There is no official salary figure for infusion nurses. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports them under SOC 29-1141 (Registered Nurses) without a specialty breakout, so any “infusion nurse average” you see online is either an all-RN figure relabeled or a self-reported aggregator estimate. The most defensible benchmark is the all-RN distribution: a national median of $97,550 and a mean of $101,420 ($48.76/hour) in May 2025, with the middle half of RNs earning $80,330–$112,350. Setting data sharpens that picture. RNs in outpatient care centers, where most infusion suites sit, averaged $112,690, while home health ($84,930 median) and physicians’ offices ($85,000 median) paid noticeably less.
Infusion nursing is best understood as paying near the all-RN market rather than at a premium to it: hospital and outpatient infusion roles in high-wage states clear the median comfortably, while home infusion, physician-office infusion, and most of the lower-wage states sit below it. What the specialty reliably offers alongside pay is schedule quality – predominantly weekday, appointment-based work with far less night, weekend, and holiday coverage than inpatient specialties.
A widely repeated “$94,480 average” ($45.42/hour) for infusion nurses is the BLS May 2023 mean for all RNs, two data releases out of date and not specific to infusion work. The figures in this guide use BLS May 2025 data (released 15 May 2026) for RNs overall and by industry, with aggregator data from Vivian Health and PayScale used only where BLS has no equivalent.
Salary at a glance
| Variable | Range | Median / average |
|---|---|---|
| All RNs, national (BLS proxy; 10th–90th percentile) | $68,940 – $137,470 | $97,550 median / $101,420 mean |
| Hourly rate (staff; 25th–75th percentile) | $39 – $54/hour | $46.90/hour median |
| Per diem / PRN | $45 – $70/hour | – |
| Travel infusion nurse (weekly) | Listings up to ~$4,700/week | ~$2,500/week (Vivian, Aug 2026) |
| CRNI certified (self-reported base) | – | ~$91,000/year (PayScale average) |
Salary by experience level
After geography, experience is the strongest predictor of earnings within the infusion specialty. No source publishes infusion pay by years of experience, so the ranges below map experience bands onto the BLS May 2025 all-RN percentiles (entry near the 10th–25th, mid-career near the 25th–50th, experienced near the 50th–75th). Treat them as national estimates and shift them up or down with your state’s median.
| Experience level | Estimated annual range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level (0–2 years in infusion) | $69,000 – $80,000 | Often first infusion role after 1–2 years med-surg; CRNI requires 1,600 infusion hours in the past two years |
| Mid-career (3–7 years) | $80,000 – $98,000 | CRNI typically obtained in this window; eligible for lead/senior roles |
| Experienced (8+ years) | $98,000 – $112,000+ | Program management, vascular access specialist, or infusion team lead roles |
Entry-level infusion nurses in high-wage states start well above these national bands. California’s 10th-percentile RN wage alone is $101,260, which reflects the state wage floor rather than any specialty premium.
Salary by setting
The work environment has a direct effect on pay. Outpatient care centers have the highest RN mean, pulled up by a well-paid top end, while general medical and surgical hospitals have the highest median. Home health and physicians’ offices sit roughly $15,000 lower at the median, though home infusion offers a schedule that many infusion nurses value as much as pay.
| Setting (BLS industry) | Mean annual | Median annual | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outpatient care centers (NAICS 6214) | $112,690 | $99,350 | Highest mean; appointment-based volume, Mon–Fri |
| General medical & surgical hospitals (NAICS 6221; IV team) | $104,360 | $100,210 | Highest median; shift differentials may add $3–$6/hour for evenings |
| Home health care services (NAICS 6216) | $93,580 | $84,930 | Lower base than outpatient; mileage reimbursement partially offsets |
| Offices of physicians (NAICS 6211) | $90,670 | $85,000 | Lowest mean; predictable volume, low acuity |
| Per diem / PRN (any setting) | $45 – $70/hour | Variable | No benefits; premium hourly rate compensates |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-1141 industry-specific estimates. These are all-RN figures for each industry, not infusion-only. Home infusion pharmacies are classified under other industries, so the home health row is a proxy for home infusion rather than a direct measure.
Salary by state
All 50 states plus DC, ranked from highest to lowest by the BLS May 2025 median for all registered nurses. BLS publishes no infusion-specific state data, so these are all-RN figures: use your state’s row as the baseline and expect outpatient and hospital infusion roles to land near it, with home health and physician-office roles somewhat below.
