Med-Surg Nurse salary
A med-surg nurse earns about $93,600 a year — roughly $45.00/hour, with most earning between $75,990 and $100,780. This is an estimate — a starting point, not an exact figure.
Med-Surg Nurse — U.S. national
Specialty estimateMedian annual pay
$93,600
Hourly
$45.00/hr
- Typical range
- $75,990–$100,780
- What most nurses earn
- High end
- $135,320
- Top earners
- Entry level
- $66,030
- Newer nurses
What affects this pay
- Med-surg certification (CMSRN)
- Patient ratios and unit acuity
- Nights and weekend differentials
- Hospital vs system pay scale
- Metro labor market
About Med-Surg Nurses
What they do
Medical-surgical nurses care for adult inpatients with a wide mix of conditions — post-operative recovery, infections, and chronic-disease flare-ups — usually managing four to six patients at once. Med-surg is the most common hospital nursing role and the training ground many specialties recruit from.
How to become a Med-Surg Nurse
Med-surg nurses are RNs who build broad bedside experience and can earn the CMSRN (Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse) credential after about two years of practice.
What drives the pay
Public wage data doesn’t separately track med-surg nurses, so figures are based on registered nurse pay — and because med-surg is effectively the general hospital RN role, its estimate tracks the RN median closely rather than carrying a specialty premium.
Med-Surg Nurse pay by state
Where this role tends to pay the most.
| State | Annual pay | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| California | $129,170 | +38% vs national |
| Hawaii | $112,320 | +20% vs national |
| Alaska | $110,450 | +18% vs national |
| Oregon | $110,450 | +18% vs national |
| Washington | $110,450 | +18% vs national |
| Massachusetts | $107,640 | +15% vs national |
| New York | $105,770 | +13% vs national |
| District of Columbia | $104,830 | +12% vs national |
Compare next
Roles nurses weigh against this one.
Source & confidence— An estimate for a specialty that public pay data does not list on its own. A ballpark to start from, not an exact figure.
Modeled specialty estimate
Med-Surg Nurse is not broken out by BLS. Figures are modeled from the SOC 29-1141 median using a specialty differential of 1.00×, reflecting commonly reported pay differences. Treat as directional, not precise.
Source year 2024. Last reviewed June 1, 2025. Full methodology
This role isn’t broken out in public wage data, so the figure starts from registered nurse pay and sharpens as nurses submit their pay. Last reviewed June 1, 2025.