Hospice Nurse Salary 2026: What Hospice and Palliative Care RNs Earn

Hospice nursing is one of the fastest-growing RN sectors — driven by an aging U.S. population and a nationwide shift toward home-based end-of-life care. The pay gap between hospice and hospital nursing has narrowed in recent years, particularly for inpatient facility roles and positions at large integrated health systems. For nurses seeking meaningful patient contact and a more predictable schedule than acute care, hospice is an increasingly competitive option.

Hospice RN Salary by Work Setting

Setting is the biggest driver of hospice nurse pay. Inpatient hospital-based hospice units pay at or above general hospital RN rates. Home health agencies pay less base salary but often add mileage reimbursement ($0.67–$0.70/mile) and visit bonuses that close the gap. Nonprofit community hospice organizations typically pay below market but offer Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligibility for nurses with federal student loans.

Hospice Nurse Salary by Role

Roles within hospice nursing vary in pay, autonomy, and schedule burden. Case managers carry ongoing patient relationships; triage and on-call RNs field after-hours crises. The on-call structure — standby pay plus per-visit pay — means total compensation for triage nurses can exceed their base rate by $8,000–$15,000/year depending on call frequency.

Hospice Nurse Salary by State

State-level pay tracks the general RN market — California, Massachusetts, and Washington top the list. California hospice RNs at unionized systems can earn $95,000–$115,000 with experience. Southern markets (Texas, Florida, Georgia) average 15–20% below the national RN mean for hospice-specific roles, though lower cost of living partially offsets the gap.

Hospice vs. Hospital: Is the Pay Trade-Off Worth It?

A hospice case manager earns roughly $5,000–$12,000/year less in base pay than a comparable hospital floor RN. The tradeoffs nurses typically cite in favor of hospice: daytime scheduling (most visits occur 8am–5pm), no mandatory overtime, lower physical strain, meaningful long-term patient relationships, and significantly lower acute-care stress levels. Factors against: on-call obligations, emotional weight of end-of-life care, and mileage burden in home-based roles.

For nurses with federal student loans, nonprofit and government-operated hospice organizations qualify for PSLF — which can eliminate up to $20,000–$50,000 in loan balances over 10 years and effectively increase total compensation above equivalent for-profit hospital pay.

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