6. Informatics Nurse — $100K – $125K
Nursing informatics sits at the intersection of clinical practice and health IT. Informatics nurses build, configure, and optimize EHR systems like Epic and Cerner, and they translate clinical workflow needs into technical requirements — a skill set that hospitals pay handsomely to keep in-house.
The ANCC Nursing Informatics Certification (RN-BC) is the standard credential, requiring two years of RN experience and either informatics coursework or 2,000 hours of practice. Epic and Cerner offer their own certifications on top, which employers often reimburse and value highly.
HIMSS salary reports and Vivian Health data show informatics nurses earning $100K to $125K in most major markets, with senior and consulting roles crossing $140K. The role is often hybrid or fully remote, which is uncommon for a bedside-adjacent nursing specialty at this pay tier.
