How much do oncology nurses make in 2026?
Oncology nurses are paid from the registered nurse series: BLS OEWS May 2025 gives the SOC 29-1141 national median as $97,550 a year ($46.90 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $68,940 and the top 10% at $137,470. BLS does not publish an oncology wage, so the honest framing is where in that band oncology practice falls. It is a credential-heavy specialty: chemotherapy and biotherapy provider certification from the Oncology Nursing Society is effectively mandatory before you administer cytotoxic agents, OCN certification is the recognised specialty credential, and cellular therapy or bone-marrow transplant units add further competencies. Setting then decides the premium structure — outpatient infusion centres run daytime schedules with little call, while inpatient oncology and transplant units pay full shift differentials. Registered nurse employment is projected to grow 4.9% through 2034 with roughly 189,100 openings a year. → Full oncology nurse career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $97,550 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Oncology Nurses earn a national median $97,550/yr ($46.90/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-1141); the P10 to P90 range is $68,940 to $137,470.
- BLS reports one registered nurse wage, so oncology pay has to be read inside the $68,940 to $137,470 RN distribution rather than as its own figure.
- Chemotherapy and biotherapy provider credentialing is a precondition for practice, not a pay bonus; OCN certification and transplant or cellular-therapy competency are what actually move the rate.
- Outpatient infusion trades differentials for daytime hours, while inpatient and transplant oncology carry the night and weekend premiums that lift pay toward the $112,350 P75.
US Oncology Nurse Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do oncology nurses earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 29-1141; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-1141, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does an oncology nurse earn at each career stage?
Oncology pay follows credentialing, treatment complexity and setting rather than a licence ladder above the RN. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS registered nurse distribution (SOC 29-1141).
By State
Which states pay oncology nurses the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the BLS national registered nurse median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. Oncology geography follows cancer-centre designation: metros with a designated comprehensive cancer centre have transplant, cellular-therapy and trial roles that simply do not exist in community practice, and those are where the upper end of this band is found. Nurse Licensure Compact membership still governs cross-state moves.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($112,180), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay oncology nurses the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the registered nurse national median scaled by the state wage index and then by that state's published metro index. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise an oncology nurse’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does oncology nurse pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Oncology Nurses sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify oncology nurse wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does an oncology nurse actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Oncology Nurse Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
Oncology Nurse career research journey
Do your homework, then let the network do the rest.Get the job, then keep rising
FreeSet your intent, matching jobs come to you. No applying.
A roadmap to your next licence tier and higher pay band.
Once placed, we cover all certification, licence & career-guide fees.
Hiring oncology nurses?
Get a verified shortlist of 3–5 qualified candidates in 48 hours
GlobalCybers verifies active state licenses, trade certifications, Intent and right-to-work status before any candidate reaches your portal. Flat $2,999/mo RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing), up to 3 concurrent roles, or a free trial (pay on hire). 90-day written guarantee.
Related · Oncology Nurse
Everything for oncology nurses in one place
Salary data, licensing, interview prep, and hiring, all cross-linked so you (and search engines) can move through the full oncology nurse cluster.