Provide intensive care to critically ill patients in hospital intensive care units. Median salary in El Paso: $90K/year. Data from BLS, O*NET, and H-1B disclosures.
Figures represent annual base salary in El Paso, Texas. Reviewed by SalaryOptics Editorial · How we calculate this →
Analysis derived from the salary, COL, tax, and labor-market figures above — specific to this role and city.
ICU Nurses in El Paso earn approximately 8% lower than the US national median for this role — a $8,000 discount on annual base salary. El Paso's lower wage level partially reflects the area's cost-of-living index of 82 (US avg = 100).
Adjusted for El Paso's cost-of-living index (82), the median ICU Nurse salary buys the equivalent of $109,756 in a US-average-cost city. That's $11,756 more purchasing power than the national median — a meaningful real-wage advantage.
Texas has no state income tax, which is worth roughly $8,370 per year at this salary level compared to a California ICU Nurse on the same gross pay. A El Paso ICU Nurse would need to earn $99,228 in California to net the same take-home.
Based on BLS 2022–2032 Employment Projections and WEF Future of Jobs Report 2026. At current growth rates, median salary reaches $90K by 2030.
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The median ICU Nurse salary in El Paso, TX is $90,000 per year as of Q1 2026. This figure represents the midpoint of all reported compensation for this role in the El Paso–TX metropolitan area, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics, H-1B visa disclosures from the Department of Labor, and O*NET occupational data.
Entry-level ICU Nurses in El Paso with 0–2 years of experience typically earn between $72,000 and $90,000 annually. Mid-career professionals with 3–7 years command $90,000 to $112,000, while senior-level practitioners with 8+ years of experience regularly earn $112,000 to $138,000 or more.
El Paso has a cost of living index of 82 compared to the US national average of 100. This means your salary goes approximately 18% further in El Paso than the national average. Crucially, Texas has no state income tax — giving El Paso-based ICU Nurses an immediate 5–7% take-home pay advantage over workers in states like California (9.3%) or New York (6.85%).
BSN; RN licensure; CCRN certification. 3% of these roles offer some remote flexibility.