Progressive Care Nurse Salary Guide

One way to increase your earnings as a progressive care RN is to increase your education level. Earning a bachelor's or master's degree in nursing can put you at a higher spot on the pay scale. Also, pursue your Progressive Care Certified Nurse credential once you accrue enough hours in the progressive care unit. You could also earn a higher pay rate by specializing in a particular condition or taking on supervisory duties within your unit. Supervisory responsibilities could open up nurse leadership roles for you, typically with higher wages.

The average pay for a progressive care unit (PCU) registered nurse (RN) on staff was $39.95 per hour, according to Vivian Health's data from May 2, 2023. Specific pay rates vary depending on where you work and how much experience you have in progressive care. Your educational level and professional certifications can also impact your hourly pay rate.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides job growth potential information for various professional fields. While the BLS doesn't provide information specifically for progressive care RNs, it does provide job growth data for the RN profession as a whole. This data indicates an increase in RN employment of 6% from 2021 to 2031. Between the rise in employment and current RNs leaving the field, job prospects are good for new RNs wanting to enter the field.

Based on data from the BLS in May 2022, the largest types of employers for RNs in any specialty were general medical and surgical hospitals, followed by specialty hospitals. Hospitals are a common work setting for progressive care RNs because they care for ill and recovering patients. Other facilities with the most RNs in varying specialties from highest to lowest employment include psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals, outpatient care centers, home health care services, nursing care facilities and physicians' offices.

BLS pay information for the entire RN cohort in May 2022 showed that in a healthcare setting, they earned the most in outpatient care centers at $97,200, but PCU nurses won’t usually work in these settings. Specialty hospitals ($91,290) and general medical and surgical hospitals ($90,600) were the next highest-paying options for RNs. These are standard work settings for progressive care RNs.

According to Vivian Health’s salary data on May 2, 2023, staff progressive care RN wages were $39.95 hourly, similar to the national average for RN wages as a whole. Some nursing specialties pay less. For example, admission nurse salaries averaged $38.02 per hour on this date. However, the pay rate for progressive care RNs was lower than many other specialty areas, such as cardiac cath lab RNs, who averaged $43.77 and labor and delivery nurses who averaged $44.51 per hour during this period.