Mid-Level

Vascular Nurse

On a vascular surgery service, the Vascular Nurse cares for patients with peripheral arterial and venous disease — managing post-op recovery from bypass and endovascular procedures, complex wound care, anticoagulation, and the patient education that chronic vascular disease demands.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
S
I
R
C
E
A
Socialhelping, teaching
Investigativeanalytical, curious
Based on Holland Code framework
Job markets for Vascular Nurses
Employment concentration · ~391 areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
What it's like

What it's like to be a Vascular Nurse

A typical shift tends to involve patient assignments across the vascular surgery service — fresh post-op bypass and endovascular procedure recoveries, complex wound care, anticoagulation management, and patient education — across the spectrum from outpatient to inpatient acuity. Pulse and perfusion checks structure the assessment rhythm.

Coordination spans vascular surgeons, intensivists for the higher-acuity patients, wound care, PT, social work, and patients along with families navigating chronic vascular disease. The hardest part is often the long-term trajectory — vascular disease tends to progress, amputations happen, and patients return for repeat interventions. Patient relationships often run deep.

Vascular nurses who tend to thrive are clinically detailed, organized about post-op vascular checks, comfortable with chronic disease management, and emotionally durable around amputation and progression. If you crave acute critical-care pacing or struggle with chronic disease trajectories, the role can feel slow. If you find meaning in patients managing their vascular disease for years and the relationships built across years of repeat visits, the role can offer real depth and continuity.

RelationshipsHigh
SupportHigh
AchievementAbove avg
IndependenceAbove avg
RecognitionAbove avg
Working ConditionsAbove avg
O*NET Work Values survey
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns
Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.

$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Vascular Nurses (SOC 29-1141.03), not just this title · BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
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✦ Editorial — career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$66K–$135K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
3.3M
U.S. Employment
+4.9%
10yr Growth
189K
Annual Openings

How this category is changing

$74K$71K$68K$65K$62K201920202021202220232024$62K$74K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

MonitoringSocial PerceptivenessService OrientationCritical ThinkingSpeakingActive ListeningReading ComprehensionJudgment and Decision MakingComplex Problem SolvingCoordination
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
29-1141.03

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) · BLS Employment Projections · O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.