Telemetry nurses earn a national median of $97,813 per year ($47/hour) according to Salary.com’s May 2026 data — sitting roughly in line with the general RN median while commanding modest premiums for cardiac specialty skills. 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: the May 2024 BLS mean annual wage for all registered nurses (SOC 29-1141) was $94,480 ($45.42/hr). This is the closest official benchmark, representing the full RN workforce — not telemetry nurses specifically.
National average telemetry nurse salary
| Source | Figure | Methodology | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salary.com | $97,813/yr ($47/hr) | Employer-sourced; median | May 2026 |
| Vivian Health | $45.91/hr (~$95,491/yr) | Posted job offers; average hourly | May 2026 |
| ZipRecruiter | $87,048/yr ($41.85/hr) | Job posting aggregation | May 2026 |
| Glassdoor | $116,706/yr ($56/hr) | Self-reported; likely total comp | 2026 |
| BLS (all RNs, SOC 29-1141) | $94,480/yr ($45.42/hr) | Federal occupational survey; mean | May 2024 |
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.
| Experience level | Annual base salary | Hourly equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level (under 1 year in telemetry) | $93,647 | ~$45.02/hr |
| Early career (1–2 years) | $94,456 | ~$45.41/hr |
| Mid-level (3–5 years) | $95,588 | ~$45.96/hr |
| Senior (6–10 years) | $97,448 | ~$46.85/hr |
| Expert (10+ years) | $99,881 | ~$48.02/hr |
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.
| Setting | Estimated annual salary | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Community hospital (general telemetry) | $82,000–$98,000 | Varies widely by state; lower end in Southeast |
| Academic medical center | $95,000–$115,000 | Higher base, better differential structure |
| Specialty heart hospital | $98,000–$118,000 | Focused cardiac programs often carry pay premiums |
| Magnet-designated hospital | $95,000–$112,000 | Magnet status correlates with higher compensation and BSN requirement |
| Travel telemetry RN | $95,000–$160,000+ annualized | See travel section below; varies sharply by assignment market |
| Progressive care / PCU | $98,000–$118,000 | Slightly higher than standard telemetry due to acuity level |
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.
| State | Annual salary | Hourly (Vivian) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $108,299 | $46/hr | Salary.com |
| California | $107,888 | $81/hr | Salary.com |
| Massachusetts | $106,450 | $65/hr | Salary.com |
| Washington | $106,059 | — | Salary.com |
| New Jersey | $106,020 | — | Salary.com |
| Alaska | $105,883 | — | Salary.com |
| Connecticut | $104,533 | — | Salary.com |
| New York | $103,985 | $57/hr | Salary.com |
| Hawaii | $102,234 | — | Salary.com |
| Rhode Island | $101,413 | — | Salary.com |
| Oregon | $100,580 | — | Salary.com |
| Minnesota | $99,800 | $39/hr | Salary.com |
| Wisconsin | $99,100 | $60/hr | Salary.com |
| Maryland | $98,500 | $50/hr | Salary.com |
| Nevada | $98,100 | $42/hr | Salary.com |
| Kansas | $97,900 | $55/hr | Salary.com |
| Colorado | $97,600 | $45/hr | Salary.com |
| Illinois | $97,300 | $49/hr | Salary.com |
| Delaware | $96,900 | $48/hr | Salary.com |
| Michigan | $96,400 | $41/hr | Salary.com |
| Pennsylvania | $96,000 | $49/hr | Salary.com |
| Ohio | $95,700 | $43/hr | Salary.com |
| New Hampshire | $95,400 | $49/hr | Salary.com |
| Virginia | $95,100 | $52/hr | Salary.com |
| Missouri | $94,700 | $51/hr | Salary.com |
| Arizona | $94,300 | $43/hr | Salary.com |
| New Mexico | $94,000 | $51/hr | Salary.com |
| North Carolina | $93,600 | $46/hr | Salary.com |
| Georgia | $93,200 | $45/hr | Salary.com |
| Idaho | $92,800 | $49/hr | Salary.com |
| Texas | $92,400 | $41/hr | Salary.com |
| Oklahoma | $91,900 | $49/hr | Salary.com |
| Florida | $91,500 | $39/hr | Salary.com |
| Alabama | $91,100 | $40/hr | Salary.com |
| South Carolina | $90,700 | $32/hr | Salary.com |
| North Dakota | $90,300 | — | Salary.com |
| Iowa | $90,100 | — | Salary.com |
| Nebraska | $89,900 | — | Salary.com |
| Indiana | $89,700 | — | Salary.com |
| Montana | $89,500 | — | Salary.com |
| Wyoming | $89,300 | — | Salary.com |
| Utah | $89,200 | — | Salary.com |
| South Dakota | $89,000 | — | Salary.com |
| Louisiana | $88,900 | — | Salary.com |
| Kentucky | $88,700 | $31/hr | Salary.com |
| Maine | $88,500 | $34/hr | Salary.com |
| Tennessee | $88,300 | $30/hr | Salary.com |
| Vermont | $88,200 | $34/hr | Salary.com |
| West Virginia | $88,081 | $30/hr | Salary.com |
| Arkansas | $88,364 | $41/hr | Salary.com |
| Mississippi | $87,230 | — | Salary.com |
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. Based on industry data:
- 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
Hospital nurses who work beyond 40 hours per week receive overtime at 1.5x their base hourly rate. 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 credential from AACN (Progressive Care Certified Nurse) is the primary specialty certification for telemetry and progressive care nurses. 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 costs $370 ($255 for AACN members) and requires renewal every 3 years. 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.
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)
| State | Weekly average | Weekly maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | $3,007/week | $4,006/week |
| Wyoming | $2,586/week | $3,206/week |
| Rhode Island | $2,477/week | $3,291/week |
| California | $2,464/week | $3,625/week |
| Nebraska | $2,427/week | $4,614/week |
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.
Cardiology NP salary ranges: approximately $120,000–$160,000 depending on market and employer.
CRNA pathway
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) represent the highest-earning nursing specialty. BLS reports a median CRNA wage of $223,210 (May 2024 data), with top earners exceeding $300,000 in locum work.
The CRNA path from telemetry: telemetry → ICU (typically 1–3 years required) → MSN/DNP CRNA program (28–36 months) → 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 2024 data puts the mean wage for all registered nurses (SOC 29-1141) at $94,480/year — which the Salary.com telemetry figure of $97,813 slightly exceeds, reflecting the mild specialty premium for cardiac monitoring skills. 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 $370 (or $255 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.