Telemetry nurse salary: what RNs earn in 2026

Telemetry nurses earn a national median of $97,813 per year ($47/hour) according to Salary.com’s May 2026 data, which sits within a few hundred dollars of the $97,550 median that BLS reports for all registered nurses in its May 2025 OEWS estimates [1]. Telemetry pay tracks the broader RN market closely; the earnings upside in this specialty comes from differentials, certification premiums, and travel contracts rather than from a large base-salary premium. California, Washington, Massachusetts, and DC consistently pay above $106,000, while Mississippi, West Virginia, and Arkansas sit below $89,000. Travel telemetry RNs earn significantly more: a national average of $2,132/week ($110,864 annualized) based on Vivian Health’s May 2026 data, with top contract markets exceeding $3,000/week.

At a glance:

• National median (Salary.com, May 2026): $97,813/year ($47/hr)
• Vivian Health staff average: $45.91/hour (~$95,491/year)
• ZipRecruiter national average: $87,048/year ($41.85/hr; likely base-only sample)
• Travel telemetry RN average: $2,132/week (Vivian Health, May 2026)
• Top-paying state: California ($107,888 median per Salary.com; $81/hr per Vivian Health)
• Lowest-paying states: Mississippi ($87,230), West Virginia ($88,081)
• Night shift differential: $4–$7/hr additional (10–20% above base)
• PCCN premium: varies by employer; commonly $1–$3/hr or 3–5% base salary

Why telemetry nurse salary figures vary across sources

Before reading any telemetry salary figure, understand what each source is measuring. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes annual wage data under SOC code 29-1141 (Registered Nurses) – but this code covers all RNs regardless of specialty. BLS does not break out telemetry nurses as a separate category, so there is no official government figure for telemetry nursing specifically.

Every telemetry nurse salary figure from Salary.com, Vivian Health, ZipRecruiter, or Glassdoor comes from employer-submitted compensation data, job postings, or self-reported surveys – not a federal occupational survey. The methodologies differ:

• Salary.com derives figures primarily from employer compensation databases. Figures tend to reflect base salary without differentials or call pay.
• Vivian Health aggregates from actual posted job offers and direct employer submissions. Figures reflect posted hourly rates for open positions.
• ZipRecruiter aggregates job postings and may blend base salary with total compensation depending on how posting data is structured.
• Glassdoor uses self-reported figures from employees; more variable, often higher than employer-reported figures.

For this guide, every figure is labeled with its source and collection methodology. Use Salary.com for conservative base salary benchmarking; use Vivian Health for job-posting benchmarking; use ZipRecruiter and Glassdoor as secondary reference points.

BLS context: in the May 2025 OEWS estimates, released in May 2026, the national median annual wage for all registered nurses (SOC 29-1141) was $97,550, with a mean of $101,420 [1]. This is the closest official benchmark, representing the full RN workforce rather than telemetry nurses specifically. Pay attention to which statistic a source quotes – median and mean differ by nearly $4,000 for RNs, because a relatively small number of very high earners pull the mean upward.

National average telemetry nurse salary

The Salary.com figure ($97,813) best represents base salary at established hospitals. The Glassdoor figure ($116,706) almost certainly includes differentials, overtime, and supplemental pay – making it closer to total cash compensation for experienced nurses. The ZipRecruiter figure is lower, possibly reflecting a sample weighted toward community hospitals or entry-level postings.

For salary negotiation, use Salary.com’s $97,813 as a base reference point and Vivian Health’s $45.91/hr for posted-rate context.

Salary by experience level

Experience produces modest incremental increases in telemetry nursing base pay. Geography and facility type drive more variation than years of service – a telemetry nurse with 3 years of experience in California will out-earn a 10-year veteran in Mississippi. That said, experience matters for overtime access, shift differential negotiation, charge nurse premium eligibility, and employer-specific longevity pay.

Note: “entry-level” telemetry typically means 1–2 years of prior RN experience followed by a telemetry position. New graduates hired directly into residency programs start below these figures during their training period.

Source: Salary.com, May 2026. Figures represent base salary; do not include differentials or overtime.

The relatively flat experience curve – under $7,000 from entry to expert – reflects the structure of hospital nursing pay, where geographic and facility-tier differences dominate salary outcomes. The largest salary jumps in telemetry nursing come from moving markets (community hospital to academic center), shifting to travel contracts, or advancing to a higher-acuity role (progressive care, ICU) rather than accumulating years in the same position.

Salary by setting

Where you work matters as much as where you live. Academic medical centers and specialty heart hospitals typically pay more than community hospitals for the same role, and travel contracts pay substantially more than either.

Telemetry nurse salary by state

The table below combines data from Salary.com (annual figures, May 2026) and Vivian Health (hourly figures from posted positions, May 2026). Where both sources provided data, the Salary.com annual figure is listed; where only Vivian Health hourly data was available, it has been annualized at 2,080 hours. States are sorted by Salary.com annual median where available.

The California-Mississippi gap runs to over $20,000 in median base salary – and when California’s cost premium for travel contracts is added, the differential widens further.

