7 Best RN Specialties in 2025: Salaries, Demand & Career Growth

Nurses across the country are looking for more than just a paycheck. They want roles that not only change lives but also challenge them. While paychecks matter, many RNs are looking for something deeper: a specialty that offers real meaning and career momentum.

We spoke to travel nurses, reviewed hiring trends, and dug into the latest healthcare stats to find the seven RN specialties thriving in 2025, complete with real examples, salary data, and why these fields are attracting nurses everywhere.

What Type of RN is Most in Demand?

As a nurse, there are tons of specialties to choose from, but several stand out in 2025. Healthcare trends show consistent demand across several specialties — especially ICU, pediatrics, labor & delivery, and behavioral health. Salaries remain strong, but what sets these fields apart is their career longevity and impact.

Salary and Certification Requirements by Specialty (2025)

*Salary data and trends were sourced from Advantis Med's proprietary internal data and analysis in addition to data from the BLS, median averages from Nightingale College, and NurseJournal.org

For a deeper look at travel nurse pay across the U.S., see our travel nurse salary in 2025 guide.

1. ICU Nursing: Calm Under Pressure

In 2025, ICUs are leaner, tech-driven, and more reliant on nurses who can manage crises without hesitation. Critical care roles are no longer just about ventilators and vitals—they’re about trust. In 2025, ICU teams are leaner, and demand calm RNs who can own the room.

What You’ll Do

• Manage sedated patients
• Interpret real-time data
• Collaborate with surgeons and respiratory therapists
• Act quickly in life-or-death situations

Where You’ll Work

Large hospitals, trauma centers, and specialized ICUs.

Who Thrives Here

RNs who stay calm under pressure and value precision.

Pro Tip: AACN’s CCRN certification can boost earning potential for ICU travel nurses.

2. Pediatric Nursing: Supporting Kids and Families

Few specialties demand as much empathy as pediatrics — nurses balance clinical skill with family guidance every shift. Being a pediatric nurse involves more than administering medicine and taking temperatures. You will support families during difficult times and serve as the liaison between doctors and patients. Empathy and patience make pediatric nurses integral team members in children’s care.

What You’ll Do

• Provide care for chronic illnesses and post-op recovery
• Manage asthma, diabetes, and crisis cases
• Educate families and help coordinate long-term plans

Where You’ll Work

Children’s hospitals, pediatric ERs, school clinics, and outreach programs.

Who Thrives Here

Nurses with patience, empathy, and strong communication skills.

Pro Tip: Certifications in PALS and CPEN open doors to top pediatric hospitals.

3. Operating Room (OR) Nurse: Calm in the Chaos

Inside the operating room, precision and teamwork define success. OR nurses keep the surgical flow safe and efficient. OR nurses ensure every procedure, from routine to life-saving, runs smoothly.

What You’ll Do

• Prep patients and surgical tools
• Maintain sterile environments
• Assist surgeons and anesthesiologists
• Oversee patient safety throughout surgery

Where You’ll Work

Hospital operating rooms and specialty surgical centers.

Who Thrives Here

RNs who love structure, detail, and teamwork.

Pro Tip: A CNOR certification is now required at many top hospitals.

4. Oncology Nurse: Helping Patients Fight—And Heal

With cancer care becoming increasingly personalized, oncology nurses are at the center of long-term patient journeys. Oncology units need emotionally intelligent nurses who handle long-term treatment plans. You’ll need empathy alongside your clinical skills.

What You’ll Do

• Administer chemo and pain management
• Manage ports and infusion care
• Educate families on treatment cycles
• Advocate for patients during difficult decisions

Who Will You Work With?

Oncology nurses partner with oncologists, pharmacists, radiation therapists, and social workers. Together, this team will coordinate a complex treatment plan for patients. Plan on educating families and advocating for your patient during this difficult time.

Where Will You Work?

Infusion centers, outpatient clinics, hospice units, and clinical trials.

Who Thrives Here?

Nurses with strong clinical skills and deep empathy work best in oncology. Are you organized, adaptable, and emotionally resilient? You might be the perfect person to work in oncology.

Pro tip: Rural and underserved regions desperately need travel oncology nurses with OCN credentials. Keep that in mind when evaluating offers. You also want to look at tele-oncology roles.

5. Labor & Delivery Nurse: A New Generation of Care

Labor & Delivery nurses guide families through both the most joyful and most vulnerable moments of care. Labor and Delivery nurses guide families through some of life’s most vulnerable moments. Rising C-section rates, maternal mental health awareness, and rural hospital closures are creating demand for adaptable nurses in this specialty.

