The national average salary for an infusion nurse is approximately $94,480 per year ($45.42/hour), with most working infusion RNs earning between $74,000 and $105,000 depending on state, setting, and years in the specialty. Infusion nursing pays a meaningful premium over the general RN median of $86,070 (BLS, May 2024): infusion nurses typically earn 8–15% above that baseline, driven by specialty procedure skills, autonomous practice, and the procedural complexity of vascular access and infusion management.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not separately categorize infusion nurses — they are reported under SOC 29-1141 (Registered Nurses). The figures throughout this guide draw on salary aggregator data from NursingEducation.org, ZipRecruiter, Vivian Health, and Glassdoor, cross-referenced against BLS state-level RN medians with infusion specialty adjustments.
Salary at a glance
| Variable | Range | Median / average |
|---|---|---|
| National average (all infusion RNs) | $63,720 – $132,680 | ~$94,480/year |
| Hourly rate (staff) | $38 – $55/hour | ~$45/hour |
| Per diem / PRN | $45 – $70/hour | – |
| Travel infusion nurse (weekly) | $1,600 – $2,600/week | ~$2,000/week |
| CRNI certified (estimated) | $85,000 – $110,000+ | ~$91,000/year |
Salary by experience level
Experience is the single strongest predictor of earnings within the infusion specialty, second only to geography. The transition from year 1–2 to mid-career represents the largest jump, driven by CRNI eligibility, procedural confidence, and access to senior or charge positions.
| Experience level | Estimated annual range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level (0–2 years in infusion) | $62,000 – $75,000 | Often first infusion role after 1–2 years med-surg; not yet CRNI eligible |
| Mid-career (3–7 years) | $72,000 – $90,000 | CRNI typically obtained in this window; eligible for lead/senior roles |
| Experienced (8+ years) | $85,000 – $105,000+ | Program management, vascular access specialist, or infusion team lead roles |
Entry-level infusion nurses who transition from high-cost states (California, New York, Washington) may start above $80,000 even in their first infusion role, reflecting the state wage floor rather than specialty premium.
Salary by setting
The work environment has a direct effect on pay. Outpatient care centers pay the highest median — above general medical-surgical hospitals — while physicians’ offices tend to be lower. Home infusion falls in the middle of the range but offers a schedule premium that many infusion nurses value as much as pay.
| Setting | Average hourly | Average annual | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outpatient care centers | $49.35 | $102,640 | Highest paying setting; appointment-based volume, Mon–Fri |
| General medical & surgical hospitals (IV team) | $46.55 | $96,830 | Hospital shift differentials may add $3–$6/hour for evenings |
| Home health care services | $42.03 | $87,430 | Lower base than outpatient; mileage reimbursement partially offsets |
| Physicians' offices | $39.96 | $83,110 | Lowest setting pay; predictable volume, low acuity |
| Per diem / PRN (any setting) | $45 – $70 | Variable | No benefits; premium hourly rate compensates |
Source: NursingEducation.org, BLS OES data adjusted for infusion specialty.
Salary by state
All 50 states plus DC, ranked from highest to lowest. Figures reflect infusion nurse salary estimates based on BLS state-level RN wage data with specialty premium adjustment, corroborated against NursingEducation.org aggregations.
| State | Average annual salary |
|---|---|
| California | $137,690 |
| Hawaii | $119,710 |
| Oregon | $113,440 |
| Washington | $111,030 |
| Alaska | $109,210 |
| Massachusetts | $108,850 |
| New York | $106,620 |
| District of Columbia | $102,686 |
| New Jersey | $101,960 |
| Connecticut | $101,840 |
| Nevada | $97,700 |
| Rhode Island | $95,070 |
| Minnesota | $94,830 |
| Delaware | $94,670 |
| New Mexico | $92,140 |
| Maryland | $92,090 |
| Colorado | $91,730 |
| Arizona | $91,430 |
| Texas | $90,210 |
| Georgia | $90,000 |
| New Hampshire | $89,410 |
| Vermont | $88,380 |
| Virginia | $88,350 |
| Illinois | $87,650 |
| Pennsylvania | $87,530 |
| Wisconsin | $87,220 |
| Michigan | $86,210 |
| Florida | $84,760 |
| Ohio | $84,430 |
| Maine | $84,340 |
| Wyoming | $83,990 |
| Utah | $83,100 |
| Idaho | $83,090 |
| Montana | $82,950 |
| Indiana | $82,700 |
| North Carolina | $82,530 |
| Oklahoma | $82,110 |
| Kentucky | $81,770 |
| South Carolina | $81,390 |
| Louisiana | $80,760 |
| Nebraska | $79,780 |
| North Dakota | $79,190 |
| Tennessee | $78,240 |
| Missouri | $77,590 |
| Kansas | $76,240 |
| West Virginia | $75,990 |
| Mississippi | $75,510 |
| Iowa | $74,610 |
| Arkansas | $72,900 |
| Alabama | $71,370 |
| South Dakota | $69,030 |
California’s figure of $137,690 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. South Dakota sits at the low end of the spectrum — in line with its general RN wage floor. 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 data for CRNI holders places median annual pay at approximately $91,000 — above the general infusion RN mean in lower-wage states, and consistent with mid-to-senior band pay in most markets.
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 sit in the $90,000–$115,000 band — well above staff-level infusion pay.
- 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): $525 for non-INS members; $385 for INS members. Renewal every three years via re-exam or continuing education. 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 contracts for infusion nurses run $1,600–$2,600 per week (May 2026 Vivian Health data), with the package typically including a tax-free housing stipend that comprises a substantial portion of that total. The taxable hourly rate on a travel contract is usually $22–$32/hour — 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
Home infusion consistently pays $5,000–$10,000 per year less in base salary than outpatient center positions at comparable experience levels. 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: Average $87,430/year at staff level, with mileage reimbursement ($0.67–$0.70/mile IRS standard rate) reducing out-of-pocket transport costs. Some agencies pay a car allowance instead of mileage reimbursement — compare carefully.
Outpatient infusion center RN: Average $102,640/year. Appointment-based schedule with less driving. Shift differentials may apply if the center has Saturday hours.
For nurses choosing between these settings, the $10,000–$15,000 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 infusion nurses earn nearly twice what South Dakota infusion nurses earn — this gap reflects state RN wage norms, not specialty differences. Within states, major metro areas (San Francisco, New York City, Boston, Seattle) pay 15–40% above state median.
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 meaningfully above the general RN median in most states. The specialty premium — driven by procedural skills, autonomous practice, and device management — is real. California infusion nurses in the top quartile earn above $170,000 in some metropolitan markets. Even in lower-wage states, an experienced CRNI with 8+ years in the specialty can expect $85,000–$100,000 in base pay.
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.
For career path and certification details, see our how to become an infusion nurse guide.