Clinical Nurse Specialists
Direct nursing staff in the provision of patient care in a clinical practice setting, such as a hospital, hospice, clinic, or home. Ensure adherence to established clinical policies, protocols, regulations, and standards.
Also called: Adult Health Clinical Nurse Specialist (Adult Health CNS), APN (Advanced Practice Nurse), Board Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS-BC), Clinical Ambulatory Nurse, Clinical Medical Surgical Nurse, Clinical Nurse
Median pay
$97,550
Pay for the broader BLS group “Registered Nurses”
Pay range (10th–90th)
$68,940 – $137,470
People employed
3,379,720
Whole BLS group
Holland code
SIC
Social · Investigative · Conventional
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
- 2.Do you want a lot of freedom to make your own decisions?
- 3.Do you prefer working indoors?
- 4.Do you prefer a steady pace without constant deadlines?
The hard parts
- Exposure to disease or infection
- Mistakes can have serious consequences
- Dealing with conflict is part of the job
Clinical Nurse Specialists pay by state
Annual median pay by state (50 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, for the broader group “Registered Nurses”.
What clinical nurse specialists do
- 01Provide specialized direct and indirect care to inpatients and outpatients within a designated specialty, such as obstetrics, neurology, oncology, or neonatal care.
- 02Collaborate with other health care professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care.
- 03Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.
- 04Develop, implement, or evaluate standards of nursing practice in specialty area, such as pediatrics, acute care, and geriatrics.
- 05Maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or infection control standards.
- 06Instruct nursing staff in areas such as the assessment, development, implementation, and evaluation of disability, illness, management, technology, or resources.
Skills that matter most
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
Knowledge
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Education and Training
- Psychology
- English Language
- Biology
Work styles that stand out
- Social Orientation
- Self-Control
- Stress Tolerance
- Empathy
- Perseverance
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a graduate degree (O*NET Job Zone 5).
- Related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years.
- On-the-job training: over 1 month, up to and including 3 months.
- A professional certification is often expected.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from clinical nurse specialists
- Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary82% · —
- Genetic Counselors81% · —
- Midwives80% · group pay
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers80% · —
- Healthcare Social Workers79% · —
Change into clinical nurse specialists
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary92% · $80,250
- Clinical Neuropsychologists91% · $110,840
- Genetic Counselors91% · $100,040
- Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary89% · $107,310
- Neuropsychologists86% · $110,840
Majors that lead here
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
- Nursing Administration
- Adult Health Nurse/Nursing
- Family Practice Nurse/Nursing
- Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing
- Nursing Science
- Pediatric Nurse/Nursing
- Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing
- Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing
- Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Critical Care Nursing
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.