How Much Does a Chief Nursing Officer Make? (2025)
Chief nursing officers (CNOs) are responsible for planning and directing all nursing personnel. CNOs' work includes developing and implementing nursing policies, objectives, and initiatives, as well as reviewing nursing department operations for compliance and ensuring that all patients receive the highest quality healthcare.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the career and employment of medical and health services managers is expected to grow by 29% from 2023 to 2033, with an estimated 61,400 openings for jobs every year.
Read this salary guide as we thoroughly discuss a chief nursing officer's responsibility, salary insights, factors that affect their compensation, and how to become one.
What does a Chief Nursing Officer do?
The CNO position is the highest-ranking nurse in a healthcare system. Their roles and responsibilities depend on the size and structure of the facility where they work, such as hospitals, nursing homes, emergency medical centers, medical research facilities, rehabilitation centers, inpatient and outpatient clinics, and government agencies.
Here is a chief nursing officer's job description:
- They enhance nursing efficiency, advocate for nursing professionals, represent staff in the upper management, and ensure coordination between multiple departments.
- They audit and create reports based on findings and establish performance metrics as benchmarks.
- They ensure legal and regulatory compliance of the facility and nursing staff.
- They implement nursing best practices to be adhered to by other nurses to increase operational efficiency, cost reduction, better revenue, and satisfactory patient services and safety.
- They decide on and implement the purchasing of technologies that can improve patient care quality according to the budget.
- They research trends and data that aid in the implementation of procedures, services, protocols, and technologies to enhance quality patient outcomes and safety.
- They supervise the recruitment, retention, promotion, and disciplinary actions of nursing staff.
What is Chief Nursing Officer Salary Overview?
As of August 9, 2025, the average salary for chief nursing officers in the United States is $243,890 per year. The range is from $197,963 to $306,916, with earnings mostly between $219,850 and $276,880.
The average monthly rate is $20,324 with a range from $16,497 to $25,576, while the average hourly rate is $117 with a range from $95 to $148.
2025 Chief Nursing Officer Salary: $243,890 per year ($117 per hour)
Depending on the percentile, a chief nursing officer's salary with bonus ranges from $205,057 to $401,986, with $295,020 as the average value.
| Percentile | Salary + Bonus |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $205,057 |
| 25th Percentile | $247,930 |
| 50th Percentile | $295,020 |
| 75th Percentile | $351,010 |
| 90th Percentile | $401,986 |
The average total compensation for chief nursing officers, including the core compensation and benefits, is $380,442. The median base salary for chief nursing officers makes up 64.1% of the total pay, while benefits like social security, healthcare, and time off make up 15.1%.
| Core Compensation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Median | % of Total | |
| Base Salary | $243,890 | 64.1% |
| Bonus | $51,130 | 13.4% |
| Value of Benefits | ||
| Social Security | $15,196 | 4.0% |
| 401K/403B | $11,750 | 3.1% |
| Disability | $2,360 | 0.6% |
| Healthcare | $6,056 | 1.6% |
| Pension | $13,750 | 3.6% |
| Time Off | $36,310 | 9.5% |
| Total Compensation | $380,442 | 100% |
What Can Affect Chief Nursing Officer's Salaries?
Several factors like experience level, geographic location, education, and skills can affect the salary for chief nursing officers. Here are the detailed effects of these factors in terms of compensation every year.