Shift differentials and additional pay

Base salary is the floor, not the ceiling. For full-time telemetry nurses, shift differentials and overtime can add $8,000–$25,000 per year to total cash compensation.

Night shift differential

Night shift telemetry nurses (7 p.m.–7 a.m.) earn a shift differential on top of base hourly pay. No federal law requires a night differential and no government body publishes a national nursing differential rate, so the figures below are drawn from employer pay policies and job postings rather than an official survey. Verify the specific structure with any employer before accepting an offer, since differential terms vary widely between union and non-union facilities:

• National range: $2–$10/hr additional
• National average: approximately $4–$7/hr additional
• As a percentage: 10–20% above base rate is the typical range
• For a nurse earning $47/hr base: a 15% night differential adds ~$7/hr, translating to approximately $13,650 per year for a full-time night-shift nurse

Large academic medical centers and union hospitals tend to have structured, higher differential rates ($6–$10/hr). Smaller community hospitals may offer lower differentials ($2–$4/hr).

Weekend differential

Weekend differential pay is common but less standardized than night differential:

• Typical range: $2–$5/hr additional for weekend shifts
• Some hospitals structure weekend pay as a percentage premium (5–15% above base)
• Night + weekend stacking: nurses working weekend nights can earn both differentials simultaneously

A nurse working exclusively weekend nights at a hospital with $6/hr night + $3/hr weekend differential earns an effective rate $9/hr above base – approximately $17,500 more per year than a comparable day-shift weekday nurse.

Sign-on bonuses

Sign-on bonuses for telemetry RNs remain elevated following the post-2022 nursing shortage. Typical ranges:

• Community hospital: $5,000–$10,000
• Academic medical center or specialty heart hospital: $10,000–$20,000
• High-demand markets: $20,000+ (California, Washington, New York)

Sign-on bonuses typically include clawback provisions requiring 12–24 months of employment at the hiring facility.

Overtime

Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees – which includes most hourly staff nurses – must receive at least 1.5x their regular rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek [5]. Some states set additional daily overtime thresholds beyond the federal weekly rule, so check your state labor department for local requirements. Some nurses deliberately pick up extra shifts, particularly during incentive pay periods when hospitals offer 2x or 2.5x base rate for coverage gaps. A telemetry nurse earning $47/hr base rate earns $70.50/hr for overtime hours – which can translate to $10,000–$20,000+ in additional annual income for nurses who work significant overtime.

PCCN certification premium

The PCCN (Progressive Care Certified Nurse) credential, issued by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, is the primary specialty certification for telemetry and progressive care nurses [4]. Eligibility runs through clinical practice hours rather than a fixed years-of-service rule: the direct care pathway requires either 1,750 hours caring for acutely ill adult patients in the previous two years, with 875 of those in the most recent year, or 2,000 hours in the previous five years with 144 in the most recent year [4]. Many hospitals offer a pay differential for certified nurses:

• Common structure: $1–$3/hr additional, or 3–5% base salary bump
• At $97,813 base with a 4% differential: approximately $3,912/year additional
• Some hospitals pay a flat annual bonus ($1,500–$3,000) upon certification rather than a per-hour differential
• PCCN also strengthens positioning for senior staff, charge nurse, and educator roles that carry additional pay

The PCCN exam costs $375, or $260 for AACN members, and the credential is valid for 3 years before renewal [4]. Renewal can be completed either by continuing education – 432 practice hours plus 100 Synergy CERPs – or by retaking the exam [4]. Many employers reimburse the exam fee for employed nurses. Net of exam cost, PCCN certification typically recoups its cost within 1–3 months of earning the differential, though the differential itself is set by each employer and is not standardized nationally.

For full PCCN eligibility requirements, see the how-to-become-a-telemetry-nurse guide.

Travel telemetry nurse salary

Travel telemetry nursing is one of the clearest paths to significantly higher earnings within the specialty. Based on Vivian Health data from May 2026:

National average: $2,132/week

This represents approximately $110,864 annualized for a nurse working 52 weeks – though most travel nurses work 36–48 weeks per year after accounting for gaps between contracts, which adjusts effective annual income accordingly.

Travel rates are substantially higher than staff positions because:

• Travel nurses fill urgent coverage gaps
• Hospitals absorb agency markup costs rather than paying nurse directly
• A portion of travel nurse pay is structured as non-taxable housing/meals stipend, increasing net pay

Top-paying travel markets (May 2026)

Source: Vivian Health, May 2026.

Requirements for travel telemetry positions

Travel agencies typically require:

• 1–2 years of recent telemetry RN experience (some agencies accept as little as 1 year)
• Current BLS and ACLS
• PCCN or equivalent cardiac certification (preferred, not always required)
• Compact state license or willingness to obtain assignment-state license

The 52% premium that travel nurses earn over staff positions ($2,132 vs. ~$1,400/week for staff, per Vivian Health) is real – but travel contracts include no paid time off, require your own housing arrangement, and can end with short notice if census drops. See the travel nurse salary guide for a full breakdown of travel nursing economics.

Career ceiling: advanced practice and the CRNA pathway

The earnings ceiling for bedside telemetry nursing is approximately $130,000–$150,000 in high-cost markets with substantial overtime and differentials. Breaking through that ceiling means either moving to travel contracts or advancing to an advanced practice role.

