Ohio’s critical care RNs earn a mean of $109,531—$21,800 above the all-RN state average. Here’s how Cleveland Clinic, Ohio State Wexner, and the state’s compact license shape what you actually take home.
JM
Jayson Minagawa, BSN, RN • Unit Manager & MDS Coordinator
Ohio ICU RN Mean Annual Wage — BLS OEWS May 2025
$109,531
Statewide mean for critical care & ICU RNs (SOC 29-1141, Ohio). All-RN mean: $87,730.
CCRN Pay Differential
$2.00–$3.50/hr
Travel ICU Weekly Rate
$2,900–$3,500
Ohio Critical Care Pay: The Statewide Landscape
BLS OEWS May 2025 data places Ohio’s mean annual wage for all registered nurses at $87,730, which already ranks Ohio among the mid-tier states nationally. But critical care nurses command a meaningful premium: the ICU-specific cohort averages $109,531 statewide, a $21,801 gap that reflects both the acuity demand and the chronic shortage of nurses willing to do the work.
That statewide average masks significant metro variation. Cleveland and its surrounding suburbs—where the Cleveland Clinic Health System and University Hospitals Cleveland dominate—push experienced ICU RNs above $115,000. Columbus is close behind, driven by Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and OhioHealth Riverside Methodist. Cincinnati lags slightly at the median level but has its own premium tier at Cincinnati Children’s, TriHealth, and UC Health.
Ohio joined the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) years ago, meaning nurses licensed in any other compact state can work here without seeking a separate Ohio license. For critical care, that dramatically widens the travel nurse pipeline—and is partly why Ohio’s travel ICU rates tend to stay lower than non-compact states like California or New York. If you’re a staff RN, compact status also makes Ohio a practical base: pick up per diem shifts in neighboring Indiana, Kentucky, or West Virginia when census drops at home.
Major Health Systems: Cleveland, Columbus, and Beyond
Ohio’s ICU pay market is anchored by a handful of large academic systems. Their pay scales vary more than most nurses realize, and understanding the spread is the first step to negotiating effectively.
Health System
Market
ICU RN Range (Hourly)
Notable Units
Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
Cleveland
$40–$62/hr
CVICU, Neuro ICU, MICU, Cardiac Surg ICU
OSU Wexner Medical Center
Columbus
$38–$56/hr
MSICU, CTICU, Trauma SICU, Neuro ICU
University Hospitals Cleveland
Cleveland
$37–$54/hr
MICU, SICU, Hematology ICU
OhioHealth Riverside Methodist
Columbus
$36–$52/hr
CICU, SICU, MICU
MetroHealth Medical Center
Cleveland
$35–$50/hr
Trauma ICU, MICU, Burn ICU
UC Health University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati
$35–$52/hr
MICU, SICU, Transplant ICU
Cincinnati Children’s CICU
Cincinnati
$36–$54/hr
Cardiac ICU, PICU, NICU
Cleveland Clinic’s main campus is the headline. Consistently ranked in the top two nationally for cardiac surgery, the Cleveland Clinic CVICU and Cardiac Surgery ICU attract critical care nurses from across the country. Base pay for a new-grad ICU nurse with a residency position runs $38–$42 per hour; experienced CCRN-credentialed nurses in CVICU typically land $50–$62 per hour before differentials. Night and weekend differentials add another $4–$7 per hour at Cleveland Clinic, making overnight CVICU shifts among the highest-paying staff positions in Ohio.
OSU Wexner is the state’s other major academic anchor. As a Level 1 trauma center and the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in the state, Wexner runs multiple distinct ICU services: the Medical-Surgical ICU (MSICU), a Cardiothoracic ICU (CTICU), Trauma SICU, and Neuro ICU. Wexner’s base scales lag Cleveland Clinic by roughly $2–$4 per hour at the top, but the Wexner staffing model often means fewer patients per nurse in specialized units—a tradeoff experienced ICU nurses weigh carefully.
CCRN Certification: The Fastest Way to Raise Your Floor
The CCRN credential (AACN adult critical care) is the single most universally recognized pay lever in Ohio’s ICU market. At virtually every major Ohio health system, passing CCRN earns a contractual differential ranging from $2.00 to $3.50 per hour. On a 36-hour-per-week schedule, that works out to $3,744–$6,552 per year in additional income before taxes—comparable to a merit raise that requires no performance review and no manager approval.
Beyond CCRN, Ohio’s academic centers recognize several specialty credentials:
CSC (Cardiac Surgery Certified) — recognized at Cleveland Clinic and Wexner for CVICU/CTICU nurses; $1.50–$2.50/hr differential
CMC (Cardiac Medicine Certified) — valued at OhioHealth, Summa Health, and ProMedica; $1.50–$2.00/hr
CCRN-K (Knowledge) — for nurses transitioning out of direct bedside but staying in an ICU-adjacent leadership role; honored for pay purposes at most Ohio systems
CNRN (Certified Neuroscience RN) — earns a differential at Cleveland Clinic Neuro ICU and Wexner Neuro ICU
Ohio Nurses Association (ONA) collective bargaining agreements at certain hospitals—including MetroHealth and some OhioHealth facilities—may include automatic step increases tied to years of service in addition to certification pay. If you’re at a union hospital, the contract language controls your actual differential; the ranges above reflect the broader market, not necessarily what your CBA specifies. Ask your union rep for the current contract before assuming the ranges above apply to your situation.
