How Much Money a Year Does a Neonatal Nurse Make?
Neonatal nurses are registered nurses who have been trained in caring for newborns within the first month of their lives. These nurses care for newborns who are healthy, those who are premature or sick and those who are either severely premature or very ill. The yearly salary for neonatal nurses varies depending on level of experience, location and amount of training.
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Definition
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Neonatal nurses give care to newborn infants by administering medications, examining medical histories and performing and interpreting tests. They may also provide education to parents and caregivers of patients. Neonatal nurses must have bachelor's degrees in nursing and must be registered nurses (RN). To complete this requirement they must pass an examination called the NCLEX-RN, which is the national licensing exam for RNs. After gaining three years of experience in a hospital they may become certified in the Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing program or a similar program. This will give them the skills needed to work in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) where infants who are extremely sick or premature are treated.
Salary
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According to a survey conducted by PayScale, the median salary for a registered nurse in the neonatal field is $50,919 in the United States. This is the lowest salaried position of all surveyed positions that are certified to work in the NICU. Also according to the report, a neonatal nurse's salary can increase $20,000 over the course of 20 years of experience.
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Position
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Neonatal nurses can gain a higher salary by advancing to other positions in the NICU, which may require additional experience, certification and education. An RN with neonatal experience who is also certified for emergency room work makes an average salary of $58,480 according to PayScale. A pediatrics advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP) working in the NICU can make an average salary of $59,180. A neonatal nurse practitioner (NP) position, which often requires a master's degree, can make a salary of $79,703.
Experience
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People who work in the NICU, which include neonatal nurses, have varying salaries depending on their years of experience. According to PayScale, those with less than one year of experience make a median salary of $49,054. Employees with one to four years of experience make $50,896 while those with five to nine years of experience can earn $60,170. Those with NICU certification who have worked for 10 to 19 years can earn $65,972 and those with 20 years or more of experience earn $72,507.
Location
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The salary for employees with NICU certification can likewise vary depending on their location. Those employed in neonatal care in Los Angeles, California earned an average of $72,214 while those in Houston, Texas earned much less at $54,960. Other cities surveyed include Dallas, Texas with a salary of $66,272, Atlanta, Georgia at $63,988, New York, New York at $62,917, Chicago, Illinois at $62,288 and Denver, Colorado with an average of $57,704.
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References
- Photo Credit infant image by Svetlana Bogomol from Fotolia.com
