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What to Pay an ICU Registered Nurse in Salt Lake City, UT (2026)

Last updated: May 15, 2026 Built for: Total Rewards, Comp, HR Sample: BLS OEWS + disclosed-range postings
Market Median
$106,000
base, annual
Competitive Range
$92K–$122K
25th–75th percentile
YoY Movement
+4.1%
trailing 12 months
Days to Fill
~32
Salt Lake City metro average
To hire a ICU Registered Nurse in Salt Lake City at market, plan on a base salary range of $92,000 to $122,000, with $106,000 as the midpoint. To attract candidates in a market where average time-to-fill runs 32 days, expect to lead at $122K–$140K plus a sign-on bonus, common in skilled nursing settings. Utah does not currently require pay range disclosure in job postings.

How to set your ICU RN pay range in Salt Lake City

Three pay positions, modeled against current Salt Lake City market data. Pick the one that matches your comp philosophy and the role's strategic value.

Lag Market
Pay Below Median
$81K–$92K
Workable in non-acute settings with strong non-cash differentiation. Expect longer fill times and turnover ~1.4× the Salt Lake City average.
Match Market — recommended
Pay at Median
$100.4K–$112.4K
Default for most Salt Lake City employers. Competitive enough to fill in ~32 days. A range width of ~30% (min $92,000 to max $122,000) keeps compa-ratio movement smooth across a ICU RN's typical 8–12 year tenure.
Lead Market
Pay Above Median
$115.6K–$140K
Use for hard-to-fill specialties (wound care, IV therapy, bilingual), 24/7 SNF roles, or when speed-to-hire trumps budget. Reduces fill time by 35–45% on average.

ICU RN salary percentile distribution in Salt Lake City, UT

Where the Salt Lake City market actually sits for ICU RN base pay.

10th $81K
25th $92K
Median $106K
75th $122K
90th $140K

Most Salt Lake City employers building a range for this role anchor the midpoint to the market median ($106,000) and set range width at 30–35% — a min of $92,000 and a max of $122,000. This keeps the band wide enough for experience-based progression without concentrating range penetration at the cap.

Utah pay transparency compliance for ICU RN job postings

What you must post when hiring a ICU RN in Utah.

Not required statewide. Utah has no statewide pay transparency law. Posting a range is optional — but roughly half of healthcare employers in the market now disclose ranges voluntarily, and candidates increasingly skip postings without one.

For a ICU RN role in Salt Lake City, a compliant good-faith range looks like $92,000 to $122,000. No statutory requirement applies, but if you disclose voluntarily, post a good-faith range of $92,000–$122,000 rather than a single number — it screens out misaligned candidates and reduces offer-stage fallout.

Top ICU RN employers in Salt Lake City — who you're competing against

Top healthcare employers hiring ICU RNs in the Salt Lake City metro and what they're posting.

Employer Type Disclosed Range Sign-on Bonus
Intermountain Healthcare Integrated health system $100K–$125K Very common ($10K–$18K)
University of Utah Health Academic medical center $100K–$125K Very common ($10K–$18K)
HCA MountainStar Healthcare Health system $100K–$125K Very common ($10K–$18K)
Primary Children's Hospital Pediatric specialty $100K–$125K Very common ($10K–$18K)
St. Mark's Hospital (HCA) Hospital $95K–$121K Very common ($10K–$18K)

ICU RN talent supply and hiring difficulty in Salt Lake City

How hard is it to fill a ICU RN role in Salt Lake City.

~32
Avg Days to Fill
~883
Active Postings
~848,000
Salt Lake City ICU RN Workforce
Very tight
Supply : Demand

Salt Lake City ICU RN market reflects broader RN supply constraints, with critical care specialty demand elevated by post-COVID staffing gaps.

Skill premiums ICU RN candidates command in Salt Lake City, UT

Skill / Credential Pay Premium Demand Signal
CCRN Required baseline Standard
Cardiac subspecialty +7–11% Very high
Trauma / Level I experience +6–10% Very high
BSN (vs ADN) +5–8% Standard at Magnet hospitals

ICU RN total compensation in Salt Lake City — what candidates expect beyond base

Total rewards mix for ICU RNs in Salt Lake City. "Prevalence" reflects share of Salt Lake City disclosed-range postings including each element.

Component Typical Value Prevalence in Salt Lake City Postings
Base salary $106,000 (median) 100%
Shift differential +16–24% premium ~94%
Sign-on bonus $11K–$21K ~80%
CCRN certification pay +8–12% on base ~72%
Overtime opportunity $12K–$23K annualized ~94%
Estimated total comp benchmark ~$129K–$153K

Shift differentials and sign-on bonuses are typically table stakes rather than differentiators. Tuition reimbursement for LPN-to-RN bridge programs is increasingly the lever that wins competitive offers, particularly for early-career candidates.

ICU RN pay by setting in Salt Lake City — SNF, hospital, clinic, home health

Where the ICU RN range splits by employer type in the Salt Lake City metro.

Setting Median Competitive Range Hiring Difficulty
MICU $102,000 $91K–$117K Very high
SICU $106,000 $95K–$121K Very high
Cardiac ICU (CICU) $112,000 $100K–$127K Very high
Neuro ICU $110,000 $98K–$125K Very high
PICU $108,000 $98K–$123K Very high

FAQ: hiring a ICU Registered Nurse in Salt Lake City, UT

Market median is $106,000 for base pay. To match market, set a range with the midpoint at $106,000 — typically $92,000 to $122,000. To lead the market, plan on $122K–$140K base plus a sign-on bonus.
No statewide law requires a posted range in Utah. Disclosing one voluntarily — a good-faith range such as $92,000–$122,000 — is increasingly the market norm and improves application rates.
$95,000 falls below the Salt Lake City market median of $106,000 — roughly at the 25th–50th percentile locally. Acceptable in SNF or physician office settings where the candidate pool is deeper; below-market for hospital or specialty roles.
Roughly 80% of Salt Lake City ICU RN postings include a sign-on bonus ($11K–$21K).
Average fill time is approximately 32 days in the Salt Lake City metro. Roles paid above the 75th percentile ($122K+) fill in roughly 18–22 days. Roles below the 25th percentile ($92K) commonly take 45+ days and have elevated turnover within the first 90 days.
By Salt Lake City-metro posting volume: Intermountain Healthcare, University of Utah Health, HCA MountainStar Healthcare, Primary Children's Hospital, St. Mark's Hospital (HCA) lead the pack.
A 30–35% range width (min to max) is standard for ICU RN in Salt Lake City — for example, $92,000 to $122,000. Narrower than 25% compresses progression and creates compa-ratio pressure within 18 months.
No. Utah has no pay transparency law covering internal or external postings. Note that remote roles open to candidates in states like Colorado or California may still trigger those states' disclosure requirements.

Related ICU RN pay benchmarks — Utah metros and nearby nursing roles

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Data refreshed May 15, 2026. Next scheduled update: August 15, 2026.
© 2026 BetterComp. Market data informational only — not legal advice.