Correctional Nurse: Pay & Requirements

Overview

Sourced

Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration required.

O*NET definition of Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141) · Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed.

537,990

in government (SOC 29-1141)

16%

of this occupation works for government

$100,490

median pay in government

State · Local · Federal

levels of government

Occupation figures cover every job classified under SOC 29-1141, including Public Health Nurse, School Nurse, VA Nurse (Veterans Affairs).

Titles employers use

Charge NurseEmergency Department RN (Emergency Department Registered Nurse)Operating Room Registered Nurse (OR RN)Staff NurseCertified Operating Room Nurse (CNOR)Oncology RN (Oncology Registered Nurse)Psychiatric RN (Psychiatric Registered Nurse)Relief Charge NurseSchool NurseStaff RN (Staff Registered Nurse)

How people usually get in Editorial

RN/LVN. Requirements vary by employer; each employer page will list its exact rules.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership; U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database; GovJobsWiki job taxonomy v1 (research round R240) (editorial). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Requirements

Sourced

Typical entry requirements (BLS, SOC 29-1141)

Education needed to enter: Bachelor's degree
Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

Education workers say the job requires

High School Diploma or the equivalent

Post-Secondary Certificate

23%

Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree

19%

Master's Degree

Share of surveyed workers in Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141) naming each level as required to be hired, 28 respondents, O*NET survey August 2021. Each employer sets its own minimum.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4); U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database. Data captured September 30, 2026.

How to get hired

Sourced

Registered nurses usually take one of three education paths: a bachelor's degree in nursing, an associate's degree in nursing, or a diploma from an approved nursing program. Registered nurses must be licensed.

From the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile “Registered Nurses”, published August 27, 2026 · Read the full profile. National guidance; each employer runs its own hiring process.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–35 edition (XML compilation). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Academy and training

Sourced

Training to become competent (BLS)

SOC 29-1141: None

Preparation level (O*NET)

Job zone: Considerable Preparation Needed

Academy length, curriculum and paid-training policies are set by each employer and state; they are part of the employer collection stage.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Promotion ladder

Editorial

Civil-service class series: civil-service class series I → II → III → senior → supervisor → manager, each with a salary range. Typical structure for a civil-service class series; titles, steps and timing differ by employer.

Trainee / Assistant
Level I
Level II (journey)
Level III / Senior
Lead / Principal
Supervisor
Manager
Director / Division Chief

Source: GovJobsWiki job taxonomy v1 (research round R240) (editorial).

Pay

Sourced

Federal

$121,240

State

$102,440

Local

$85,420

All government

$100,490

Private sector

$97,170

Median annual wage by employer type, national, May 2025. Federal includes the U.S. Postal Service; state and local include public schools and hospitals.

Employer type	Workers	10th pct.	25th	Median	75th	90th
Federal	101,140	$94,330	$106,160	$121,240	$144,020	$174,640
State	157,270	$70,990	$83,050	$102,440	$133,190	$169,920
Local	279,580	$61,540	$75,430	$85,420	$105,790	$132,100
All government	537,990	$66,250	$80,610	$100,490	$126,170	$158,130
Private sector	2,841,730	$69,970	$80,290	$97,170	$109,680	$135,200

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.

State government pay plans

Official pay ranges for the job classes that match Correctional Nurse in 2 state civil-service plans. They cover state employees only, not cities, counties or school districts.

State	Job classes in the state plan	Annual range
Illinois	Corrections Nurse Trainee, Corrections Nurse I–II 3 classes · effective July 1, 2026 · Illinois Department of Central Management Services	$73,620 – $129,912
Nevada	Correctional Nurse I–III 3 classes · effective July 1, 2026 · Nevada Department of Administration, Division of Human Resource Management (DHRM)	$73,748 – $125,760

Lowest class minimum to highest class maximum. Rates are converted from each plan's pay period; the plans publish the exact rates. Classes are matched to this job by title (GovJobsWiki editorial rule).

Sources: 2 official state pay plans, linked in each row.

Schedule

Sourced

Work schedule

Regular

87%

Irregular

13%

Seasonal

Typical work week

Less than 40 hours

40 hours

65%

More than 40 hours

25%

Share of surveyed workers in the occupation (O*NET work context, August 2021). Shift patterns and differentials depend on the employer.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Day-to-day work

Sourced

Record patients' medical information and vital signs.4.7
Administer medications to patients and monitor patients for reactions or side effects.4.7
Maintain accurate, detailed reports and records.4.7
Monitor, record, and report symptoms or changes in patients' conditions.4.6
Provide health care, first aid, immunizations, or assistance in convalescence or rehabilitation in locations such as schools, hospitals, or industry.4.6
Consult and coordinate with healthcare team members to assess, plan, implement, or evaluate patient care plans.4.5
Direct or supervise less-skilled nursing or healthcare personnel or supervise a particular unit.4.5
Monitor all aspects of patient care, including diet and physical activity.4.4
Instruct individuals, families, or other groups on topics such as health education, disease prevention, or childbirth and develop health improvement programs.4.3
Modify patient treatment plans as indicated by patients' responses and conditions.4.3

The 10 most important of 15 core tasks for Registered Nurses, ranked by importance (1–5) in the O*NET survey of August 2021.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database. Data captured September 30, 2026.