| State | All-RN median annual wage (BLS, May 2025) |
|---|---|
| California | $140,270 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 |
| Oregon | $129,010 |
| Washington | $124,200 |
| Alaska | $109,480 |
| New York | $109,440 |
| New Jersey | $106,500 |
| Massachusetts | $104,550 |
| Nevada | $103,670 |
| Connecticut | $102,740 |
| District of Columbia | $102,540 |
| Minnesota | $101,510 |
| Rhode Island | $100,640 |
| Colorado | $100,260 |
| Maryland | $99,790 |
| New Hampshire | $99,700 |
| Delaware | $99,520 |
| Arizona | $99,500 |
| Vermont | $97,460 |
| Pennsylvania | $96,430 |
| Illinois | $95,990 |
| Texas | $95,970 |
| Wisconsin | $95,530 |
| New Mexico | $94,340 |
| Michigan | $94,300 |
| Virginia | $93,600 |
| Georgia | $93,550 |
| Idaho | $92,460 |
| Maine | $86,990 |
| Montana | $85,280 |
| Nebraska | $84,730 |
| Utah | $84,600 |
| North Carolina | $84,350 |
| Florida | $84,190 |
| Wyoming | $83,760 |
| Indiana | $83,500 |
| Oklahoma | $82,920 |
| Ohio | $82,510 |
| South Carolina | $82,360 |
| Missouri | $81,780 |
| Tennessee | $81,500 |
| Kentucky | $81,040 |
| North Dakota | $80,730 |
| Louisiana | $80,230 |
| West Virginia | $80,130 |
| Kansas | $79,320 |
| Arkansas | $78,940 |
| Iowa | $78,630 |
| South Dakota | $78,060 |
| Mississippi | $77,090 |
| Alabama | $77,080 |
California’s $140,270 median reflects a combination of state-mandated nurse-to-patient ratios (which drive up staffing demand and wages), strong union presence, and elevated cost of living. Alabama ($77,080), Mississippi, and South Dakota sit at the low end, in line with their general RN wage levels. For the broad RN salary context that anchors these figures, see our RN salary guide.
CRNI certification and its effect on pay
The CRNI (Certified Registered Nurse Infusion) credential, administered by the Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation (INCC), is the recognized specialty certification for infusion nurses. PayScale’s self-reported data for CRNI holders shows an average base salary of approximately $91,000 ($41.63/hour). That sits below the BLS all-RN mean because PayScale counts base pay only and its sample skews toward lower-wage regions, so treat it as a floor for certified pay rather than a comparison with the BLS figures.
The direct salary premium from CRNI certification is not uniformly published – most salary surveys aggregate infusion nurses without filtering by credential status. The real-world effect shows up in several ways:
- Employer differentials. Many health systems offer a $1–$3/hour pay differential to nurses holding specialty certifications, including CRNI. At full-time hours, that differential adds $2,000–$6,000 per year to base pay.
- Role eligibility. Senior infusion RN, lead infusion nurse, vascular access specialist, and program manager postings frequently list CRNI as required or strongly preferred. These roles typically pay at or above the upper half of the local RN range.
- Negotiating position. A CRNI certification strengthens offers at hire and at annual review. Nurses reporting to salary surveys who hold CRNI tend to cluster in the upper quartile of infusion pay ranges.
CRNI exam costs (2026): INCC prices the exam by application deadline. At the regular deadline it is $525 for non-INS members and $385 for INS members; applying by the early-bird deadline drops that to $475 and $335, while late applications rise to $575 and $435. The credential is valid for three years. To recertify you need 1,000 hours of infusion experience in the previous three years plus either a passing re-exam or 40 CRNI recertification units (RUs), at least 30 of which must come from national INS meetings or INS virtual conferences. The employer differential in the first year alone typically covers the exam cost.
Hourly rates: staff vs per diem vs travel
The three employment models carry meaningfully different hourly rates, with very different total compensation pictures.
Staff (full-time or part-time): $38–$55/hour depending on state and setting. Benefits include health insurance, PTO, retirement matching, and often tuition reimbursement. Hospital-based staff positions may include shift differentials for evening or weekend coverage ($3–$6/hour above base).
Per diem / PRN: $45–$70/hour. No benefits, no guaranteed hours. Per diem infusion nurses fill coverage gaps at outpatient centers and home infusion agencies. In high-cost markets (California, New York), per diem rates can reach $75–$80/hour for experienced CRNI holders.
Travel infusion nurse: Travel infusion contracts averaged $2,507 per week across 752 active listings on Vivian Health (25 August 2026), about 13% above Vivian’s all-nursing travel average, with top listings above $4,000 per week. The package typically includes a tax-free housing stipend that makes up a substantial portion of that total, and the taxable hourly rate on a travel contract is often set well below local staff rates – the rest is stipend. Net take-home is competitive with or above staff pay in most markets, but requires flexibility in assignment location and living situation. See our travel nurse salary guide for the full breakdown of how travel compensation is structured.
Home infusion vs outpatient infusion: the pay tradeoff
At the median, RNs in home health earn about $14,000 a year less than RNs in outpatient care centers ($84,930 vs $99,350, BLS May 2025). The tradeoff nurses weigh is this: outpatient centers pay more per hour and typically offer richer benefit packages from hospital-system employers, while home infusion offers a schedule structure (Mon–Fri, rarely evening or weekend), high autonomy, and mileage reimbursement that partially offsets the base pay gap.
