Acute Care Nurses
SOC code 29-1141 · O*NET-SOC 29-1141.01 · Considerable preparation needed · Healthcare
Bright Outlook — O*NET expects rapid growth and numerous job openings for this occupation
Acute care nurses are registered nurses who specialise in short-term, high-intensity treatment — emergency, surgical and step-down units. The qualification is the RN licence plus acute experience, and the specialisation tends to command hospital pay scales and shift differentials above the general nursing median.
Acute Care Nurses pay
U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number
Median pay
$97,550
a year
Hourly
$46.90
per hour
The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.
Average pay
$101,420
$48.76 per hour
Middle 50%
$80,330 – $112,350
25th to 75th percentile
Full spread
$68,940 – $137,470
10th to 90th percentile
People employed
3,379,720
nationwide
National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.
These pay and employment figures are for the broader BLS group “Registered Nurses”, not this job alone.
- 10th percentile
- $68,940
- $33.14/hr
- 25th percentile
- $80,330
- $38.62/hr
- Median percentile
- $97,550
- $46.90/hr
- 75th percentile
- $112,350
- $54.02/hr
- 90th percentile
- $137,470
- $66.09/hr
Job outlook · federal projection 2024–34
+5%
Growing faster than average
3,391,000
jobs in 2024
3,557,100
projected for 2034
About 166,100 more jobs
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projections, 2024–34. Projections describe the broader occupation group and are estimates, not guarantees.
What does an acute care nurs do?
Provide advanced nursing care for patients with acute conditions such as heart attacks, respiratory distress syndrome, or shock. May care for pre- and post-operative patients or perform advanced, invasive diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.
The tasks that matter most day to day
- Discuss illnesses and treatments with patients and family members.
- Diagnose acute or chronic conditions that could result in rapid physiological deterioration or life-threatening instability.
- Perform emergency medical procedures, such as basic cardiac life support (BLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), and other condition-stabilizing interventions.
- Assess urgent and emergent health conditions, using both physiologically and technologically derived data.
- Adjust settings on patients' assistive devices, such as temporary pacemakers.
- Set up, operate, or monitor invasive equipment and devices, such as colostomy or tracheotomy equipment, mechanical ventilators, catheters, gastrointestinal tubes, and central lines.
- Document data related to patients' care, including assessment results, interventions, medications, patient responses, or treatment changes.
- Administer blood and blood product transfusions or intravenous infusions, monitoring patients for adverse reactions.
How to become an acute care nurs
Most people in this role hold bachelor's degree — 57% of workers surveyed reported it as their level of education.
Preparation level: zone 4 — Considerable preparation needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
- Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Education reported by people doing this job
- Bachelor's Degree57%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree19%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate10%
- Master's Degree5%
Common questions
How much does an acute care nurs earn?
The national median is $97,550 a year. The full range runs from $68,940 at the 10th percentile to $137,470 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.
Can you become an acute care nurs without a degree?
Not usually — this occupation sits in preparation zone 4, where the typical entry route is most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not. The education breakdown above shows what people in the role actually reported.
Is acute care nurs in demand?
Federal projections expect employment to grow by about 5% between 2024 and 2034 — growing faster than average. Openings also come from people retiring or changing jobs, which the growth figure does not count.
Skills and knowledge you need
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.1/5
- Speaking4.1/5
- Critical Thinking4.1/5
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Writing4.0/5
- Active Learning4.0/5
- Monitoring4.0/5
Knowledge areas
- Medicine and Dentistry4.8/5
- Customer and Personal Service4.3/5
- Education and Training4.3/5
- English Language4.0/5
- Psychology3.8/5
- Therapy and Counseling3.6/5
- Administration and Management3.5/5
- Public Safety and Security3.4/5
Transferable strengths: Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination.