Telemetry Nurse Salary Guide

A telemetry nurse is a registered nurse who focuses on cardiac monitoring. In this role, you must use oxygen saturation monitors, electrocardiogram (EKG) equipment, dialysis machines and blood pressure monitors to assess patient progress. Telemetry nurses also alert physicians and other healthcare providers when a patient's status changes, enabling them to make quick treatment decisions.

If you decide to become a telemetry nurse, expect to work with high-risk patients suffering from heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other serious medical conditions. Like other nursing professionals, telemetry nurses must follow state laws regarding scope of practice.

How do you become a telemetry nurse?

To become a telemetry nurse, you must complete an accredited nursing education program and pass the National Council of State Boards of Nursing certification exam, called the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). State boards of nursing use NCLEX scores to verify that candidates for licensure have the knowledge needed to provide high-quality patient care.

You must also obtain a state-issued nursing license and meet any other requirements established by your practice state. You must have Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certifications. Many hospitals require telemetry certification, such as National Telemetry Certification through the National Telemetry Association. It's helpful to take a course in EKG readings to identify abnormal heart rhythms. 

What credentials/licensing does a telemetry nurse require?

You must have Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certifications. Many hospitals require telemetry certification, such as National Telemetry Certification through the National Telemetry Association. It's helpful to take a course in EKG readings to identify abnormal heart rhythms. 

Many employers provide on-the-job telemetry training, but obtaining a professional certification may help you qualify for a broader range of jobs. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses offers the Adult Progressive Care Nursing Certification and the TeleICU Adult Acute/Critical Care Nursing Certification. You must provide a minimum number of direct care hours to acutely ill adult patients to obtain either. You may be eligible if you complete 1,750 hours over a 2-year period or 2,000 hours in a 5-year period.

Average Telemetry Nurse Salary

$45.15/hour

The average salary for a Telemetry Nurse is $45.15 per hour. This is 1% higher than the nursing US average of $44.91.

Last updated on March 28, 2024. Based on active jobs on Vivian.com.

Salaries for Telemetry Nurse compared to Registered Nurse National Averages

$45.15/hour

1% higher than the nursing US average.

$44.91/hour

United States

Where do Telemetry Nurses get paid the most?
StateAverage Hourly SalaryMax Hourly Salary
California$70$84
New York$59$74
Virginia$54$64
North Carolina$48$52
Colorado$48$52
Arizona$47$58
Pennsylvania$47$49
Texas$43$50
Wisconsin$42$52
Georgia$41$43
Michigan$40$45
Florida$39$45
Illinois$38$54
Maryland$37$49
Idaho$33$45
What are the highest paying Employers and Agencies for Telemetry Nurse jobs?

Last updated on March 28, 2024. Information based on active jobs on Vivian.com and pay data from BLS and around the web.

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Telemetry Nurse Career Guide

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How can you increase your pay as a telemetry nurse?

Another option is to look for a staff job in an area with a shortage of telemetry RNs. Employers in these areas may offer higher salaries to entice skilled candidates to apply for hard-to-fill positions.

If you'd rather stay in your current city, consider getting certified in critical care nursing. With this credential, you can work as a telemetry nurse in an intensive care unit, which typically pays more than working in a stepdown or outpatient setting.

How much does a staff telemetry nurse make?

According to Vivian Health's salary data for the week ending April 1, 2023, telemetry registered nurses (RNs) earned an average of $38.77 per hour in staff positions. If you work 40 hours per week, that's a weekly wage of just over $1,550.

Is telemetry nursing a growing career?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) groups all registered nurses together in its occupational outlook reports. For the decade covering 2021 to 2031, the BLS expects RN demand to grow by 6%. The demand for nurses with telemetry experience may be even higher, as not everyone is interested in working with critically ill patients. It also takes time to learn how to read EKGs and determine if a patient needs immediate intervention.

Where do telemetry nurses get paid the most in the United States?

Staff telemetry nurses in Virginia have the highest salaries in the nation, averaging $49 per hour, according to Vivian Health's salary data for the week ending April 1, 2023. Idaho and Texas round out the top three, with average salaries of $45 and $44 per hour, respectively. However, Virginia's cost of living exceeds the national average, which helps explain why employers offer such high hourly rates.

What types of employers/facilities have the most telemetry nurses employed?

Approximately 60% of RNs work in state, local and private hospitals, according to BLS data for May 2021. Another 18% find employment in ambulatory healthcare services. Telemetry nurses also work for outpatient surgery centers, residential care facilities and government agencies. An experienced telemetry nurse may even have the opportunity to teach up-and-coming nurses at educational institutions.

Which employers/facilities have the highest pay?

According to the BLS, government agencies offer the highest salaries for telemetry nurses and other types of RNs, followed closely by state, local and private hospitals. Ambulatory healthcare services, including physician offices and home health agencies, offer slightly higher wages than nursing and residential care facilities. Educational institutions offer the lowest salaries for this type of work.

How does telemetry nurse pay compare to other healthcare jobs?

Vivian Health's data for the week ending April 1, 2023, indicated that staff cardiac stepdown nurses’ salaries were $38.20 per hour, slightly less than the $38.77 average for telemetry RNs. The opposite is true for travel RNs. While telemetry RNs earned an average of $2,329 per week for travel assignments during this period, travel cardiac stepdown RNs had a weekly average of $2,574. However, your salary may be higher or lower depending on where you work, your experience and the certifications you possess.

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Telemetry Nurse FAQs

What is a Telemetry RN?

Telemetry nurses are a type of progressive care nurse who must have a high degree of technical expertise and advanced medical knowledge to effectively work with patients at high risk for complications. Due to their technical skills and specialized knowledge, telemetry RNs are solidly in demand and well paid. They most often work at hospitals in telemetry or step-down units, but they also may be employed by clinical, outpatient, and long-term care facilities. Work setting is just one factor that influences the salary of telemetry RNs.

Telemetry nurses are registered nurses who specialize in using a variety of technical medical equipment to monitor a patient's heart rhythms, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, respiration, and other vital data. They care for patients who’ve left intensive care units but require close monitoring of their vital signs to detect any potential signs of distress. Telemetry nurses also perform traditional nursing duties.

To work in telemetry, you must first complete the educational requirements to become a registered nurse. These include earning a two-year associate degree in nursing or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from a nursing program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). However, many facilities prefer telemetry nurses with a BSN. All graduates must pass the NCLEX-RN exam to become licensed RNs.

How a Telemetry RN salary is based

As with any nursing profession, factors such as years of experience, work setting, and the state and city where the facility is located can have significant impacts on how a telemetry RN is compensated. Entry-level nurses earn lower base salaries than experienced nurses and nurses who work in hospitals tend to earn more than those who work in outpatient settings.

Certain states and cities consistently have higher base salaries for telemetry nurses. California is frequently the highest paying state for telemetry nurses, but other states on the West and East Coasts and in the New England area also pay higher than others. Many southern states and North Central states often have lower base salaries. However, states with lower salaries also usually have lower costs of living.

Telemetry nurses need the same bedside skills as other registered nurses, but you need additional skills, including running stress tests and utilizing an electrocardiogram machine to monitor a patient’s heart. You must also be skilled at interpreting this data and know when to start standard interventions to stabilize the patient. If you already possess these essential skills, it could influence your base salary.

Relevant certifications can also play a role. Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support certification provides you with the training to effectively respond if a patient goes into cardiac arrest. Many healthcare facilities require this certification and may require telemetry certification. Required certifications may not have any bearing on your base salary, but if a certification isn’t required, get it to boost your knowledge and your base telemetry RN salary.

How to increase your Telemetry RN salary

Furthering your education is generally a guaranteed way to increase your telemetry nursing salary. Gaining a Master of Science in Nursing also opens the door to an advanced practice role, such as a telemetry nurse practitioner. APRN positions also give your salary a boost.

Telemetry RNs should always consider pursuing one or more professional certifications to enhance their professional credibility and demonstrate their higher level of clinical competence, which should earn an increased salary. The National Telemetry Association offers certification after passing the Telemetry Certification in Cardiac Arrhythmia Interpretation exam. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) also offers two options applicable to telemetry.

You're eligible to take the Progressive Care Certified Nurse exam after either working directly with acutely ill patients for 1,750 hours over a two-year span or 2,000 hours over a five-year span. The CCRN-E is a specialty certification for nurses who primarily care for acutely/critically ill patients in a centralized or remotely based teleICU setting. You can sit for this exam after completing 1,750 hours in a teleICU or a combination of teleICU and direct patient care of acutely/critically ill adult patients in a two-year span or completing 2,000 hours in a five-year span. Both certifications are available to telemetry RNs or APRNs.

Where can I learn more about working as a Telemetry Nurse?

Take a look at Vivian's Telemetry Nurse Career Guide for more information, including required education, responsibilities, pros and cons and more.