13Derived

By state

Sourced

Median annual wage for Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141) in each state, all employers (BLS state estimates do not separate government from private). Highest first.

State	Workers	10th pct.	Median	90th pct.
California	338,940	$101,260	$140,270	$213,320
Hawaii	12,940	$82,500	$136,320	$147,830
Oregon	39,730	$95,280	$129,010	$155,010
Washington	69,260	$89,630	$124,200	$161,910
Alaska	7,510	$85,030	$109,480	$149,070
New York	205,810	$79,760	$109,440	$157,090
New Jersey	92,680	$83,060	$106,500	$135,170
Massachusetts	88,200	$80,310	$104,550	$174,510
Nevada	27,070	$79,500	$103,670	$133,270
Connecticut	40,110	$80,350	$102,740	$134,870
District of Columbia	11,440	$79,390	$102,540	$151,170
Minnesota	70,110	$79,960	$101,510	$132,430
Rhode Island	10,090	$77,410	$100,640	$129,840
Colorado	54,490	$79,500	$100,260	$124,940
Maryland	52,910	$76,780	$99,790	$124,790
New Hampshire	15,390	$75,610	$99,700	$123,190
Delaware	14,290	$78,340	$99,520	$123,860
Arizona	73,150	$70,540	$99,500	$130,930
Vermont	7,410	$77,670	$97,460	$126,100
Pennsylvania	146,520	$70,800	$96,430	$117,900
Illinois	138,910	$69,170	$95,990	$118,190
Texas	271,380	$67,120	$95,970	$127,950
Wisconsin	68,060	$77,470	$95,530	$119,860
New Mexico	17,980	$74,300	$94,340	$123,540
Michigan	104,950	$77,260	$94,300	$116,710
Virginia	77,490	$67,830	$93,600	$125,580
Georgia	100,950	$68,920	$93,550	$128,640
Idaho	16,880	$71,210	$92,460	$121,230
Maine	16,540	$74,160	$86,990	$106,950
Montana	10,950	$70,120	$85,280	$113,920
Nebraska	24,720	$66,020	$84,730	$106,190
Utah	27,420	$68,920	$84,600	$109,050
North Carolina	111,120	$67,660	$84,350	$110,220
Florida	229,940	$67,970	$84,190	$120,330
Wyoming	5,330	$65,770	$83,760	$107,350
Indiana	68,980	$66,750	$83,500	$105,750
Oklahoma	38,270	$60,530	$82,920	$106,390
Ohio	143,730	$66,980	$82,510	$105,290
South Carolina	49,750	$66,860	$82,360	$106,520
Missouri	76,310	$63,230	$81,780	$104,390
Tennessee	72,200	$63,970	$81,500	$104,920
Kentucky	50,300	$64,170	$81,040	$111,750
North Dakota	11,340	$65,520	$80,730	$103,480
Louisiana	48,970	$63,800	$80,230	$104,740
West Virginia	23,430	$57,210	$80,130	$131,760
Kansas	33,800	$63,180	$79,320	$100,840
Arkansas	29,400	$60,780	$78,940	$103,660
Iowa	34,420	$63,840	$78,630	$100,500
South Dakota	14,710	$54,040	$78,060	$98,220
Mississippi	29,060	$60,610	$77,090	$100,350
Alabama	54,340	$58,150	$77,080	$98,910

51 states with published estimates.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Not yet collected

These dimensions are part of every job page. We publish them only once they are sourced from official documents such as job postings, pay plans, union contracts and state standards.

05 Probation
Probation length and what ends it
Not yet collected
09 Benefits and pension
Pension plan/tier and formula, retirement age/years, DROP, retiree health, Social Security coverage, 457(b), PSLF eligibility
Not yet collected
10 Union contracts
Bargaining unit, union, current CBA (source link, effective dates)
Not yet collected
11 Transfers and lateral entry
Lateral policy, certification reciprocity, lateral bonus, inter-agency moves
Not yet collected
14 Exam practice
Named exams → OpenExamPrep practice
Not yet collected
15 Employer directory
L4 directory: every employer that hires this job, each with its own facet values
Not yet collected

Correctional Nurse

Overview

Titles employers use

Requirements

Education workers say the job requires

How to get hired

Academy and training

Promotion ladder

Pay

State government pay plans

Schedule

Day-to-day work

Related jobs

By state

Not yet collected