What types of nursing specialties are there?
Nursing specialties are organized by patient group (pediatrics, geriatrics, women’s health), by setting (emergency, operating room, home health) or by function (education, informatics, case management). Most start with an RN license and add experience and optional certification.
By patient group
Pediatric nurse, neonatal, geriatric, women’s health, oncology, psychiatric and cardiac nursing focus on a population or disease.
By setting
Emergency, critical care, operating room, hospice, home health, long-term care, school and public health nursing are defined by where the nurse works.
By function
Nurse educators, nurse managers, informatics nurses, case managers and researchers shape how care is delivered. Informatics has its own certification.
Pay
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports registered nurses as a single group, with a median of $97,550 in May 2025, and reports advanced practice roles on their own. Specialty alone does not change a nurse’s federal pay category. See pay by state.
Pay and projections: Bureau of Labor Statistics. NCLEX figures: NCSBN. Enrollment: AACN. Sources and years are ondata sources.