas
How can you boost your income as an ICU nurse in 2025?
As an ICU nurse, you can boost your income in 2025 with these strategies:
- Getting advanced certifications can boost your income. Certifications such as (CCRN (Critical Care Registered Nurse), ACLS, PALS, TNCC, CMC, CVICU, Neuro ICU, Trauma ICU), etc.
- Gain experience, as experience can also increase your pay.
- Select shifts that pay more, eg, working night shifts, weekends, and on holidays. Overtime can also boost your income, but remember, do not burnout yourself.
If you have 2 years of experience, then you can also become a travel nurse. As a travel nurse, you can make more through high-paying assignments, bonuses, benefits etc, If you don’t want to stay for 13 weeks in another state, then you can also make extra money by working as a per-diem nurse. Per-diem nurses make money on a daily basis and work on an as-needed basis.
Negotiate your salary and benefits
Do you know that you can negotiate your salary and benefits? Yes, as an ICU nurse or travel nurse, you can always negotiate your salary and benefits to increase your income. With SkillGigs, you can set your own rate and bid on the jobs you want. SkillGigs lets you talk directly without a middleman man where you can set your own price and get higher pay.
Conclusion
ICU nursing is one of the most demanding and high-paying specialties in the US. The demand for critical care nurses is still high, and healthcare industries are ready to pay. Some of the states, such as California, Washington, and New York, pay the highest for ICU nurses. Not only that, but travel ICU nurses are also in high demand due to the shortage of staff. ICU nurses make up to $61/hour. So, in conclusion, it is not wrong to say that hospitals are ready to pay to keep their critical patients alive and give them top priority care.
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