Clinical Nurse Specialists

Overview

Introduction

Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), a classification of advanced practice nurses (APNs), are registered nurses who have completed advanced clinical nurses educational practice requirements. Qualified to handle a wide variety of physical and mental health problems, CNSs are primarily involved in providing primary health care and psychotherapy. There are approximately 89,000 clinical nurse specialists in North America, according to the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS).

Quick Facts


Median Salary

$101,027

Employment Prospects

Good

Minimum Education Level

Masters Degree


Experience

Internships and clinical rotations


Skills

Leadership|Organizational|Scientific


Personality Traits

Helpful|Organized|Scientific

Earnings

Earnings for CNSs vary according to such factors as persons education and level of experience, type of employer, and geographic location. The median salary for clinical nurse specialists was $101,027 in 2024, according to PayScale.com. Salaries ranged from less than $74,000 to $130,000 per year or more. Benefits for full-time workers include paid vacation, health, disability, life insurance, an...

Work Environment

Clinical nurse specialists work primarily in hospitals, clinics, or nursing homes but may work out of their own homes and other community-based settings, including industry, home health care, and health maintenance organizations.

The work environment for CNSs varies by their employment setting. For example, clinical nurse specialists who work directly with patients may occasionally encou...

Outlook

Employment of registered nurses (a category that includes CNSs) is expected to grow percent (or faster than the average for all careers) from 2022 to 2032, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Growth will occur because of an increase in the demand for health care services. Several factors—including health care legislation and the resulting newly insured, an increased emphasis on preventat...