Full-time case managers earn a median salary of $90,000 to $99,999 a year, according to the 2026 Case Management Salary and Trends Survey of 2,622 case managers. Case manager salary rises with experience, supervisory responsibility, clinical sector, and region, and 70.0% of full-time case managers received a raise in the past year.
We are often asked about the salary for case managers. To answer that question, the Case Management Institute (CMI) and the Case Management Society of America (CMSA) conducted the 2026 Case Management Salary and Trends Survey, which gathered responses from 2,622 case managers across the country (Cooper Gillingham, 2026).
Beginning this year, the salary findings include only full-time case managers, because their pay gives the truest picture of annual salary. Of the 2,622 respondents, 2,186 work full time and reported their salary, and the figures in this article are based on that group.
How Much Do Case Managers Make in 2026?
Full-time case managers earn a median salary of $90,000 to $99,999 a year, which means half earn more than this and half earn less (Cooper Gillingham, 2026). Actual salaries vary based on experience, supervisory responsibility, clinical sector, and region.
More than half of full-time case managers (54.4%) earn between $80,000 and $109,999 (Cooper Gillingham, 2026).
Many earn well above that. Of full-time case managers, 45.4% earn $100,000 or more, and 8.2% earn $150,000 or more (Cooper Gillingham, 2026).
Do Case Managers Get Raises?
In 2026, 70.0% of full-time case managers received a salary increase in the past 12 months. Another 25.1% reported their salary stayed the same, and 4.8% reported a decrease (Cooper Gillingham, 2026).
What Affects a Case Manager’s Salary?
A case manager’s salary is shaped by several factors, including years of experience, supervisory responsibility, clinical sector, and region. The table below shows the median full-time salary for the first three (Cooper Gillingham, 2026). Region is covered in the next section.
| Factor | Group | Median salary |
| Experience | First 2 years | $85,000–$90,000 |
| Experience | 3 to 10 years | $95,000 |
| Experience | 11 or more years | $105,000 |
| Supervisory role | Supervises others | $115,000 |
| Supervisory role | Does not supervise | $95,000 |
| Clinical sector | Hospital | $105,000 |
| Clinical sector | Most other sectors | $95,000 |
| Clinical sector | Long-term services and supports | $80,000 |
Experience
Case manager salary rises most in the early years. The median full-time salary is $85,000 to $90,000 in the first two years of case management, $95,000 at 3 to 10 years, and $105,000 at 11 or more years. After 11 years, higher pay is associated with other factors more than with years alone (Cooper Gillingham, 2026).
Supervisory Responsibility
Supervisory responsibility is associated with the largest salary difference of any factor in the survey. Case managers who supervise others earn a median of $115,000, compared with $95,000 for those who do not, a difference of $20,000. Supervisors are also three times as likely to earn $150,000 or more (Cooper Gillingham, 2026).
This $20,000 difference combines all supervisory roles, from supervisors of small teams to directors of large departments. A director may earn more than a manager or supervisor, but pay by supervisory level was not measured and is an area for the next survey to examine (Cooper Gillingham, 2026).
Clinical Sector
Most clinical sectors share a median case manager salary of $95,000. Hospital-based case managers earn more, with a median of $105,000, while case managers in long-term services and supports earn less, with a median of $80,000 (Cooper Gillingham, 2026).
Case Manager Salary by Region
Case manager salary is highest in the West, where the median full-time salary is $115,000. The Northeast follows at $105,000, and the Midwest and South share a median of $95,000.
| Region | Full-time case managers | Median salary | Salary range for middle 50% | Earn $150,000 or more |
| West | 367 | $115,000 | $95,000–$145,000 | 23.4% |
| Northeast | 368 | $105,000 | $95,000–$125,000 | 12.5% |
| Midwest | 428 | $95,000 | $85,000–$105,000 | 3.5% |
| South | 1,007 | $95,000 | $85,000–$105,000 | 3.2% |
Nearly a quarter of full-time case managers in the West (23.4%) earn $150,000 or more, compared with 3.2% in the South. Cost of living also differs by region, so a higher salary does not always mean more take-home value.
Regions follow the four U.S. Census Bureau regions. Based on additional CMI analysis of the 2026 Case Management Salary and Trends Survey data.
Nurse Case Manager Salary and Other Disciplines
The median full-time salary for registered nurse case managers in 2026 is $95,000, the same as the profession overall. Social worker case managers earn a median of $85,000, and advanced practice registered nurse case managers earn a median of $115,000.
| Discipline | Full-time case managers | Median salary | Salary range for middle 50% |
| Registered nurse | 1,753 | $95,000 | $85,000–$115,000 |
| Social worker | 237 | $85,000 | $75,000–$105,000 |
| Advanced practice registered nurse | 49 | $115,000 | $105,000–$145,000 |
Respondents could select more than one discipline. Advanced practice registered nurses reflect a smaller sample and should be interpreted with caution. Based on additional CMI analysis of the 2026 Case Management Salary and Trends Survey data.
Who Are the Highest-Paid Case Managers?
In 2026, 179 full-time case managers reported earning $150,000 or more. Compared with full-time case managers overall, the highest-paid case managers are more likely to supervise staff (39.7% compared with 20.6%), more likely to work in the hospital sector (49.2% compared with 30.0%), and more likely to have 11 or more years in case management (63.7% compared with 40.1%) (Cooper Gillingham, 2026).
It is important to note that these are associations, not guarantees. They describe what the highest earners have in common, not a formula that will raise any one person’s pay.
Are Case Managers Satisfied With Their Pay?
Over half of case managers (57.3%) are satisfied with their salary, including 15.7% who are extremely satisfied. On the other side, 17.1% are dissatisfied and 4.0% are extremely dissatisfied (Cooper Gillingham, 2026).
Satisfaction with pay rises with salary. It reaches a majority near $90,000 and exceeds 80% at $150,000 (Cooper Gillingham, 2026).
How Does Your Salary Compare?
These are profession-wide figures, and your own pay depends on your mix of experience, setting, sector, and region. To see where you stand, use our free salary comparison tool. You enter a few details about your role and see how your pay compares with case managers like you.
Compare your salary with the 2026 Salary Comparison Tool
References
Cooper Gillingham, D. (2026). 2026 case management salary and trends survey report. Case Management Society of America; Case Management Institute. https://cmsalaries.com/
About Deanna Cooper Gillingham, RN, CCM, FCM
Deanna Cooper Gillingham, RN, CCM, FCM, has been a Registered Nurse since 1994 and a Case Manager since 2011, with experience in complex and transplant case management. She is the author of CCM Certification Made Easy: Your Guide to Passing the Certified Case Manager Exam, now in its 4th edition, which has helped tens of thousands of case managers earn their certification.
As co-founder and CEO of the Case Management Institute, Deanna is passionate about developing the case management workforce by decreasing barriers to entry into the profession and developing case managers into leaders. She is also co-founder of the Case Managers Community, a Facebook group of over 30,000 case managers, and a Fellow of the Case Management Society of America.