What You’ll Do

• Monitor fetal health
• Assist with emergency deliveries
• Provide postpartum care and education
• Counsel new mothers

Who Will You Work With?

Labor & Delivery nurses work closely with obstetricians, midwives, anesthesiologists, and pediatricians. You might coordinate with doulas, lactation consultants, and social workers to support the physical and emotional needs of mother and child.

Where Will You Work?

Birthing centers, maternity wards, and high-risk perinatal units. Rural areas, especially, are seeing massive gaps in prenatal and delivery care. Rural hospitals continue to close, leaving pregnant patients without a safe place to deliver or deal with medical emergencies.

Who Thrives Here?

Calm, compassionate nurses who can think clearly under pressure.

Pro tip: Certifications like NRP and STABLE are often required, and bilingual nurses are in especially high demand.

The demand and rewards of this specialty are clear in testimonials from nurses like Elisabeth, who shares her experience as a travel L&D nurse in her video review.

6. ER Nurse: First to Respond

Emergency rooms in 2025 face relentless surges — ER nurses are the first line of response in chaotic, high-stakes settings. From rural ERs to major city trauma centers, emergency departments are busier than ever. ER nurses don’t just stabilize patients — they also lead efforts in triage redesign and flow management.

What You’ll Do

• Treat everything from flu surges to trauma cases
• Lead code teams and mentor new nurses
• Handle disaster response and mass-casualty scenarios

Who Will You Work With?

ER nurses collaborate closely with emergency physicians, trauma surgeons, paramedics, and respiratory therapists to provide fast, lifesaving care. You’ll also work with radiology technicians, lab staff, social workers, and patient transport teams.

Where Will You Work?

Urban trauma hospitals, rural emergency rooms, mobile units, and tele-triage.

Who Thrives Here?

Quick thinkers who stay calm under pressure and make decisions in unpredictable settings.

Pro tip: Certifications like TNCC and CEN help ER nurses secure top assignments.

ER trauma travel nurses, like Tasha in her video testimonial, highlight the fast-paced and impactful nature of this specialty.

7. Behavioral Health: Meeting the Moment

As mental health demand surges nationwide, behavioral health nurses are filling vital roles in ERs, clinics, and telehealth. Behavioral health has become central to healthcare. From ERs to primary care clinics, nurses are addressing the nation’s growing mental health needs.

What You’ll Do

• Medication management and crisis intervention
• De-escalation and patient advocacy
• Coordinate integrated care with therapists and physicians

Who Will You Work With?

You will work closely with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and counselors to support patients. Coordinate patient behavioral health plans with primary care doctors, ER staff, case managers, and family members, especially during crisis intervention.

Where Will You Work?

Psychiatric hospitals, general hospital psych units, outpatient mental health clinics, addiction treatment centers, and long-term care facilities. Many RNs are embedded in primary care offices, emergency rooms, schools, and telehealth services to meet growing mental health needs.

Who Thrives Here?

Nurses with empathy, emotional intelligence, and strong communication skills. Behavioral health nurses often become team anchors in otherwise chaotic settings.

Pro tip: PMH-BC (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse certification) fast-tracks you into leadership roles or hybrid telehealth positions. Hospitals and medical facilities need nurses experienced in trauma-informed approaches.

How to Choose the Right Specialty

The right specialty isn’t just about salary or schedule. It’s about aligning your day-to-day with your personal values and strengths.

Ask yourself:

• Do I want high-pressure adrenaline or deep emotional work?
• Which patient stories stay with me long after a shift ends?
• Am I ready to upskill or pursue certification?
• What work environment helps me give my best—busy hospital units or quiet clinics?
• How much do I value teamwork versus independence?
• What kind of challenges motivate me the most?

Find a specialty where you’ll thrive, not simply survive. The perfect specialty fits how you want to grow as a nurse and the kind of impact you want to make.

The Bottom Line

In 2025, nursing is about more than clocking in — it’s about finding a specialty that inspires you. Whether it’s guiding new life in L&D, advocating for cancer patients, or standing strong in the ICU, your specialty should align with both your career goals and personal values.

RNs deserve more than just a job title. They deserve a career path that challenges them, rewards their expertise, and allows them to make a lasting impact.

The next step? Reflect on where your strengths and passions meet — because the specialty that fits you best is the one where you’ll thrive, not just survive.