The salary offered in the nursing profession is dependent on several variables. Location is important, as is the nurse’s specialty, whether shift work is involved, and years of experience. Regardless of where in the nurses salary range one falls, one thing is certain - nurses are paid exceptionally well. For instance, in the U.S., a head critical care nurse will make from $67,443 to $111,598 annually. A nurse practitioner specializing in emergency room care can expect a pay range is from $68,063 to $99,491. And in the nursing field, there’s almost always vacancies for nurses and room for advancement.