Acute Care Nurses
Median salary, education path, job outlook, and related careers — based on U.S. labor data.
Median salary
$97,550/yr
Typical range
$80,330 – $112,350
Education
Associate degree
Time to entry
About 2 years
What a Acute Care Nurses does
Acute care nurses provide direct patient care in hospitals and urgent care settings, monitoring vital signs, administering medications, and responding to rapidly changing patient conditions. They work on medical-surgical units, emergency departments, and other fast-paced hospital environments.
Education & path
The typical entry point is a associate degree. About 2 years.
Estimated cost of that path: ~$7,500. Estimated payback: ~1 year. Estimates only — actual cost varies widely by school and financial aid; payback assumes ~20% of income applied.
Related careers
- Clinical Nurse Specialists — $97,550/yr
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses — $97,550/yr
- Critical Care Nurses — $97,550/yr
- Registered Nurses — $97,550/yr
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses — $64,400/yr
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