Careers / Clinical Nurse Specialists
Clinical Nurse Specialists — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$97,550
United States, 2025
Employment
3,379,720
United States, 2025
Typical education
Master's Degree
Job Zone 5
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Direct nursing staff in the provision of patient care in a clinical practice setting, such as a hospital, hospice, clinic, or home. Ensure adherence to established clinical policies, protocols, regulations, and standards.
- O*NET code
- 29-1141.04
- Job zone
- 5
- Experience required
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
Typical tasks
- Provide specialized direct and indirect care to inpatients and outpatients within a designated specialty, such as obstetrics, neurology, oncology, or neonatal care.
- Collaborate with other health care professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care.
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.
- Develop, implement, or evaluate standards of nursing practice in specialty area, such as pediatrics, acute care, and geriatrics.
- Maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or infection control standards.
- Instruct nursing staff in areas such as the assessment, development, implementation, and evaluation of disability, illness, management, technology, or resources.
- Develop and maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or patient care standards, based on evidence-based practice guidelines or expert opinion.
- Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice or organizational systems.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$68,940
25th percentile
$80,330
75th percentile
$112,350
90th percentile
$137,470
Most important skills
- Speaking4.1
- Monitoring4.0
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Service Orientation4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0
- Active Learning4.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Active Listening3.9
- Writing3.9
- Coordination3.9
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 22 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
22
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | 4.4 | Not selected | 4.4 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 | 4.3 | Not selected | 4.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 | 4.3 | Not selected | 4.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.0 | 4.3 | Not selected | 4.3 |
| Active Learning | 4.0 | 4.3 | Not selected | 4.3 |
| Speaking | 4.1 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Service Orientation | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Writing | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Coordination | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.6 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Time Management | 3.6 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Instructing | 3.5 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Persuasion | 3.6 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Science | 3.0 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Operations Analysis | 3.0 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.1 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.0 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $244,180
Compare with Clinical Nurse SpecialistsSupplemental
National median $256,560
Compare with Clinical Nurse SpecialistsSupplemental
National median $335,550
Compare with Clinical Nurse SpecialistsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $216,740 | 22,930 | 2025 |
| Vallejo, CA | $203,290 | 4,120 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $186,610 | 41,750 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $174,550 | 3,720 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $171,460 | 23,590 | 2025 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $170,960 | 1,750 | 2025 |
| Yuba City, CA | $149,320 | 1,080 | 2025 |
| Kahului, HI | $144,350 | 1,270 | 2025 |
| CA | $140,270 | 338,940 | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $139,520 | 28,680 | 2025 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $139,260 | 9,680 | 2025 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $138,820 | 2,180 | 2025 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $137,360 | 3,280 | 2025 |
| HI | $136,320 | 12,940 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $135,560 | 109,360 | 2025 |
| Bend, OR | $135,010 | 2,500 | 2025 |
| Salinas, CA | $134,910 | 3,180 | 2025 |
| Stockton, CA | $134,580 | 5,460 | 2025 |
| Redding, CA | $134,350 | 1,720 | 2025 |
| Riverside, CA | $133,940 | 35,290 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Clinical Nurse Specialists to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.