Transplant nurses earn roughly $85,000 to $135,000 annually in most US markets, with transplant coordinators typically at the higher end of that range due to on-call compensation and the case management complexity of their role. The national median for registered nurses (BLS OEWS SOC 29-1141, May 2025) is $97,550, with a mean of $101,420, and transplant nurses in most major transplant centers earn above that baseline.
| Role | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bedside transplant RN (inpatient) | $85,000–$110,000 | Academic medical center premium |
| Outpatient transplant coordinator | $92,000–$120,000 | On-call differential common |
| Senior/lead transplant coordinator | $110,000–$135,000+ | High-volume programs, CCTC certified |
| Travel transplant RN | $2,000–$3,200/wk | Marketplace-dependent, specialty demand |
How transplant nurse salaries compare to the RN median
Transplant nursing is classified under BLS SOC 29-1141 (Registered Nurses) – there is no separate occupational code for transplant specialty nurses. The BLS national median for all RNs is $97,550 (OEWS, May 2025), against a mean of $101,420. Transplant nurses typically earn above this median for two reasons: the programs that hire them are academic medical centers (which pay more than community hospitals) and the specialty commands a knowledge premium.
A note on which number to compare an offer against: the median and the mean are not interchangeable, and third-party nursing salary content mixes them constantly. The median is the midpoint, so half of all RNs earn less than $97,550. The mean is pulled upward by the top of the distribution, where the national 90th percentile sits at $137,470. When an employer quotes a “national average,” ask which statistic they mean before treating your offer as above or below market.
Transplant coordinators occupy a hybrid clinical-administrative role, and their compensation often includes on-call differential pay that meaningfully raises total compensation above base salary. A coordinator earning $105,000 base may collect an additional $8,000–$15,000 annually in on-call differential depending on their call schedule.
National salary estimates from multiple sources
| Source | Reported figure | Methodology |
|---|---|---|
| BLS OEWS May 2025 (RN median) | $97,550 national median | All RNs SOC 29-1141; transplant specialty not separated |
| BLS OEWS May 2025 (RN percentiles) | P10 $68,940, P25 $80,330, P75 $112,350, P90 $137,470 | Establishment survey; the spread an offer should be read against |
| Salary.com (transplant coordinator) | Model-based specialty estimate | Employer-reported data fitted to a national model |
| ZipRecruiter / Indeed (transplant nurse) | Job posting aggregates | Advertised rates, not realized earnings |
| Glassdoor (transplant RN) | Self-reported base salary | Voluntary submissions; skews by who chooses to report |
Two cautions on that table. Aggregator ranges reflect both bedside transplant RNs and transplant coordinators, because the two roles blend in employer reporting. More importantly, BLS and the aggregators are different instruments: OEWS is a survey of establishments reporting actual wages paid, while Salary.com, ZipRecruiter, Indeed, and Glassdoor variously model, advertise, or crowdsource. A gap between a BLS figure and an aggregator figure is directionally informative rather than precisely measurable, and in high-wage states an aggregator’s national specialty estimate can land below the general BLS state median for RNs. Use the BLS percentile spread as your benchmark and treat aggregator specialty numbers as corroboration.
Salary by state
The table below uses BLS OEWS May 2025 SOC 29-1141 (Registered Nurses) state-level data. Transplant specialty premium is typically 5–15% above these medians in states with high-volume transplant programs (California, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin).
The May 2025 vintage reordered the state table more than usual, so a ranking you remember from a year or two ago is probably wrong. Oregon ($129,010) and Washington ($124,200) now sit clearly above Massachusetts and New York, reversing the Northeast-over-Pacific-Northwest ordering most salary content still asserts. Low-cost states also moved far more than high-cost ones: Alabama now sits at $77,080 while California rose only about 5% from its May 2024 level of $133,340 to reach $140,270. The often-repeated line that California pays roughly twice what Alabama pays no longer holds – the real gap is about 82%.
| State | Annual median | Hourly median |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $77,080 | $37.06 |
| Arizona | $99,500 | $47.84 |
| California | $140,270 | $67.44 |
| Colorado | $100,260 | $48.20 |
| Connecticut | $102,740 | $49.39 |
| Florida | $84,190 | $40.48 |
| Georgia | $93,550 | $44.98 |
| Illinois | $95,990 | $46.15 |
| Indiana | $83,500 | $40.14 |
| Iowa | $78,630 | $37.80 |
| Kansas | $79,320 | $38.13 |
| Maryland | $99,790 | $47.98 |
| Massachusetts | $104,550 | $50.26 |
| Michigan | $94,300 | $45.34 |
| Minnesota | $101,510 | $48.80 |
| Missouri | $81,780 | $39.32 |
| New Jersey | $106,500 | $51.20 |
| New Mexico | $94,340 | $45.36 |
| New York | $109,440 | $52.62 |
| North Carolina | $84,350 | $40.55 |
| Ohio | $82,510 | $39.67 |
| Oklahoma | $82,920 | $39.87 |
| Oregon | $129,010 | $62.02 |
| Pennsylvania | $96,430 | $46.36 |
| Tennessee | $81,500 | $39.18 |
| Texas | $95,970 | $46.14 |
| Utah | $84,600 | $40.67 |
| Virginia | $93,600 | $45.00 |
| Washington | $124,200 | $59.71 |
| Wisconsin | $95,530 | $45.93 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-1141, statewide medians for all RNs. Transplant nurses at academic medical centers in states like California, New York, and Massachusetts typically exceed the statewide median.
