5 Booming Nursing Specialities Where The Demand Is High

The pandemic drove intense demand for nurses, and that demand has not faded. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing expects the shortage to intensify as aging baby boomers need more care. Here are five specialties where the need is strongest right now.

1. Critical Care Nurse

Critical care nurses treat patients with life-threatening conditions. They master a wide range of skills to care for severe illness and injury and to weigh the risks of every intervention. Many specialize further in an area like pediatrics, cardiology, or oncology, or focus on a particular patient population, and most work in fast-paced settings: ICUs, pediatric ICUs, cardiac care units, and emergency departments.

An aging population has driven demand for critical care nurses who work with elderly patients. As of October 2025, PayScale puts their average annual salary at $108,000.

2. Certified Nurse Midwife

Nurse midwives handle gynecological exams, family planning, and prenatal care. They deliver babies, assist with cesarean sections, and educate patients on nutrition, disease prevention, and reproductive health.

The BLS reports a mean annual wage of $128,790 for nurse midwives and projects 11% job growth through 2034 as awareness of the role grows and current nurses retire.

3. Certified Dialysis Nurse

Certified dialysis nurses specialize in nephrology, the study of kidney disease. They run dialysis machines to replace kidney function and fight chronic and acute renal failure, monitor patients on dialysis, administer medication, and teach patients and families to manage kidney disease. Their caseloads center on renal failure, transplants, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, and they coordinate closely with nephrologists on any change in a patient's status.

A 2023 CDC report found that about 1 in 7 U.S. adults has chronic kidney disease, with 34% of those cases in people over 65. Demand for dialysis nurses is expected to grow over the coming decade. As of October 2025, PayScale puts their average annual salary at $82,930.

4. Operating Room Nurse

Operating room nurses work in surgical nursing, caring for patients before, during, and after surgery. They prep the patient and the room, assist during the procedure, and monitor recovery.

A 2018 survey by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) found that hospital directors, nurse managers, and administrators reported a rise in surgical procedures at their facilities, and 33% of responding OR managers increased staff to keep up. AORN projects 2% annual job growth for operating room nurses. PayScale data from 2025 puts their average annual salary at $84,638.

5. Nurse Case Manager

Nurse case managers build long-term care plans, coordinating with professionals inside and outside the medical community. They often work within a specialty like pediatrics or oncology, tailoring plans to help patients manage illness and injury. They also teach patients about treatment options, provide emotional support, and collaborate with social workers, and they may develop, implement, and evaluate an entire treatment plan.

Facilities increasingly hire case managers to cut costs and improve outcomes, and as better treatments help patients with chronic conditions live longer, the demand keeps rising. As of October 2025, PayScale puts their average annual salary at $82,738.