Pediatric Nurse Salary

In the United States, pediatric nurse salary stands at $54,936 per year, while the mean figure in Canada is C$60,678 ($50,801 USD). Pediatric nurses in the United Kingdom – called “Children’s Nurses” earn between £22,000 ($27,222 USD) and £41,000 ($50,732 USD) per year.

Nurses with pediatric skills earn a median salary of CHF54,974 ($54,476 USD) in Switzerland. While the mean pay for nurses in Norway is NOK505,200 ($58,350 USD) per year.

Pediatric Nurse Salary Influencers

The pay for pediatric nurses depends on factors such as experience, setting, and country of practice. For countries with national or single-payer health care regimens, pay is determined by pay scales shaped by experience or seniority.

1. Industry

Pediatric nurses work in hospitals, physicians’ offices, clinics, and schools. The type of hospital unit or practice specialty can shape the pay of pediatric nurses. In the United States, pediatric nurses who staff pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) earn on average 37 percent above the national average. Scrubs Magazine reports that pediatric endocrinology nurses, who help treat children with endocrine system disorders, have a mean pay of $81,000.

Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Switzerland, and Norway have single-payer healthcare systems. Government agencies generally set the rates, or ranges of rates, of pay for medical services. In the United Kingdom, the National Health Service employs pediatric nurses. While in Australia, The Australia Fair Work Commission establishes minimum salaries and benefits for nurses.

2. Geographical Area

Pediatric Nurse Salary	US	Canada	UK	Australia	Switzerland	Norway
Hourly Wage	$25.88	C$33.09	£14.42	AU$29.33	CHF26.43	NOK242.88
Annual Wage	$54,936	C$60,678	£30,000	AU$61,000	CHF54,974	NOK505,200

 

Pediatric Nurse Salary in the US

According to PayScale, pediatric nurses in the United States earn a median pay of $54,936 per year. Total pay runs between $36,171 and $82,687 per year.

Pediatric Nurse Salary in Canada

PayScale reports that, in Canada, registered nurses with pediatric skills have a mean salary of C$60,678 per year. For these nurses, pay ranges between C$49,408 and C$91,286 per year.

Pediatric Nurse Salary in the UK

The National Career Service states that “Children’s Nurses” in the United Kingdom earn between £22,000 and £41,000.

Pediatric Nurse Salary in Australia

The median salary for registered nurses with pediatric skills in Australia stands at AU$57,066 per year. Total pay spans from AU$41,537 and AU$81,888.

Pediatric Nurse Salary in Switzerland

PayScale reports a median salary of CHF54,974 for nurses in Switzerland with pediatric skills.

Pediatric Nurse Salary in Norway

Statistics Norway does not report salary figures specifically for pediatric nurses. However, the mean salary for nurses in Norway is NOK42,100 per month. This figure translates to an annual salary of NOK505,200.

3. Experience

The median for entry-level pediatric nurses in the United States is $53,000. At five years of experience, the median rises to $59,000 per year and then to $64,000 with ten years of experience. The median stands at $73,000 for pediatric nurses with more than 20 years.

For pediatric nurses in Canada, the entry-level median pay comes to C$64,000. Five years of experience yields a median pay of C$72,000. The median pay peaks at C$77,000 at ten years of experience, then falls to C$69,000 past 20 years of experience.

In the United Kingdom, starting children’s nurses make from £22,000 to £28,000. At the “Experienced” level, pay runs between £26,000 and £41,000. “Highly Experienced” can fetch above £41,000.

Pediatric nurses in Australia start at a median salary of AU$56,000. With five years of experience, the median spikes to AU$70,000, then slides slightly to AU$67,000 after ten years of experience. Pediatric nurses earn a median of AU$74,000 in their late career stages, or after 20 years.

Working Hours

While nurses generally work full-time, there exists a visible presence of part-time workers in the field. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says that approximately one in six nurses hold part-time positions.

According to the Canadian Government’s “Job Bank,” approximately 78 percent of nurses work full-time, compared with 81 percent of occupations overall.

The Australian Government’s “Job Outlook” reports that 53.8 percent of registered nurses in Australia, which includes child and family nurses, work full-time. Full-time nurses log 34.6 hours per week, versus 40.2 hours a week for all occupations in Australia.

Shifts depend on the work setting. In schools, pediatric physicians offices and clinics, work hours normally span the daytime period and weekdays. Some clinics and offices operate on evenings or even weekends to accommodate the schedules of patients and their parents. In hospitals, pediatric nurses face irregular work shifts, consisting of late nights, weekends and holidays.

Bonuses & Benefit Packages

Bonuses are awarded based on factors such as the location of practice and taking night or weekend shifts. Pediatric nurses and other health care professionals can receive bonuses for serving in rural or underserved areas.

According to PayScale, bonuses for pediatric nurses in the United States reach as high as $5,017. The Fair Work Commission grants nurses in Australia an additional 50 percent of their pay rate for hours worked from midnight Friday to Midnight Saturday. The increase is 75 percent above regular rate for working midnight Saturday through midnight Sunday

In Australia, Switzerland, and Norway, legislation affords benefits for pediatric nurses. These perks include paid leave and retirement funded by employers. Switzerland operates a three-tier retirement system. The first tier consists of Old Age and Survivors/Disability Insurance, while funding for the second comes from mandatory employer contributions. These sources account for 60 percent of employees’ retirement. In the third tier, employers may contribute voluntarily.

Children’s nurses in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service obtain holiday pay of 27 days per year, plus eight general and public holidays per year. The National Health Service also affords pension benefits, which children’s nurses can access at age 65 years old.

Job Outlook

Overall, aspiring pediatric nurses should find job openings. Demand may appear in settings such as home health. As reported by Home Care magazine, estimates of children and youth with “special health care needs” that require home health are as high as 18 percent.

Job Bank Canada projects a shortage of nurses overall by 2024. Specifically, Canada should have 114,000 applicants for 139,700 openings of nurses by that time.

According to the Australian Government’s “Job Outlook,” the registered nurse field should have more than 50,000 job openings by November 2019. Australia had 257,400 registered nurses in November 2015.

Conclusion

With experience and the willingness to work irregular shifts or in underserved areas, pediatric nurses can increase their pay. As for job prospects, many locations may experience shortages or otherwise a high demand for pediatric nurses. If you are interested in getting a job in this field, you can also read about the pediatrician salary.