ICU Nurse: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

Median pay

$97,550

BLS May 2025

Employed in the U.S.

3,379,720

BLS May 2025

Preparation

Job Zone 4 of 5

considerable preparation

Most common education

Bachelor's Degree

50% of workers

Data Government data groups this job as Critical Care Nurses (O*NET-SOC 29-1141.03; BLS series “Registered Nurses”). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Evaluate patients' vital signs or laboratory data to determine emergency intervention needs.
2. Monitor patients for changes in status and indications of conditions such as sepsis or shock and institute appropriate interventions.
3. Administer medications intravenously, by injection, orally, through gastric tubes, or by other methods.
4. Monitor patients' fluid intake and output to detect emerging problems, such as fluid and electrolyte imbalances.
5. Prioritize nursing care for assigned critically ill patients, based on assessment data or identified needs.
6. Compile and analyze data obtained from monitoring or diagnostic tests.
7. Conduct pulmonary assessments to identify abnormal respiratory patterns or breathing sounds that indicate problems.
8. Assess patients' pain levels or sedation requirements.

Telework available

1.1%

of workers had the ability to telework

Most common strength level

Light

50.5% of workers

Can pause work

15.0%

of workers could take short, unscheduled breaks

Self-paced workload

2.9%

of workers set their own workload

On TryHired lists: Jobs that don't require experience.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey. Estimates are preliminary; ranges are shown as published.

1. Hospitals; state, local, and private59.1% of all jobs in this occupation · +3.9% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $104,420
2. Ambulatory healthcare services18.9% of all jobs in this occupation · +12.3% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $97,510
3. Nursing and residential care facilities5.8% of all jobs in this occupation · -1.2% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $88,610
4. Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals5.2% of all jobs in this occupation · +8.2% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $116,410
5. Administrative and support services3.2% of all jobs in this occupation · +2.6% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $95,700
6. Educational services; state, local, and private3.0% of all jobs in this occupation · +0.8% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $83,750

Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.

Knowledge areas: Medicine and Dentistry, Customer and Personal Service, Psychology, English Language, Biology, Mathematics.

• Epic SystemsMedical softwareHot technology
• MEDITECH softwareMedical softwareHot technology
• eClinicalWorks EHR softwareMedical softwareHot technology
• Allscripts Professional EHRMedical software
• American Association of Critical Care Nurses AACN MedicopeiaInformation retrieval or search software
• Amkai AmkaiChartsMedical software
• Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMRMedical software
• Cerner MillenniumMedical software
• ChartWare EMRMedical software
• GE Healthcare Centricity EMRMedical software
• Google DriveCloud-based data access and sharing software
• MEDITECH Healthcare Information System HCISMedical software

Also called: Critical Care Nurse, Certified Critical Care Nurse, Critical Care Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN), ICU Critical Care NP (Intensive Care Unit Critical Care Nurse Practitioner), ICU Nurse (Intensive Care Unit Nurse), Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse (ICU RN).