Perioperative & Procedural Nursing salary guide

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Published BLS wages for this family. BLS OEWS May 2025.

Operating Room Nurse (OR RN, Circulating Nurse, Periop RN) SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses. broader match.
CVOR Nurse (Cardiovascular OR RN, Heart Team RN) SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses. broader match.
Pre-Op Nurse (Pre-Admission Testing RN) SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses. broader match.
PACU Nurse (Post-Anesthesia Care, Recovery Room RN) SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses. broader match.
Ambulatory Surgery Nurse (Same Day Surgery RN, Pre-Op/PACU/OR) SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses. broader match.
Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA) SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses. broader match.
Endoscopy Nurse (GI Lab RN) SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses. broader match.
Cath Lab Nurse (Cardiac Cath Lab RN, Cardiovascular Lab RN) SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses. broader match.
Electrophysiology Lab Nurse (EP Lab RN) SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses. broader match.
Interventional Radiology Nurse (IR RN, Special Procedures RN) SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses. broader match.
OR Charge Nurse SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses. broader match.
PACU Charge Nurse SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses. broader match.
Per Diem Operating Room Nurse SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses. broader match.

What does perioperative and procedural nursing cover on your schedule?

These roles cover patients before, during, and after procedures. A nurse may complete pre-op review, support the case in the room, then hand off to recovery. You decide which tasks stay with nursing and which belong to the surgeon, anesthesiologist, or tech team.

The same RN license can support OR, PACU, endoscopy, cath lab, or IR work. The daily pace changes with the room flow and handoff points.

Which jobs usually carry more pay pressure?

Pay pressure often rises when the role adds specialty knowledge, call, or multiple service lines. CVOR, electrophysiology, interventional radiology, and RNFA work often ask for tighter coordination and more procedural exposure. Charge nurses also take staffing calls and day-of-shift issues.

A pre-op nurse may spend more time on assessment and chart review. A PACU nurse spends more time on recovery monitoring and discharge readiness. Both are RN roles, but the workday is different.

What should you review before setting an offer?

Start with the exact room assignment and daily flow. Ask who opens charts, who starts the case, who documents counts, and who closes the handoff. If the nurse covers multiple sites, include travel between rooms and late cases in the discussion.

Also ask about call rotation, orientation length, and whether the nurse works in one specialty or several. A candidate may look similar on paper, yet one has years in GI lab and another has mainly OR turnover work.

How do charge and lead roles change the job?

Charge nurses in the OR or PACU do more than carry an assignment. They adjust room flow, handle nurse breaks, answer surgeon and anesthesia questions, and shift staff when cases change. That adds judgment on every shift.

If you are hiring for charge, be clear about who owns staffing calls and who handles conflict at the desk. Some charge nurses only coordinate the shift. Others also scrub gaps, cover admissions, and speak for the unit in daily planning.

What details matter for ambulatory and procedural settings?

Ambulatory surgery, endoscopy, and special procedures jobs move quickly between prep, procedure, and discharge. The nurse may manage IV starts, patient education, sedation recovery, and same-day discharge paperwork. Hiring works best when we know how many rooms are active and how much cross-coverage is expected.

These settings often ask for flexibility without confusion about ownership. You should spell out whether the nurse stays in pre-op, rotates through PACU, or moves into the procedure room.

How should you use salary data for these nursing roles?

Use salary data as a staffing tool, not a single answer. Compare your role against the actual shift work, call schedule, and specialty scope. A procedural nurse who covers late cases and weekend recovery should not sit beside a straight weekday assessment role without adjustment.

When we discuss an opening, we look at the nurse's license, room experience, and the decisions they will make on shift. That gives you a cleaner range for OR, PACU, cath lab, or RNFA hiring than a broad nursing average.

What else should you ask about this edition?

How do we compare OR and PACU pay when the duties are different?

Compare the handoffs, not just the title. OR nurses work inside the case flow, while PACU nurses manage recovery and discharge readiness. If one role also carries call or charge duty, that should change the offer discussion.

What should we ask about before hiring a CVOR or cath lab nurse?

Ask about case types, call rotation, and how often the nurse works with the same surgeon or physician group. These roles depend on steady teamwork and precise room steps. You should also confirm whether the person has worked in one lab or across several services.

How do ambulatory surgery roles differ from hospital OR jobs?

Ambulatory roles move faster from prep to discharge. The nurse may cover pre-op, procedure support, and recovery in one shift. Hospital OR jobs may involve more overnight call, more room turnover, and a different handoff structure.

When should we treat a charge nurse opening as a leadership hire?

Treat it as leadership when the nurse makes staffing calls, settles room flow problems, and answers to physicians or anesthesia during the shift. If the person only carries an assignment, the offer should look different. The title alone should not set the pay discussion.