Compact License Note: Ohio is an NLC compact state. If you hold a compact license issued by another compact state, you can staff Ohio ICU shifts without applying for a separate Ohio license. Your home state’s license must remain active and unencumbered.
Travel ICU Nurse Rates in Ohio 2026
Ohio’s travel ICU market in 2026 sits in a middle tier nationally—above Appalachian and rural Midwest markets, but well below West Coast and New York City. The compact license status keeps rate competition softer than non-compact states, since travelers from 40+ other compact states can start instantly.
Typical all-in weekly packages (taxable base + housing + M&IE stipends) for travel ICU contracts in Ohio:
Market
Standard Rate
Crisis / Urgency Rate
License Requirement
Cleveland metro (CVICU/Neuro ICU)
$2,900–$3,200/wk
$3,300–$3,600/wk
Compact or Ohio RN
Columbus (Wexner, OhioHealth)
$2,850–$3,100/wk
$3,200–$3,500/wk
Compact or Ohio RN
Cincinnati (UC Health, TriHealth)
$2,800–$3,000/wk
$3,100–$3,400/wk
Compact or Ohio RN
Dayton / Akron (smaller systems)
$2,700–$2,950/wk
$3,000–$3,300/wk
Compact or Ohio RN
Crisis-staffing rates at Cleveland Clinic and Wexner—when census spikes and staff call-offs leave units short—can occasionally push to $3,600–$3,800 per week for rapid-response 8-week contracts. These windows are narrow and do not represent the typical market rate, but experienced travel CVICU nurses who maintain a relationship with Cleveland Clinic’s VMO are positioned to capture them.
ONA and the Union Landscape for Ohio ICU Nurses
The Ohio Nurses Association represents staff RNs at MetroHealth Medical Center, which runs the only publicly funded Level 1 trauma center in the Cleveland market. ONA-negotiated contracts at MetroHealth include step increases based on years of service, shift differential schedules, and specific language on mandatory overtime limits—the last point being particularly relevant in a high-census SICU or trauma ICU.
Most Ohio health systems—Cleveland Clinic, OSU Wexner, OhioHealth, ProMedica—are not unionized for bedside nurses. Pay scales at these systems are set through internal compensation bands and are adjusted via annual merit reviews. This is neither inherently better nor worse than union contracts; it means pay movement depends more on individual negotiation at hire and on whether the system’s compensation team benchmarks against market data regularly. Some Cleveland Clinic nursing roles have seen mid-cycle equity adjustments when benchmark data showed compression relative to the market—meaning it does happen, but you have to know to ask.
Jayson’s Take — Why This Matters for Ohio ICU Nurses
I’ve worked in ICUs where the pay felt good until I ran the math against states like California or New York—then it looked modest. Ohio is genuinely mid-tier. But here’s what the salary number misses: Ohio’s cost of living is dramatically lower than both coasts. A $109,531 mean salary in Columbus or Cleveland has meaningfully more purchasing power than that same number in San Francisco or Manhattan. If you’re weighing a travel assignment or a permanent move, run the cost-of-living-adjusted comparison, not just the gross figure. The CCRN differential is also one of the cleanest pay levers in nursing—$2–$3.50 per hour for a credential that requires no years-of-service waiting period is exceptional ROI. If you’re eligible to sit for CCRN and haven’t taken it, that’s real money left on the table every month.
Plug your Ohio ICU pay into the calculator to see your actual take-home after federal, FICA, and state taxes.
The BLS OEWS May 2025 data shows Ohio critical care RNs earn a mean of $109,531 annually, roughly 25% above the statewide all-RN mean of $87,730. Top-paying metro areas—Cleveland and Columbus—push experienced ICU nurses above $120,000 at major academic medical centers.
How much do ICU nurses earn at Cleveland Clinic?
Cleveland Clinic ICU RNs typically start around $38–$42 per hour and reach $50–$62 per hour at five or more years of experience in specialty units like the CVICU or neuro ICU. The CCRN differential adds roughly $2.00–$3.50 per hour on top of base pay. Night and weekend differentials add another $4–$7 per hour.
Is Ohio good for travel ICU nurses?
Yes. Ohio is a compact NLC state, so nurses licensed in any other compact state can take assignments without a separate Ohio license. Travel ICU contracts in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati run $2,900–$3,500 per week all-in, with higher premiums when hospitals are in crisis-staffing mode.
What certifications increase ICU nurse pay in Ohio?
CCRN (adult critical care) is the most valuable, adding $2–$3.50 per hour at most Ohio health systems. CCRN-K and CSC (cardiac surgery) are recognized at Cleveland Clinic and OSU Wexner and typically carry a $1.50–$2.50 per hour differential. CMC (cardiac medicine) is recognized at OhioHealth and Summa Health.