Salary by experience
These bands are derived from the national RN percentile spread (OEWS May 2025) with a transplant specialty premium applied, not from a transplant-specific survey. No federal agency publishes wage data for transplant nursing as a distinct occupation, so treat them as planning estimates rather than measured figures.
| Experience level | Typical base salary | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Entry (0–2 years in transplant) | $80,000–$95,000 | Bedside RN, still orienting to specialty |
| Mid-level (3–5 years) | $95,000–$112,000 | Independent practice, CCTN or CCTC eligible |
| Senior (5–10 years) | $110,000–$128,000 | Lead RN or coordinator; CCTC certified |
| Lead/program coordinator (10+ years) | $120,000–$140,000+ | Administrative responsibilities, high-volume program |
Salary by setting
| Setting | Base salary range | Additional compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital bedside transplant unit | $85,000–$110,000 | Shift differentials (nights/weekends) |
| Outpatient transplant clinic | $85,000–$105,000 | Typically M–F, no shift differential |
| Hospital-based transplant coordinator | $95,000–$122,000 | On-call differential ($3–$8/hr call rate) |
| Travel transplant RN | $2,000–$3,200/wk total package | Varies by agency and organ specialty |
Coordinator on-call compensation is a meaningful part of total pay. Most transplant coordinators carry a rotating call schedule – they must be reachable 24/7 for organ offers, rejection alerts, and urgent patient calls. Programs typically pay an hourly on-call rate ($3–$8/hr) plus a higher rate when calls require active work. Over a year, this can add $8,000–$18,000 to base salary.
Transplant coordinator vs. bedside transplant RN pay
Transplant coordinators generally earn more than bedside transplant RNs when total compensation (including on-call) is factored in.
| Factor | Bedside RN | Coordinator |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary | $85,000–$110,000 | $95,000–$122,000 |
| On-call differential | Rare | Common; $8,000–$18,000/yr |
| Shift differential | Yes (nights/weekends) | Minimal (M–F schedule) |
| Total comp range | $90,000–$118,000 | $108,000–$140,000+ |
| Career ceiling | Lead RN, educator | Program manager, NP trajectory |
The coordinator role commands higher pay because it carries regulatory accountability (UNOS documentation, CMS oversight), on-call burden, and a larger patient panel. Many transplant nurses pursue the coordinator path specifically for the combination of clinical depth and higher total compensation.
Transplant certification and pay: CCTC and CCTN
Get the credential name right before you plan around it, because most salary content on this specialty gets it wrong in two directions at once. The coordinator credential is the CCTC (Certified Clinical Transplant Coordinator), and it is issued by the American Board for Transplant Certification (ABTC), not by NATCO. You will frequently see it written as “CTCTC” and attributed to NATCO. NATCO – The Organization for Transplant Professionals runs a well-regarded CCTC review course and offers continuing education that counts toward recertification, but it does not administer the exam or award the credential. If you search for “CTCTC” on a board’s site you will find nothing, and if you contact NATCO for an application you will be redirected.
There are two credentials here, and which one applies depends on your role:
| Credential | Full name | Who it is for | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| CCTC | Certified Clinical Transplant Coordinator | Coordinators managing the transplant process for living and deceased donor cases | 12 months of clinical vascular organ coordinator work experience |
| CCTN | Certified Clinical Transplant Nurse | Bedside RNs delivering pre- and post-transplant patient care and education | 24 months as an RN, including 12 months of direct solid organ transplant patient care |
Both are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and both are valid for three years. Bedside transplant nurses are routinely steered toward the coordinator credential when the CCTN is the one matched to their role – worth checking before you pay an exam fee.
On the pay premium: no certifying body or federal dataset publishes a measured salary differential for CCTC or CCTN. Figures circulating online in the $5,000–$12,000 range are employer-level estimates rather than a measured national premium, and they are not adjusted for the fact that nurses who pursue certification also tend to have more experience and to work at larger programs that fund it. What is verifiable is the structural effect: most high-volume programs require or strongly prefer certification for independent coordinator status, so the credential functions as a gate on advancement rather than as an automatic raise. For a comparison from a specialty that has been studied, BCEN’s Value of Specialty Certification research – more than 8,800 emergency nurses and 1,000 supervisors, published March 2026 – found CEN-certified nurses earned an average of $1,397 per year more than non-certified peers, an order of magnitude smaller than the figures transplant guides quote.
For current CCTC and CCTN eligibility requirements and fees, go to abtc.net.
