How Much Do Neuroscience Telephone Triage Nurses Make?

If you are interested in providing assistance and advice to patients over the phone, a career as a telephone triage nurse may be right for you. While large HMOs have used telephone advice nurses since the 1970s, today’s telephone triage systems feature convenient access to healthcare, with electronic records immediately accessible to physicians and other healthcare professionals.

This guide explores telephone triage salaries, along with ways to increase your earning power and information on which states pay the most.

As a registered nursing (RN) specialty area, the average telephone triage salary totals $82,750 per year, or $39.78 an hour, according to 2023 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data for all RNs. At the RN level, telephone triage salaries are comparable to nurse researchers, travel nurses, and informatics nurses. Telephone triage nurse earnings range from $59,450 for the lowest 10% to $120,250 for the highest 10%. Pay rates can vary by geographic location, employer type, and level of education or experience.

While specific telephone triage salary information is unavailable, earnings tend to be on par with those of all RNs. The BLS lists the top-paying states for all RNs as California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, D.C., and Alaska. At the high end, California RNs earn an average of $124,000 per year. In the fifth position, Alaska RNs make $97,230. Factors that contribute to average salaries in different locales can include the cost of living, the region’s level of demand for nurses, and whether the area is metropolitan or rural.

Telephone triage nurses can increase their salaries without relocating by becoming certified, earning a higher degree, or taking on administrative roles in telehealth. All three of the actions described below can demonstrate to employers a commitment to telephone triage nursing and increased expertise.

As an RN specialty area, telephone triage nurse salaries can be grouped with BLS data for all RNs. The BLS provides a salary range of $59,450-$120,250 between the lowest 10% and highest 10% of RN earners.

Nurses licensed as RNs typically perform telephone triage, but other types of nurses also work in telehealth. These include licensed practical nurses and advanced practice registered nurses, such as nurse practitioners.

Telephone triage nurses need strong skills in verbal communication, use of technology, health assessment, collaboration, focus, and attention to detail. Employers may require bedside nursing experience or emergency department triage.