Cardiology NP / AGACNP

Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioners (AGACNP) working in cardiology manage inpatient telemetry patients, interpret rhythms, and adjust cardiac medications with prescriptive authority. Former telemetry nurses are well positioned for this path because of their existing cardiac pharmacology and rhythm interpretation foundation.

BLS does not break out cardiology NPs separately, but it reports a median annual wage of $132,300 for all nurse practitioners (SOC 29-1171) in the May 2025 OEWS estimates, with the 10th percentile at $101,340 and the 90th at $174,420 [3]. Cardiology NP roles generally fall in the middle-to-upper part of that distribution, roughly $120,000–$160,000 depending on market and employer, though that specific range comes from job-posting data rather than a federal survey.

CRNA pathway

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) represent the highest-earning nursing specialty. In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, BLS reports a median annual wage of $236,590 for nurse anesthetists (SOC 29-1151), with a mean of $248,320 [2]. Locum and independent-contract CRNAs can earn above those figures, though BLS does not publish a separate locum series, so treat any specific locum number you see quoted elsewhere as an agency estimate rather than a federal statistic.

The CRNA path from telemetry: telemetry → ICU (typically 1–3 years required) → doctoral CRNA program (36 months or longer, the COA accreditation minimum being 36) → independent anesthesia practice. The ICU step is essential – CRNA programs require critical care experience, not telemetry experience specifically.

See the cardiac cath lab nurse guide for the procedural specialty advancement route.

Broader RN salary context

Telemetry nurses earn close to the general RN median. For comparison, BLS May 2025 OEWS data puts the median wage for all registered nurses (SOC 29-1141) at $97,550/year and the mean at $101,420 [1]. The Salary.com telemetry median of $97,813 sits within a few hundred dollars of the BLS all-RN median, which suggests telemetry pay tracks the general RN market closely rather than carrying a large specialty premium. For full context on RN earnings across all specialties and settings, see the registered nurse salary guide.

FAQ

What is the starting salary for a telemetry nurse? Entry-level telemetry nurses (under 1 year of telemetry experience, typically with 1–2 years of prior med-surg RN experience) earn approximately $93,000–$94,500/year nationally based on Salary.com’s May 2026 employer data. New graduates in telemetry residency programs typically earn a lower training-period rate for the first 3–6 months before converting to full RN pay.

Do telemetry nurses make more than med-surg nurses? The premium is modest – typically $2,000–$5,000 per year more than general med-surg at the same facility. The larger earnings advantage comes from hospital type (cardiac-focused hospitals often pay more overall) and from shift differentials that are structured more generously at facilities with high telemetry volume.

Is telemetry a good specialty for travel nursing? Telemetry is among the most consistently in-demand travel nursing specialties, particularly in markets with nursing shortages. Cardiac monitoring skills are portable and immediately applicable in any hospital. Most travel agencies list telemetry as a high-fill priority. The national average of $2,132/week represents a meaningful earnings jump over staff positions for nurses with at least 1 year of solid telemetry experience.

How much does PCCN certification increase salary? Based on employer pay policies, PCCN typically adds $1–$3/hr or 3–5% of base salary – roughly $2,000–$4,000 per year. Some hospitals pay a flat annual certification bonus instead. The exam costs $375 (or $260 for AACN members) and many hospitals reimburse the fee. At a $2/hr differential working full time, the exam cost is recovered in under 3 months.

How does telemetry nurse pay compare to ICU nurse pay? ICU nurses typically earn 5–15% more than telemetry nurses at the same facility, reflecting higher acuity and the CCRN certification expectation. The gap widens in high-acuity cardiac ICUs (CVICU) where specialization commands additional premiums. BLS reports a single wage series for all registered nurses and does not separate telemetry from critical care, so this comparison reflects employer pay-scale data rather than a federal statistic [1].

References

1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025: 29-1141 Registered Nurses.” Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, released May 2026. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025: 29-1151 Nurse Anesthetists.” Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, released May 2026. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291151.htm
3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025: 29-1171 Nurse Practitioners.” Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, released May 2026. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291171.htm
4. American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. “PCCN (Adult) certification: eligibility, exam fees, and renewal requirements.” AACN, accessed August 2026. https://www.aacn.org/certification/get-certified/pccn-adult
5. U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. “Fact Sheet #22: Hours Worked Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)” and overtime pay requirements, 29 U.S.C. § 207. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/overtime
6. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Registered Nurses: Occupational Outlook Handbook.” BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034 projections. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm
7. Salary.com. “Telemetry Nurse salary in the United States.” Employer-reported compensation database, May 2026 update. https://www.salary.com/research/salary/recruiting/telemetry-nurse-salary
8. Vivian Health. “Average Telemetry Nurse Salary by State & Nationally.” Job-posting and offer data, May 2026. https://www.vivian.com/nursing/telemetry-nurse/salary/
9. National Council of State Boards of Nursing. “Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC): Implementation status and participating states.” NCSBN, accessed August 2026 – relevant to compact licensure for travel telemetry assignments. https://www.nursecompact.com/