By Experience Level
An entry-level chief nursing officer's salary is $229,179 while an expert level with over 8 years of experience can expect $239,584 on average.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Chief Nursing Officer | $229,179 |
| Intermediate Level Chief Nursing Officer | $231,332 |
| Senior Level Chief Nursing Officer | $233,126 |
| Specialist Level Chief Nursing Officer | $235,996 |
| Expert Level Chief Nursing Officer | $239,584 |
By Geographic Location
Key factors why geographic location affects salaries in the United States are the local economy, cost of living, and industry presence. Here are the hot cities in the US, where there are competitive chief nursing officer salaries:
| Cities | 25th Percentile | 50th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, California | $274,570 | $304,590 | $345,800 |
| Washington, District of Columbia | $243,420 | $270,030 | $306,560 |
| Miami, Florida | $211,230 | $234,330 | $266,030 |
| Chicago, Illinois | $227,200 | $252,040 | $286,130 |
| Boston, Massachusetts | $245,200 | $272,010 | $308,810 |
| New York, New York | $254,790 | $282,640 | $320,880 |
| Dallas, Texas | $217,100 | $240,840 | $273,420 |
According to Salary.com data, San Francisco has the most competitive pay among the hot cities, with salaries ranging from $274,570 to $345,800, while Miami has the least, with salaries ranging from $211,230 to $266,030.
By Skills
Chief nursing officers with more acquired skills get higher pay, especially with competencies with higher demands.
Data from Salary.com's Real-time Job Posting Salary Data Report suggests that for chief nursing officers, skills in patient safety can give the highest pay increase at 7.91%, followed by case management at 7.55%.
Some important skills also include clinical supervision, healthcare industry, patient rights, nursing code of ethics, and patient care quality standards.
| Skills | Demand | Salary Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Patient Safety | 10.60% | +7.91% |
| Case Management | 10.00% | +7.55% |
| Clinical Supervision | 10.00% | +7.48% |
| Healthcare Industry | 10.00% | +7.40% |
| Patient Rights | 10.00% | +7.39% |
| Nursing Code of Ethics | 10.60% | +7.09% |
By Education
In terms of education, chief nursing officers mostly have master's degrees at 57.9%, followed by those with bachelor's degrees at 22.2%. Meanwhile, those with associate's degrees are 11.1% and those with doctorate degrees are 7.7%.
| Degree Level | % of users with this level of education |
|---|---|
| Masters | 57.9% |
| Bachelors | 22.2% |
| Associates | 11.1% |
| Doctorate | 7.7% |
How to Become a Chief Nursing Officer
To become a chief nursing officer, one needs to meet specific requirements in education, certification, a license, and relevant experience. Here is how to do that:
-
Pursue continuing education in nursing
To build foundational skills, earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. To establish nursing leadership abilities and further competencies, pursue a master's degree. After completing this education, prepare to become a nurse leader by taking up the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. -
Get certification and a license
As a basic requirement in becoming a CNO, you must be a registered nurse (RN) by passing the NCLEX-RN of the National Council of State Board of Nursing. Registered nurses need to demonstrate outstanding leadership capabilities by earning credentials, such as the Certified in Executive Nursing Practice (CENP), Nurse Executive Certification (NE-BC), and Certified Nurse Manager and Leader (CNML). -
Gain leadership experience
To be a chief nursing officer, it takes several years of clinical experience and more than 8 years of nurse managerial experience. These management roles include nurse shift leader, clinical leader, nurse manager, department manager, and nursing administration.
What are the FAQs about Chief Nursing Officers?
Here are some common questions about chief nursing officer salary:
How long does it take to become a CNO?
It usually takes ten to fifteen years to become a chief nursing officer. This includes attending nursing school, passing the NCLEX-RN, gaining nursing experience, pursuing a master's and doctorate, getting certified, and obtaining adequate nurse leader experience.
What is the highest salary of a chief nursing officer?
As of August 9, 2025, the highest salary for chief nursing officers in the United States is $306,916 per year. Their compensation is usually affected by the experience level, skills, and location.
The expert-level chief nursing officer earns $239,584. The skill with the highest salary increase is patient safety at 7.91%. The highest-paying state is the District of Columbia at $270,030, while the highest-paying city is San Jose, California at $307,620.
Is a CNO a high-level position?
Yes, a CNO is a high-level position in the healthcare administration. They are part of the senior executive leadership team and supervise the system's nursing professional practice and leadership.
