Clinical Nurse Specialist pay range
State of Washington · class code 285X
- Class code
- 285X
- Salary range
- 81N
- Pay unit
- Year
- Alternate ranges
- 2
- State
- Washington
- The State of Washington published pay range for Clinical Nurse Specialist is $106,260 to $197,112 per year, spanning every alternate range the plan defines.
- Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) keys this classification as class code 285X.
- The plan defines 2 alternate ranges for this class, so the rate depends on which bargaining unit covers the position.
- This is the range the plan authorises, not the salary of any individual employee.
Step progression
Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) assigns this class to salary range 81N in the N Range Salary Schedule. The range pays 24 steps; a step is normally earned on a periodic increment date, not negotiated.
| Basis | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | $120,288 | $123,276 | $126,384 | $129,564 | $132,780 | $136,092 | $139,500 | $143,004 | $146,592 | $150,264 | $154,008 | $157,872 | $161,796 | $165,840 | $169,980 | $174,240 | $178,584 | $180,804 | $183,048 | $185,328 | $187,608 | $192,312 | $194,712 | $197,112 |
| Monthly | $10,024 | $10,273 | $10,532 | $10,797 | $11,065 | $11,341 | $11,625 | $11,917 | $12,216 | $12,522 | $12,834 | $13,156 | $13,483 | $13,820 | $14,165 | $14,520 | $14,882 | $15,067 | $15,254 | $15,444 | $15,634 | $16,026 | $16,226 | $16,426 |
| Hourly | $57.61 | $59.04 | $60.53 | $62.05 | $63.59 | $65.18 | $66.81 | $68.49 | $70.21 | $71.97 | $73.76 | $75.61 | $77.49 | $79.43 | $81.41 | $83.45 | $85.53 | $86.59 | $87.67 | $88.76 | $89.85 | $92.10 | $93.25 | $94.40 |
Steps as published. The monthly and hourly rows are the state's own, not conversions of the annual row.
Alternate ranges
| Bargaining unit | Minimum | Maximum | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| As listed | $120,288 | $197,112 | per year |
| Teamsters | $106,260 | $174,240 | per year |
The listing prints a separate range for classes covered by a bargaining agreement. Which one applies depends on the employee's unit.
Class specification
The OFM classified job specification for this class is published by Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM). The passages below are quoted from it as published, not paraphrased, and cut to their opening sentences; the full specification is the authority on duties and qualifications.
What the state says the job is
Serves as an organization-wide clinical resource for nursing practice and its effect on health care within area of clinical specialization and expertise (such as psychosocial, neuroscience, medical, surgical, neonatal, or burns). Contributes to the development, implementation and evaluation of clinical nursing programs and assists in nursing staff development through involvement in clinical practice, education, consultation, leadership roles and nursing research activities.
Examples of the work
Serves as clinical nursing consultant for a specialty area of knowledge such as psychosocial, neuroscience, medical, surgical, neonatal, or burns; Provides and models nursing care in a specialty area of nursing; Establishes and implements standards of practice which assure the delivery of care in a cost effective manner; Collaborates with physicians and other health care professionals in the specialty to address clinical practice issues and changes; Develops, implements and evaluates formal and informal teaching programs relevant to the clinical specialty for nursing staff, patients and their families; educates nursing staff about advances in the nursing specialty; Collaborates and consults ...
Minimum qualifications
A Master's degree in nursing and three years of professional nursing experience OR Equivalent education/experience.
Special requirements
A valid Washington State license to practice as a registered, professional nurse. Persons legally authorized to work in the U.S. under federal law, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, are eligible for employment unless prohibited by other state or federal law.
Quoted from the OFM classified job specification, read 2026-10-21.
Where this comes from
Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) publishes this figure in Classified Job Listing joined to the OFM salary schedules effective July 1, 2026. Every number on this page is read from that document; nothing is estimated, modelled or averaged.
The dollar figures come from the salary schedule the listing assigns this range to.
Nearby classes in Washington
Clinical Nurse Specialist in other states
| State | Minimum | Maximum | Per year at full time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | $56,316 | $87,308 | $56,316 to $87,308 |
| Maryland | $99,442 | $156,822 | $99,442 to $156,822 |
| Ohio | $43.56 | $61.09 | $90,605 to $127,067 |
Each state publishes its own range for a classification with this exact title. Duties, grade structures and bargaining units differ between states, so read each class page before comparing.