Travel transplant nursing
Travel transplant nursing is a smaller market than general travel nursing – transplant units hire travelers less frequently because the specialty requires significant orientation. When positions are available, total weekly packages typically range from $2,000–$3,200 depending on market and organ specialty.
High-demand markets for travel transplant nursing include California, New York, Texas, and Ohio – states with large-volume transplant programs at academic medical centers. Living donor coordinators are particularly sought, and living donation is the growing side of the field: 7,237 people became living organ donors in 2025, a 3% rise over 2024.
For detailed guidance on the broader travel nursing salary landscape, see our ICU nurse career guide.
How to increase your transplant nursing salary
1. Earn the CCTC (or the CCTN if you are at the bedside). Certification is required for advancement to independent coordinator status at most programs, so it gates the roles that pay more even where it carries no differential of its own. Both are issued by ABTC.
2. Transition to a coordinator role. The coordinator path consistently outearns bedside roles when on-call differential is included.
3. Target high-volume academic medical centers. Programs performing 100+ transplants per year have larger teams, more complex cases, and typically higher pay scales than community hospital transplant programs.
4. Pursue transplant NP training. Transplant nurse practitioners in nephrology and hepatology programs earn against the nurse practitioner scale rather than the RN scale – the national NP median (BLS OEWS SOC 29-1171, May 2025) is $132,300, with a 90th percentile of $174,420, above the coordinator ceiling.
5. Consider travel assignments. Experienced transplant coordinators with 3+ years of experience can command travel rates significantly above their staff salary during high-demand periods.
6. Kidney transplant specialization. Kidney is the highest-volume organ, meaning more programs, more positions, and more competitive salaries for kidney transplant coordinators than for lower-volume specialties.
For those considering the dialysis-to-kidney-transplant path, see our dialysis nurse salary guide for the ESRD compensation baseline and our transplant nurse career guide for the transition roadmap.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average transplant nurse salary? Transplant RNs at academic medical centers typically earn $85,000–$110,000 in base salary. Transplant coordinators with on-call differential often reach $108,000–$140,000 in total annual compensation. The BLS national RN median is $97,550 (OEWS, May 2025); transplant nurses at high-volume programs generally exceed this.
Do transplant coordinators earn more than bedside transplant nurses? In total compensation, yes. Coordinators carry on-call responsibility that adds $8,000–$18,000 annually on top of a base salary that already tends to run higher than bedside RN rates. The trade-off is a largely M–F schedule with call rotations rather than shift work.
Does CCTC certification increase pay? No certifying body publishes a measured salary premium for the CCTC, so the $5,000–$12,000 figures circulating online are employer-level estimates rather than measured national data. The verifiable effect is structural: most high-volume programs require certification for advancement to senior coordinator status, so not holding it becomes a ceiling. Note the credential is the CCTC, issued by the American Board for Transplant Certification – not “CTCTC,” and not issued by NATCO.
Where do transplant nurses earn the most? California, Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey lead on RN compensation by state. Within those states, academic medical centers with high-volume transplant programs (UCSF, UCLA, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Columbia, Penn) pay at the top of the market.
How does transplant nurse salary compare to ICU nurse salary? Transplant RNs and ICU RNs earn in similar ranges – both are high-acuity specialties at academic medical centers. Transplant coordinators can exceed ICU RN salaries when on-call differential is included. For ICU salary benchmarks, see our ICU nurse career guide.
Is transplant nursing worth the extra pay? The specialty commands a premium for a reason – the knowledge demands (immunosuppression pharmacology, organ-specific physiology, UNOS/OPTN regulations) are high, and coordinators carry on-call accountability that is meaningful. For nurses drawn to long-term patient relationships, clinical complexity, and a defined specialty community, the combination of professional satisfaction and compensation is compelling.
References
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: 29-1141 Registered Nurses,” May 2025 estimates, released 2026.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: 29-1171 Nurse Practitioners,” May 2025 estimates, released 2026.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Registered Nurses,” employment projections 2024–2034, US Department of Labor.
- ONET OnLine, “Summary Report for 29-1141.00 – Registered Nurses,” national and state wage percentiles (BLS OEWS May 2025), National Center for ONET Development.
- American Board for Transplant Certification, “Certification” and “Certification Examinations,” eligibility requirements for the CCTC and CCTN credentials, abtc.net.
- NATCO – The Organization for Transplant Professionals, “ABTC Certifications” and “CCTC Review Course,” natco1.org.
- Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network / United Network for Organ Sharing, “US surpasses 49,000 organ transplants,” annual transplant and living donor statistics for 2025.
- Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, “OPTN/SRTR Annual Data Report: Overview of US Solid Organ Transplantation,” Health Resources and Services Administration.
- Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing, “Value of Specialty Certification” study, published March 2026 (8,800+ emergency nurses and 1,000 supervisors).
- Health Resources and Services Administration, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, “Nurse Workforce Projections, 2022–2037,” November 2024.