How much money does a neonatal nurse make and what is the average neonatal nursing salary? A neonatal nurse salary will depend on a number of factors, including: number of years the nurse has been a neonatal nurse, education level acquired, location, and certifications obtained. The largest factor in determining a neonatal nurse salary is usually the years of neonatal nursing experience. The second determining factor is location. Neonatal nurses in states such as California and New York will make more per hour than nurses from Louisiana and Montana.
Neonatal nurses make, on average, $50,000 to $80,000 per year. This is based on five to ten years experience. New neonatal nurses fresh out from nursing school can expect to make $40,000 to $45,000 their first couple years. To see a more in-depth breakdown of a neonatal nurse’s salary, visit the online Neonatal ICU resource site, NeonatalICU.com – Neonatal Nurse Salary.
However, the extraordinary thing about neonatal nursing salaries is that they rapidly grow when you factor in differentials (such as working night shifts), and working overtime. Some hospitals will even offer ‘critical shift pay’, which further increases the monetary incentive for working when nurse staffing is extremely low. A brand new neonatal nurse could see his or her salary jump from $40,000 a year working normal hours to over $65,000 working one extra shift a week.
Neonatal nursing salaries can also apply to neonatal nurse managers and neonatal nurse practitioners. Neonatal managers can make an average of $85,000 to $125,000 per year, while neonatal nurse practitioners can average between $75,000 and $150,000 per year.