Home infusion RN: Home health RNs earn a $84,930 median ($93,580 mean), with mileage reimbursement reducing out-of-pocket transport costs. The IRS business standard mileage rate, which many agencies use as their reimbursement ceiling, is 72.5 cents per mile for January–June 2026 and 76 cents per mile from 1 July 2026. Some agencies pay a car allowance instead of mileage reimbursement – compare carefully.
Outpatient infusion center RN: Outpatient care center RNs earn a $99,350 median ($112,690 mean). Appointment-based schedule with less driving. Shift differentials may apply if the center has Saturday hours.
For nurses choosing between these settings, the roughly $14,000 median gap in base pay often narrows significantly once mileage, differential, and lifestyle factors are factored in. Nurses with long commutes to an outpatient center may find home infusion financially comparable on a net basis. For more context on home-based nursing pay, see our home health nurse salary guide.
Factors that move your infusion nurse salary
State and metropolitan area. The state wage floor is the single largest salary driver. California’s RN median is about 1.8 times Alabama’s or South Dakota’s – a gap that reflects state RN wage norms, not specialty differences. Within states, the metro premium varies widely: the San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont RN median ($186,610) runs about $46,000 above California’s statewide median, while the Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue median ($128,260) sits only about $4,000 above Washington’s.
Employer type. Hospital-system employers typically pay higher than independent infusion centers or physician offices. Union hospitals in California and New York add a further premium through collective bargaining agreements.
PICC placement skills. Nurses who can independently place PICC lines – a skill requiring separate competency validation and often ultrasound training – command higher pay or are eligible for IV team and vascular access specialist roles, which sit above staff infusion RN pay bands.
Shift differentials. If your infusion center has any Saturday or holiday coverage requirements, differentials apply. Hospital-based IV teams running 7-day coverage typically pay shift differentials for weekend days.
Education level. BSN holders earn a modest premium over ADN in most infusion settings. The ADN-to-BSN transition is worth completing early if your employer offers tuition reimbursement – the degree often pays for itself through the subsequent raise within 3–4 years.
What the numbers mean for your decision
Infusion nursing pays close to the general RN market in your state rather than at a fixed specialty premium. The pay upside comes from setting (hospital IV teams and outpatient centers over home health and physician offices), from vascular access skills, and from certification differentials. In California, the RN 75th percentile is $173,170, so top-quartile infusion nurses in the state can clear $170,000. In lower-wage states, an experienced CRNI with 8+ years in the specialty can reasonably expect pay near or somewhat above the state RN median.
The lifestyle advantage compounds the financial picture. Nursing is a profession where schedule quality – weekends, nights, holidays – is a significant non-monetary component of total compensation. Infusion nursing, across almost all of its settings, delivers that schedule advantage without a meaningful pay penalty relative to inpatient specialties.
For nurses weighing infusion nursing against other specialties, the oncology nurse salary guide and dialysis nurse salary guide provide comparison points from the two specialties with the most clinical overlap with infusion work.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141),” Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (released 15 May 2026), retrieved via the BLS Public Data API, September 2026. National median $97,550, mean $101,420, 10th–90th percentile $68,940–$137,470; all 50 state and DC medians; California 10th/75th percentile $101,260/$173,170.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 industry-specific estimates for SOC 29-1141: outpatient care centers (NAICS 621400) mean $112,690, median $99,350; general medical and surgical hospitals (622100) $104,360/$100,210; home health care services (621600) $93,580/$84,930; offices of physicians (621100) $90,670/$85,000.
- Infusion Nurses Society (INS), “Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice,” INS, 2024.
- Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation (INCC), “CRNI Exam Handbook,” revised January 2026, published via ins1.org. Fees $335/$475 early bird, $385/$525 regular, $435/$575 late (INS member/non-member); eligibility 1,600 infusion hours in the past two years; three-year credential; recertification requires 1,000 infusion hours plus re-exam or 40 RUs (30 from INS national meetings or virtual conferences).
- Internal Revenue Service, “Standard Mileage Rates,” irs.gov, accessed September 2026. Business rate 72.5 cents/mile for 1 January–30 June 2026 and 76 cents/mile for 1 July–31 December 2026.
- Vivian Health, “Average Travel Infusion Nurse Salary,” vivian.com, updated 25 August 2026. $2,507/week average across 752 active listings.
- PayScale, “Certified Registered Nurse Infusion (CRNI) Salary,” PayScale, accessed September 2026. Average base salary $91,000 ($41.63/hour).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 metropolitan area estimates, SOC 29-1141, via O*NET OnLine “Local Wages: 29-1141.00” (California and Washington pages), accessed 1 October 2026: San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont median $186,610; Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue median $128,260.
For career path and certification details, see our how to become an infusion nurse guide.