Forensic Nurse Salary / Wages

One of the most asked questions that people ask when they are considering getting into forensic nursing is, "How much money do Forensic Nurses make?".

Well lets talk about it. The answer, but one that most people don't like to hear is, it depends. Salary for a forensic nurse can vary from area of the country as well as the experience level of the nurse. Often most forensic nurses operate out of a hospital. Some hospitals will offer a minimal on call rate of $1-4 dollars an hour for time when the nurse is scheduled to be on-call for an emergency. In the event that the SANE is called in for a case the nurse will typically recieve one to 1 1/2 times their base pay rate. But that is not always the standard. Some organizations will not pay hourly, but on a per case basis of anywhere from $150-$400 depending on the agreement for that area.

One website I saw recently stated "A forensic nursing salary starts at around $26 per hour and can reach as high as $100". These rates are typically higher than a standard nursing wage, due to the advanced training and education that is involved in becoming a forensic nurse, as well as the compensation for being on-call.

Want to know more about other crime scene investigation jobs? or how much a crime scene investigator makes?