Clinical Nurse Leader: Salary and Job Description
Written by:
Wilson College
• Sep 24, 2025
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 29 million nurses are currently practicing around the world, but that is still about 4.5 million fewer nurses than the WHO estimates will be needed to fill the demand by 2030. This nursing shortage can impact working nurses in different ways, from having to handle heavier workloads that affect their performance and the quality of the care they provide to their overall job satisfaction.
Clinical nurse leaders (CNLs) can help address these challenges. CNLs play an active role in leading and motivating nurses and improving their ability to deliver quality care by effectively managing resources, promoting patient safety, and mentoring new nurses.
Earning an advanced degree in nursing can open the door to leadership roles for working nurses, allowing them to implement evidence-based practices to support high-level nursing performance.
What Does a Clinical Nurse Leader Do?
Clinical nurse leaders are registered nurses (RNs) with a graduate degree and advanced training in care coordination, outcomes measurement, care transitions, risk assessment, interprofessional communication, evidence-based practice, and quality improvement. Their background allows them to play a key role in improving patients’ satisfaction and nurses’ clinical performance.
The scope of a CNL’s role and their day-to-day tasks can vary depending on their work setting, but their general responsibilities include the following:
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Providing clinical leadership at the point of care, regularly collaborating with healthcare teams typically made up of staff members in nonmanagerial or nonsupervisory roles
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Coordinating and delivering care to specific groups of patients to ensure they receive safe, efficient, and patient-centered treatment
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Improving patients’ outcomes and enhancing their quality of care based on the latest research and best practices
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Serving as a resource and mentor to nursing staff, and supporting the nursing team’s workflow
Often asked to lead their nursing team during urgent situations like code blue emergencies, clinical nurse leaders need to be able to communicate clearly and remain calm under pressure. CNLs delegate tasks, evaluate the effectiveness of treatment outcomes, and promote the delivery of high-quality and safe care in their units.
Depending on where they work, they may take on additional responsibilities, such as ensuring that everyone working in a unit understands changes in policies and new procedures.
Where Do Clinical Nurse Leaders Work?
CNLs bring a wide range of medical knowledge and leadership skills to many types of healthcare settings, ensuring that patients receive excellent coordinated care. They typically work in front-line, fast-paced hospital units where they interact with doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, clinical nurse specialists, and social workers.
Outside of hospitals, CNLs also work in outpatient clinics, rehabilitation centers, and home health agencies—adapting their leadership and clinical oversight skills to support continuity of nursing care in other settings within the healthcare system.
Requirements to Become a Clinical Nurse Leader
The following steps outline the prerequisites for practicing as a CNL.
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Step 1: Earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from an accredited nursing program.
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Step 2: Pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and obtain a registered nurse (RN) license.
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Step 3: Earn a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree from a CNL-eligible nursing program or an MSN from a noneligible program and a CNL post-master’s certificate.
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Step 4: Complete 400 to 500 hours of supervised clinical practice, including 300 hours dedicated to immersive experience in the CNL role.
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Step 5: Apply to sit for the CNL Certification Exam administered by the Commission on Nurse Certification, which consists of 140 multiple-choice questions delivered in a three-hour, computer-based format. Candidates must hold an active, unencumbered RN license. Those who have been disciplined by a state nursing board are not eligible for full certification.
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Step 6: Pass the CNL Certification Exam to earn the clinical nurse leader credential.
Clinical Nurse Leader Salary and Job Growth
The median annual salary for CNLs was approximately $92,000 in April 2025, according to Payscale data. Factors such as their experience level and location can affect a clinical nurse leader’s salary, with the median salary for those in New York City being about 30% more than the national median, according to Payscale. In contrast, the median salary in Rochester, New York, is 14% less than the national median.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that positions for medical and health services managers, including CNLs, will increase 29% between 2023 and 2033, which is much faster than the labor market as a whole is projected to grow. This demand is expected to be primarily driven by the aging population, as older people generally require more healthcare services than other populations.
Start on the Path to Become a Nursing Leader
A study in Inquiry, a peer-reviewed journal focused on healthcare, found that the quality of nursing leadership affects nurses’ performance across six categories: autonomy, competencies, relatedness, individual nursing characteristics, relationships and support, and leadership styles and practices. This means skilled leaders make a critical difference in nurses’ success.
Wilson College Online offers a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program with two tracks—Education and Leadership and Management—so nurses can choose the path that fits their career goals. The Education track prepares individuals for roles such as clinical instructor and staff educator. For those seeking management or leadership roles, the Leadership and Management track supports advanced learning in nursing, healthcare business, allied health, and quality assurance.
Explore how Wilson College Online’s MSN program can help working nurses advance in their careers and impact other nurses’ and patients’ lives.
Recommended Readings
How Long Does It Take to Become a Nurse Practitioner?
Can Nurses Increase Their Salary With an MSN?
What Is a Nurse Navigator? Career and Salary Overview
Sources:
American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL)
American Association of Colleges of Nursing, CNL Certification Exam
Incredible Health, “Become a Clinical Nurse Leader in 3 Steps”
Indeed, “What Is a Clinical Nurse Leader?”
Payscale, Average Clinical Nurse Leader Hourly Pay
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical and Health Services Managers
