The typical palliative care nurse earns between $85,000 and $125,000 per year depending on state, clinical setting, and years of experience. The national median for all registered nurses sits at $97,550 (BLS SOC 29-1141, May 2025 OEWS data) – palliative care RNs generally earn near that median, with CHPN certification, hospital-based roles, and high-cost states driving pay toward the upper end of the range.
At a glance:
- National RN median (BLS OEWS, May 2025): $97,550/year | $46.90/hour
- National RN mean (BLS OEWS, May 2025): $101,420/year
- Typical palliative care RN range: $85,000–$125,000
- CHPN certification premium: reported by employers but not quantified in any public dataset
- Highest-paying states for RNs: California, Oregon, Washington, New York, Massachusetts
- Setting premium: hospital-based palliative care teams and pediatric palliative care tend to pay more than home hospice agency roles
- RN employment is projected to grow 5% from 2024 to 2034, with about 189,100 openings per year
For the full career pathway including education requirements and CHPN certification steps, see how to become a palliative care nurse.
National salary overview
The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies palliative care nurses under SOC code 29-1141 (Registered Nurses), the same code used for all RNs across all specialties and settings. BLS does not break out palliative care as a separate occupational category, and there is no palliative-care-specific federal occupation code at any level. This means the BLS national median – $97,550 annually as of May 2025 OEWS data – is the best available baseline, though it reflects all registered nurses rather than palliative care specifically.
This limitation is not unique to palliative care. Oncology, orthopedic, and pain management nursing all face the same constraint: the federal wage survey measures the occupation, not the specialty within it.
Specialty-focused salary sources provide a sharper picture:
| Source | Annual figure | Methodology note |
|---|---|---|
| BLS SOC 29-1141 (May 2025) | $97,550 median / $101,420 mean | All RNs; largest sample, most statistically rigorous; not palliative-specific |
| BLS SOC 29-1141 (May 2024, prior vintage) | $93,600 median / $98,430 mean | Shown for trend comparison only; superseded by the May 2025 release |
| Salary.com | Low-to-mid $90,000s median range | Employer surveys and job postings; hospice/palliative RN-specific query |
| Glassdoor | Mid-$90,000s | Self-reported salaries from palliative care RN employees; smaller sample, some upward reporting bias possible |
| ZipRecruiter | Low-to-mid $90,000s | Job posting aggregation; palliative care nurse search; geographic mix affects result |
| Vivian Health (posted rates) | $130,000–$155,000 annualized (posted rates) | Active job postings including travel and contract roles; reflects premium positioning for hard-to-fill positions, not base staff salaries |
Working salary range: The most defensible estimate for a full-time staff palliative care RN is $88,000–$115,000/year across most of the country, with outliers in high-cost states running $120,000–$145,000 and rural, lower-cost-of-living states running $78,000–$92,000.
One methodological point deserves attention. The commercial aggregators in the table now cluster slightly below the BLS national median, which was not the case in earlier data vintages. RN wages rose sharply between the May 2024 and May 2025 OEWS releases – the national median moved from $93,600 to $97,550 – and aggregator datasets lag that movement because they draw on postings and self-reports accumulated over a longer window. When a commercial estimate and the OEWS figure disagree, the OEWS figure is the more reliable one, and the gap is usually a timing artifact rather than evidence that palliative care pays below the RN average.
Vivian Health’s posted-rate figures are useful for understanding what the open job market is willing to pay for experienced palliative care nurses right now. They reflect competition for talent in a tight market and include premium positioning for difficult-to-fill and travel roles, so they overstate typical base salaries for established staff.
Salary by state
BLS publishes state-level wages for all registered nurses (SOC 29-1141). These are not palliative-care-specific, though they are the most statistically rigorous geographic comparison available. States with higher overall RN wages tend to pay more for palliative care nurses, and the state-level pattern holds across specialties.
The table below reports median annual wages from the May 2025 OEWS release. Median is the more useful statistic for career planning than mean, because a small number of very high earners pulls the mean upward and overstates what a typical nurse takes home.
| State | Annual median wage (RNs, BLS OEWS May 2025) | Difference vs national median |
|---|---|---|
| California | $140,270 | +$42,720 |
| Oregon | $129,010 | +$31,460 |
| Washington | $124,200 | +$26,650 |
| New York | $109,440 | +$11,890 |
| Massachusetts | $104,550 | +$7,000 |
| United States (all states) | $97,550 | – |
| Texas | $95,970 | –$1,580 |
| Tennessee | $81,500 | –$16,050 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, SOC 29-1141 (Registered Nurses), May 2025 state estimates, accessed via ONET OnLine. Check your own state with the ONET local wages tool before making a career decision.
Geographic premium vs. cost of living
The gap between California ($140,270 median) and Tennessee ($81,500 median) is striking, and purchasing power narrows that gap substantially. An RN earning $95,000 in a lower-cost Tennessee city may have comparable take-home purchasing power to an RN earning $130,000 in the San Francisco Bay Area once housing, state income tax, and daily costs are accounted for. If you’re relocating for a salary increase, calculate the cost-of-living adjustment alongside the headline wage difference.
The Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon) offers a more favorable ratio of high wages to moderate housing costs than California, where a large share of the wage premium is absorbed by housing. Oregon in particular has closed much of the gap with California in recent OEWS vintages while retaining a lower cost base.
Salary by work setting
Where you practice matters as much as where you live. Palliative care nursing spans several distinct employment settings, and compensation differs meaningfully across them.
| Setting | Estimated annual salary range | Key factors |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital-based palliative care consultation team | $95,000–$126,000 | Hospital pay scales; Magnet designation; night/weekend differentials common; urban location premium |
| Inpatient palliative care unit (IPCU) | $93,000–$121,000 | Similar to hospital inpatient; may include on-call or rotating shift differentials |
| Inpatient hospice facility (freestanding) | $88,000–$111,000 | Tends to pay slightly less than hospital-based roles; depends heavily on facility ownership and state |
| Home hospice agency | $82,000–$105,000 | Large variation by agency size and ownership; mileage reimbursement and flexible scheduling often offset lower base; on-call rates vary |
| Outpatient palliative care clinic | $88,000–$111,000 | Regular business hours; no night/weekend differentials; often lower than inpatient; work-life balance trade-off |
| Long-term care / SNF palliative program | $79,000–$98,000 | Typically the lowest-paying setting; some facilities pay a modest specialty premium for palliative-trained RNs |
| Pediatric palliative care | $95,000–$129,000 | Children's hospitals generally pay well; subspecialty demand; CHPPN certification valued |
Hospital-based palliative care teams at academic medical centers and major health systems tend to offer the most competitive base salaries, particularly in urban markets. Home hospice offers trade-offs: lower base pay in many cases, but schedule flexibility, mileage reimbursement, autonomous practice, and in some markets, strong sign-on bonuses for experienced hospice RNs.
Salary by experience
Palliative care nursing rewards experience – both in raw years and in accumulated clinical depth. Nurses who have managed complex opioid protocols, led family meetings, and supervised the active dying phase carry capabilities that take years to develop, and that expertise shows up in compensation.
| Experience tier | Estimated annual salary | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level (new to specialty, 0–2 years in palliative/hospice) | $78,000–$93,000 | Typically transitioning from another acute care specialty; learning palliative-specific protocols |
| Mid-level (3–5 years in specialty) | $90,000–$106,000 | Core clinical competency established; likely in CHPN preparation or already certified |
| Senior (6–10 years in specialty) | $99,000–$120,000 | CHPN held; may precept or mentor; strong complex symptom management capability |
| CHPN-certified (any experience level) | Premium reported but not quantified in published data | See CHPN premium section below |
| Lead/senior RN or case manager | $106,000–$130,000 | Supervisory responsibilities; caseload management; team coordination |
CHPN certification premium
The CHPN credential is administered by the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC), a separately governed nonprofit certifying body that sits alongside the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association under the Advancing Expert Care umbrella. Eligibility requires an active, unencumbered RN license and documented hospice and palliative nursing practice hours. Certification lasts four years and renews through the Hospice and Palliative Accrual for Recertification (HPAR) process rather than a mandatory re-examination.
Employers and nurses widely report that CHPN certification raises pay, but the size of that effect is not established in any public dataset. The OEWS survey does not collect credential information, and commercial aggregators cannot reliably separate certified from uncertified respondents. Any specific dollar or percentage premium quoted for CHPN should be treated as an estimate without a published source behind it. Rather than anchoring on a number, evaluate how a given employer treats the credential – that varies more than any national average would suggest.
Where the credential moves pay most:
- Hospital-based teams where formal credentialing is tracked and rewarded in defined pay bands
- Hospice agencies that require CHPN for senior clinical or case management positions
- Settings where CHPN is a stated hiring preference, creating a competitive advantage in the applicant pool
Where it moves pay least:
- Long-term care facilities with limited salary flexibility
- Smaller agencies where pay scales are compressed regardless of credential
Ask directly during hiring or annual review whether CHPN triggers a differential, a pay band step, or neither. That answer is specific and verifiable in a way that national premium estimates are not.
Beyond the salary premium, CHPN certification is relevant for career mobility. Many senior clinical roles, clinical educator positions, and case management roles in palliative care list CHPN as preferred or required.
Overtime and on-call pay
Palliative care and hospice nursing frequently includes additional compensation beyond base salary:
On-call pay: Home hospice agencies and inpatient hospice facilities typically pay nurses an on-call rate for being available to respond outside scheduled hours. On-call rates vary widely – $2–$8/hour while available (flat on-call rate) plus regular pay for any call-back visits. Home hospice on-call nurses who respond to multiple nighttime calls can add $5,000–$12,000/year in on-call compensation above their base.
