Average Nursery Nurse Salary in United States for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Nursery Nurse salary for 2024 in United States and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Nursery Nurse Make in United States?

A Nursery Nurse working in United States will typically earn around 43,400 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 22,200 USD to the highest average salary of 63,500 USD.

Average Annual Salary
43,400 USD
Average Monthly Salary
3,616 USD

Lowest Annual Salary
22,200 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary
1,850 USD

Highest Annual Salary
63,500 USD
Highest Monthly Salary
5,291 USD

These are average salaries for a Nursery Nurse in United States and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Nursery Nurse to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Nursery Nurse salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Nursery Nurse Salaries in United States

So we've looked at the average salaries a Nursery Nurse will earn in United States. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Nursery Nurse can earn between 22,200 USD and 63,500 USD on average in United States. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Nursery Nurse in United States is 40,000 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 40,000 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 40,000 USD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Nursery Nurse salary in United States, 25% of the population are earning less than 26,400 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 26,400 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 47,400 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 47,400 USD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Nursery Nurse Salary by Experience Level in United States

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average nursery nurse salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Nursery Nurse in United States that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 26,500 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Nursery Nurse salary would increase to 35,400 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Nursery Nurse, the average salary would be 43,100 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 51,800 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Nursery Nurse with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 59,700 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Nursery Nurse with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 61,800 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
26,500 USD
2-5 Years +26%
35,400 USD
5-10 Years +32%
43,100 USD
10-15 Years +18%
51,800 USD
15-20 Years +11%
59,700 USD
20+ Years +6%
61,800 USD

Nursery Nurse Salary by Education Level in United States

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Nursery Nurse in United States based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Nursery Nurse in United States with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 38,700 USD.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Nursery Nurse in United States with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 54,600 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Certificate or Diploma
38,700 USD
Bachelor's Degree +49%
54,600 USD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Nursery Nurse Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In United States, a male nursery nurse will earn an average of 43,200 USD, while a female nursery nurse will earn around 45,000 USD.

This means that a male nursery nurse earns approximately 4% less than a female nursery nurse for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United States

Male
43,200 USD
Female +4%
45,000 USD

Nursery Nurse Average Pay Raise in United States

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Nursery Nurse in United States is around 10% every 16 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 10 ÷ 16 ) × 12  = 8%

What this means is that a Nursery Nurse in United States can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 8% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in United States for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United States.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
4%
Energy
8%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
7%
Travel
2%
Construction
6%
Education
1%

Nursery Nurse Bonus and Incentive Rates in United States

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Nursery Nurse is a low bonus based job, with 26% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

74% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 1% to 2%.

Received Bonus
26%
No Bonus
74%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
98,800 USD
Private Sector -6%
93,100 USD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Nursery Nurse

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Nursery Nurse in United States.

Job Title Category Salary
Activity Assistant Care Giving and Child Care 31,800 USD
Advice Worker Care Giving and Child Care 36,700 USD
Care Manager Care Giving and Child Care 112,700 USD
Care Worker Care Giving and Child Care 33,000 USD
Child Care Assistant Director Care Giving and Child Care 80,500 USD
Child Care Specialist Care Giving and Child Care 128,400 USD
Child Care Teacher Care Giving and Child Care 41,900 USD
Child Development Center Assistant Care Giving and Child Care 52,300 USD
Child Development Specialist Care Giving and Child Care 134,100 USD
Child Life Specialist Care Giving and Child Care 139,100 USD
Child Protection Officer Care Giving and Child Care 44,500 USD
Child Psychotherapist Care Giving and Child Care 148,300 USD
Child Support Officer Care Giving and Child Care 39,800 USD
Clinical Care Coordinator Care Giving and Child Care 46,400 USD
Clinical Officer Care Giving and Child Care 42,400 USD
Custodian Care Giving and Child Care 59,100 USD
Day Care Director Care Giving and Child Care 152,700 USD
Elderly Care Giver Care Giving and Child Care 34,000 USD
Group Home Manager Care Giving and Child Care 160,700 USD
Kids Activity Assistant Care Giving and Child Care 31,800 USD
Live In Carer Care Giving and Child Care 36,400 USD
Nanny Care Giving and Child Care 39,000 USD
Nursery Teacher Care Giving and Child Care 35,100 USD
Nursing Home Administrator Care Giving and Child Care 55,100 USD
Personal Assistant Care Giving and Child Care 32,900 USD
Physical Health and Wellness Specialist Care Giving and Child Care 139,100 USD
Preschool Education Coordinator Care Giving and Child Care 62,500 USD
Primary Therapist Care Giving and Child Care 107,700 USD
Psychiatric Aide Care Giving and Child Care 43,800 USD
Rehabilitation Counselor Care Giving and Child Care 128,400 USD
Support Worker Care Giving and Child Care 30,200 USD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United States, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Atlanta 40,700 USD
Austin 43,800 USD
Baltimore 43,200 USD
Boston 42,800 USD
Bristol 33,600 USD
Chicago 45,800 USD
Cincinnati 34,400 USD
Cleveland 36,900 USD
Dallas 46,900 USD
Denver 40,600 USD
Detroit 42,800 USD
Honolulu 35,100 USD
Houston 50,000 USD
Indianapolis 45,100 USD
Iowa City 34,000 USD
Jacksonville 46,200 USD
Kansas City 39,300 USD
Kent 35,300 USD
Las Vegas 42,500 USD
Long Beach 40,900 USD
Los Angeles 49,800 USD
Memphis 42,400 USD
Miami 39,400 USD
Minneapolis 39,100 USD
New Orleans 36,900 USD
New York 49,700 USD
Oakland 36,800 USD
Oklahoma City 39,800 USD
Orlando 37,100 USD
Philadelphia 48,600 USD
Phoenix 45,600 USD
Sacramento 36,800 USD
San Antonio 45,300 USD
San Diego 50,500 USD
San Francisco 45,800 USD
San Jose 46,100 USD
Seattle 44,800 USD
Tampa 36,200 USD
Vancouver 34,900 USD
Washington D.C. 42,800 USD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.

City Average Salary
Alabama 40,300 USD
Alaska 39,100 USD
Arizona 45,100 USD
Arkansas 42,700 USD
California 45,600 USD
Colorado 44,900 USD
Connecticut 41,700 USD
Delaware 40,900 USD
District of Columbia 36,800 USD
Florida 47,400 USD
Georgia 43,100 USD
Hawaii 40,300 USD
Idaho 37,800 USD
Illinois 46,700 USD
Indiana 44,500 USD
Iowa 42,700 USD
Kansas 41,700 USD
Kentucky 44,300 USD
Louisiana 41,000 USD
Maine 41,700 USD
Maryland 45,100 USD
Massachusetts 45,200 USD
Michigan 46,400 USD
Minnesota 45,600 USD
Mississippi 41,100 USD
Missouri 46,300 USD
Montana 36,500 USD
Nebraska 42,400 USD
Nevada 39,000 USD
New Hampshire 42,000 USD
New Jersey 46,400 USD
New Mexico 40,600 USD
New York 48,600 USD
North Carolina 44,800 USD
North Dakota 36,700 USD
Ohio 43,500 USD
Oklahoma 43,200 USD
Oregon 39,300 USD
Pennsylvania 45,900 USD
Rhode Island 36,400 USD
South Carolina 42,300 USD
South Dakota 34,800 USD
Tennessee 45,600 USD
Texas 46,300 USD
Utah 39,500 USD
Vermont 36,500 USD
Virginia 45,400 USD
Washington 45,000 USD
West Virginia 39,000 USD
Wisconsin 40,600 USD
Wyoming 38,700 USD

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