What is the Highest Paying Remote Nursing Job?

Nursing salaries vary drastically across the US. This salary variation factor doesn’t change for remote nursing jobs because most of these remote roles can also be done onsite or hybrid.

Since there are so many variables that affect nursing pay, it’s really difficult to name just one specific remote nursing job that offers the highest pay. I’ll go through some additional tips toward the end of this blog for nurses to consider when searching for high-paying remote nursing jobs in general across the US. 

What’s the average pay for these NI Data Science and Data Analytics roles?

Since most of these data science and analytics roles fall under the Nursing Informatics specialty, HIMSS is a great resource for salary ranges in these specialties. In the HIMMS 2023 Nursing Informatics Workforce Survey, 60% of Nurse Informaticists reported their annual base salary was $100,000+, while nurses living in the Western US reported annual salaries of greater than $125k. 

 Zip Recruiter estimates the average hourly rate of a Nurse Data Scientist making $79/hr and a Clinical Data Scientist making $59/hr. As with any remote nursing job, pay varies by location, experience, and degrees/certifications. HIMSS reported that nurses with PhDs (or equivalent) earn salaries over $175k.

 Some states have salary transparency laws and some states do not.  So, doing market research is essential to get an idea of salary expectations for your location and experience level. The free job board includes filter options for data analytics and informatics to help you find these jobs, as well as a salary range (when the job post includes that information).  

 The NI Data Science & Data Analytics roles often get lost under the Nursing Informatics specialty (also lots of potential for high-paying remote, hybrid, & travel jobs), and there is a lot of opportunity to make a six-figure salary in these roles with the right mix of education and experience.  

Health Tech, Biotech, and FAANG companies, like Definitive Healthcare, IQVIA, and Apple, are great examples of where having this data analytics knowledge mixed with nursing experience will land you a high-paying remote nursing job (plus great benefits). However, there are smaller health tech companies and other roles in informatics and quality where these data science and analytics skills are highly valuable. 

Healthcare data analytics skills are also useful in a variety of other remote nursing roles at insurance companies or hospitals, such as quality, data abstraction, and clinical research.

 Depending on your background, this is likely not a quick role to transition into straight from bedside nursing. That doesn’t mean you have to invest thousands and go back to school for a Master’s degree to land one of these jobs. There are other options!

FAQ’s for Nursing Informatics Data Science and Data Analytics Roles

How do I get started?

Start browsing available jobs to get a feel for what’s out there and what kind of requirements employers are looking for.  It’s important to shift your perspective about these roles and know that they are not all “just nursing roles.”  Like biotech jobs, other professions with different background experience are considered for these jobs, so just looking for “nurse” or “nursing” in every job search will likely exclude a lot from your search results.  The keywords clinical, data, informatics, and analyst are often sprinkled into these job titles and descriptions.  

Getting involved in nursing informatics at your current job is a great place to get started.  Volunteer for quality projects or committee work, and ask to start helping out with data collection and analysis on your unit.  Every nursing unit is monitoring data for quality improvement processes, so ask your manager when you get started pitching in. 

I really like this resource created by a Vanderbilt Nursing professor that maps out education options for nurses interested in getting started in this specialty. It’s one of the best resources I’ve found that breaks down the career options in an easy-to-understand format. It includes course recommendations for data collection (SQL) training, project management, Excel, and other options to help you break into this field. 

There are Master’s Degree options and post-bachelor certificates you can invest in, but it’s important to research all of your options before jumping into a program (and more debt) for a career transition you aren’t 100% sure you want to pursue. If you are curious about this specialty or just testing the waters, I highly recommend starting off with single courses at Coursera, General Assembly, or Udemy to make sure this career path is one you will like before investing in a graduate program. 

These skills and work experience (or creating your portfolio) can be just as valuable to help you land these roles. If you decide this career path isn’t one you want to fully pursue, you haven’t invested significant time and money in a degree.  Some of these courses and skills, like MS Excel proficiency, can also be highly valuable in other remote nursing roles, like this Medial Claim Review Nurse position at Molina Healthcare.

Depending on your background, this is likely not a quick role to transition into straight from bedside nursing. That doesn’t mean you have to invest thousands and go back to school for a Master’s degree to land one of these jobs. There are other options!

Will taking a course or learning a new skill to add to my resume help me get hired? 

Yes and no.  I know, confusing answer.  But the bottom line with this nursing career transition into Data Science is that taking courses and learning new skills is likely a requirement unless you already have some prior experience working in nursing informatics, data science, or analytics in your nursing roles. 

Learning how to tailor your resume will always be a valuable skill to have while companies and hospitals are using ATS software to manage the applications they receive. Simply adding a course or certification to your resume will not clearly communicate how your bedside nursing skills are transferable to a new role. I recommend watching this free webinar by HIMSS to learn how to effectively translate your transferable job skills for a career transition. They also have this free webinar discussing skills and career opportunities in healthcare data analytics.

When applying for jobs in NI Data Science and Analytics, you will also benefit from having an online project portfolio (SQL, Python, Tableau) and strategically networking with colleagues to get referrals and tips for entry-level positions.

