FederalPay.org
Nurse - Federal Salaries of 2020
Pay Rates for "Nurse"
How much does a Nurse in the federal government get paid? $96,694.09* *Based on the 2020 average.Nurse was the most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2020, with 84,606 employed. The most common payscale was the nursing payscale.
In 2020, the Veterans Health Administration hired the most employees titled Nurse, with an average salary of $97,309.
Government Nurse jobs are classified under the General Schedule (GS) payscale. Remember that the starting and maximum yearly pay listed above reflect base pay only - your actual salary will be higher based on the Locality Pay Adjustment for the area in which you work.
This occupation includes positions that require a professional knowledge of nursing. Positions involve providing care to patients in hospitals, clinics, occupational health units, homes, schools and communities; administering anesthetic agents and supportive treatments to patients undergoing surgery or other medical procedures; promoting better health practices; teaching; performing research in one or more phases of the field of nursing; or consulting and advising nurses who provide direct care to patients.
Agencies that have hired a Nurse
Nurse Pay Distribution
The average pay for a Nurse is $96,694.09. The highest paid Nurse made $270,000 in 2020.
Common Nurse Payscales
| Payscale | Number of Nurse Employees |
|---|---|
| VN - Nursing | 72,487 |
| AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not Elsewhere Specified | 7,452 |
| GS - General Schedule | 3,765 |
| GL - Gs Employees In Grades 3 Through 10 Paid A Law Enforcement Officer Special Base Rate | 808 |
| FP - Foreign Service Personnel | 35 |
| EI - Advisory Committee Member (other) | 25 |
| SV - Transportation Security Administration Employees Other Than Executives | 7 |
| FV - Federal Aviation Administration Core Compensation Plan | 6 |
| GG - Grades Similar To General Schedule | 5 |
| RG - Scientists Appointed As Fellows And Compensated Under 42 U.s.c. 209(g). Includes Non-citizens Whose Employment | 3 |
| SR - Statutory Rates Not Elsewhere Specified | 3 |
| NY - All Other Positions In The Corporation For National And Community Service, P.l. 103-82, Subtitle G, Section | 2 |
| PG - Printing Office Grades | 2 |
| PU - Government Printing Office, White-collar, 10% Night Rate | 2 |
| RF - Employees Appointed And Compensated As Special Consultants Under 42 U.s.c. 209(f). Includes Non-citizens Whose | 2 |
| CY - Contract Education--school Year | 1 |
| NQ - Employees In The National Nuclear Secuirty Administration's Professional, Technical, And Admin Career Path | 1 |
| Category: | N/A |
| Occupation Family: | 0600 MEDICAL, HOSPITAL, DENTAL, AND PUBLIC HEALTH GROUP |
Average Nurse Pay Trend from 2004 to 2021
In 2004, the average pay for a Nurse was $64,889. Since then, the average pay has increased to $100,959 in 2021.
Data Sources
The information provided on these pages is sourced from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 
Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) dataset. Postal Service data is managed exclusively by the USPS . All information is displayed unmodified and as provided by the source agency.
Federal employee salaries are public information under open government laws (5 U.S.C. § 552). FederalPay provides this data in the interest of government transparency — employee data may not be used for commercial soliciting or vending of any kind. Learn more about the FederalPay Employees Dataset here.
The series code of this occupation is 0610.