Weekend and night differentials: Hospital-based and inpatient hospice roles typically pay shift differentials – $3–$7/hour for evenings and nights, $2–$5/hour for weekend shifts. For a nurse working regular evening or weekend coverage, differentials can add $6,000–$14,000/year to total compensation.
Overtime: Where available, overtime (1.5x rate) for hours beyond 40/week or 8/shift can significantly increase total annual earnings, particularly for RNs working 12-hour shift schedules. Whether overtime is available – and whether the work environment makes it sustainable – varies by employer.
Hospice nurse salary comparison
Palliative care nursing and hospice nursing overlap substantially – most hospice nurses practice palliative care within the Medicare Hospice Benefit framework, and their salary data is largely interchangeable at the staff RN level. For detailed hospice-specific salary data including travel contract rates and 50-state breakdown, see the hospice nurse salary guide.
The key distinction: hospital-based palliative care consultation team roles (which are not classified as hospice) often pay a premium above home hospice agency roles, reflecting hospital pay scales, union contracts at unionized facilities, and geographic clustering in higher-cost urban markets.
Advancing to NP: the salary ceiling
Staff RN salaries in palliative care peak in the $120,000–$145,000 range for senior certified nurses in high-paying states. The next significant salary step requires the NP credential – palliative care NPs with prescriptive authority earn substantially more.
The BLS national median for nurse practitioners (SOC 29-1171) is $132,300 as of May 2025, against $97,550 for registered nurses – a gap of roughly $34,750 at the median. Palliative care NP salaries range from approximately $118,000 in lower-paying states to $168,000 or more in California and New Jersey. For RNs considering the advanced practice path, see the palliative care NP salary guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average palliative care nurse salary?
The national average for palliative care RNs runs $88,000–$115,000/year for most of the US, based on aggregated salary survey data. The BLS national median for all registered nurses is $97,550 (May 2025 OEWS) – palliative care RNs typically earn near that median. California, Oregon, Washington, New York, and Massachusetts are the highest-paying states for RNs.
Does CHPN certification increase salary?
Often, though the size of the increase is not documented in any public dataset. Employers commonly pay a certification differential or place certified nurses in a higher pay band, and the effect is largest at hospital-based teams and senior clinical positions where credential-linked pay bands are formalized. Neither the BLS wage survey nor commercial salary aggregators separate certified from uncertified nurses, so treat any specific national premium figure with caution. Beyond direct pay, CHPN certification improves access to senior, educator, and case management roles.
What is the highest-paying state for palliative care nurses?
California has the highest wages for registered nurses nationally – $140,270 median (BLS OEWS May 2025) – and that premium extends to palliative care nurses. Oregon ($129,010), Washington ($124,200), New York ($109,440), and Massachusetts ($104,550) are also consistently high-paying states for RNs. California’s cost of living partially offsets the wage advantage, so Oregon and Washington may offer a more favorable wage-to-cost ratio for nurses relocating to maximize take-home purchasing power.
How does palliative care nurse salary compare to hospice nurse salary?
At the staff RN level, palliative care and hospice nurse salaries are closely aligned – the populations overlap substantially, and many nurses hold roles that span both. The main distinction is setting: hospital-based palliative care consultation team roles tend to pay more than home hospice agency roles, reflecting hospital pay scales and geographic clustering in higher-cost urban markets. For a full hospice comparison, see the hospice nurse salary guide.
Can palliative care nurses earn extra through overtime or on-call?
Yes. On-call pay, shift differentials, and overtime are meaningful income sources for many palliative care nurses. Home hospice on-call can add $5,000–$12,000/year. Night and weekend differentials in hospital or inpatient settings can add a further $6,000–$14,000/year on top of base salary. The extent to which these are available and sustainable depends on the employer and the work setting.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141),” May 2025 national and state estimates. National median annual wage $97,550; national mean $101,420. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm
- O*NET OnLine. “Summary Report for 29-1141.00 – Registered Nurses” and the associated state local-wages tool, reporting BLS May 2025 OEWS data. Source for the state median wages tabulated in this guide. https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-1141.00
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook. “Registered Nurses,” employment projections 2024–2034: 5% projected growth and approximately 189,100 annual openings. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: Nurse Practitioners (SOC 29-1171),” May 2025. National median annual wage $132,300, cited in the RN-to-NP progression comparison. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291171.htm
- Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC). “Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN)” certification requirements, eligibility criteria, and exam information. HPCC is a separately governed nonprofit certifying body under the Advancing Expert Care umbrella. https://www.advancingexpertcare.org/hpcc/
- Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC). “How to Recertify,” describing the four-year certification cycle and the Hospice and Palliative Accrual for Recertification (HPAR) renewal process. https://www.advancingexpertcare.org/hpcc/recertification/how-to-recertify/
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “Medicare Hospice Benefit,” the reimbursement framework that shapes staffing and compensation structures at hospice agencies discussed in the setting comparison. https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/fee-for-service-providers/hospice
- Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association (HPNA). Professional resources, the Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, and specialty practice guidance. https://advancingexpertcare.org/