Are these roles competitive? 

Absolutely! But so are all of the other remote nursing and biotech jobs right now. So, don’t let this be a reason that deters you away from a high-paying remote nursing job if this career path interests you! Just like biotech remote nursing jobs, some of these roles might also accept other professional degrees and backgrounds besides nursing.

If you’re the kind of nurse who loves working with data and wants to explore what it’s like working in these roles, don’t overlook the power of networking on LinkedIn and joining groups to start connecting with other nurses already working in these high-paying remote nursing jobs! 

Tips for landing other high-paying remote nursing jobs

I wish there were an easy, straight-to-the-point answer to the question of what the highest-paying remote nursing job is, but like most things in nursing, there are a lot of variables that affect nursing pay. However, there are options for other high-paying remote nursing jobs besides nursing informatics! Yes, they exist, but the job posts usually close very quickly or never even get posted to big job boards like Indeed because the company gets enough applicants by simply posting them on their own career page.  

The general rule of thumb for remote nurse roles is that pay is based on your location (just like bedside nursing roles). However, there are some companies that have their own pay structure and hire nurses from all over the US. But this isn’t always the case if you’re based in a high-cost-of-living (HCOL) area and the company isn’t.

Nurses in HCOL areas are often frustrated at the lack of comparable pay in remote nurse job opportunities, but it’s possible you might be overlooking golden nugget high-paying remote nursing jobs in your own backyard! 

If you’re relying on big job boards to find and land one of these roles, you’re likely going to either miss the job post (because it will be gone in a flash) or you’ll be late applying (because it was likely delayed getting shared on LinkedIn or Indeed).  It’s best to do some company and hospital research first, then focus your efforts on setting up job alerts and closely monitoring those specific career pages.

My first recommendation if you live in an HCOL area is to look for remote (or hybrid) nursing jobs at hospitals (or companies) based in your state. Of course, pay can also vary drastically within a state (think San Francisco vs. San Diego nursing pay), but this will help keep you in a closer salary range than looking at companies based outside of your state. 

Hospitals in HCOL areas are your best bet for getting remote or hybrid jobs that will align closely with your bedside nursing salary. Most remote nursing jobs we see posted on insurance company career pages (case management, data abstraction, utilization management, prior authorization, CDI, coordinator/navigator roles, etc.) are also available at hospitals as remote or hybrid roles. 

A bonus of applying to jobs at hospitals within your local area or state is that they could potentially be less competitive. The pool of applicants is drastically reduced compared to other remote nursing jobs, where nurses nationwide can apply. Some hospitals prefer local candidates for some on-site meetings, training, or equipment pickup/return.

One potential trade-off when focusing your job search at only hospitals is missing out on potentially better benefits (hospitals don’t *generally* offer comparable benefits to health tech companies), so it’s best to evaluate the bottom line take-home pay (along with all of the other benefits) other when comparing which job will pay more.

An option for nurses not living in HCOL areas is to apply for an endorsement nursing license in those HOCL states (such as California, Oregon, New York, Illinois, etc.). Some hospitals will prefer more local/state candidates for various reasons (equipment shipping, onsite training, meetings, etc.) and may have policies against hiring out of state. Usually, the job description will state which nursing license they are seeking and if there are any specific state residency requirements.  It’s possible to find remote positions posted at companies that don’t have a residency requirement and are only looking for specific state nursing licenses.

Here’s the Deal 

The key to finding your ideal high-paying remote nursing job lies in research and targeted action.  Let’s review some steps to help you land those high-paying remote nursing jobs. 

• Identify specific remote roles that align with your nursing expertise and career goals.
• Do market salary research to understand salary ranges for specific remote nursing roles based on your location. Glassdoor and Indeed both have salary research tools to help you research the average pay for these roles.  Another great resource specific to nursing, but not remote nursing roles, is the Anonymous Nurse Income Reports at Whole Life Nurse.
• Evaluate any skill gaps you might have and actively work to bridge them.  This could involve additional nursing licenses, online courses, obtaining relevant certifications, volunteering, or pursuing a stepping-stone nursing position (remote, hybrid, or onsite) to gain experience.
• Sharpening up your interview skills will also help you confidently showcase your qualifications. 
• Learn effective negotiation strategies to ensure you’re compensated fairly. Don’t forget to crunch the numbers on your take-home pay and factor in the benefits!
• Don’t be afraid to get creative! Sometimes, a combination of jobs in nursing might offer the highest pay and the best work-life balance for your season of life. PRN jobs at your current hospital job with a full-time remote nursing job or a flexible PRN job at a biotech company or nurse concierge service, there are so many options in nursing to consider!

Remember, landing the highest-paying remote nursing job might initially involve taking a stepping-stone job or getting creative with a combination of jobs. But with persistence, the right strategy approach, and these additional tips, that high-paying remote nursing job is absolutely within your reach! 

The free remote nursing and biotech job board at Remote Nurse Connection includes salary ranges for the jobs (when available) to make it easier for you to spot these high-paying remote nursing jobs.