Nurse practitioner how much do they make

According to the AANP survey, the nurse practitioner yearly salary tends to rise along with experience. Salary levels stayed steady for NPs in their second decade of experience. You can find pockets of higher-than-average pay as an NP throughout the country.

While the highest-paying RN roles are often found in highly populated states like California or New York, high nurse practitioner salaries can also be found in states like Minnesota, Georgia, and Kansas. NPs are well compensated in rural areas throughout the country. Highest paying non-metro areas. Depending on the organization, employers might prefer to hire candidates who already have a certain level of experience or specialize in a particular area or patient population.

It can also be helpful to use LinkedIn to stay connected with other professionals in your field. The nurse practitioner pay scale also can vary by type of employer. The nurse practitioner job outlook appears exceptionally bright.

The need for all kinds of nurses is expected to jump as the aging baby boomer population will require more healthcare services over time. NPs are especially needed in team-based care, Hunt says, where they can help provide preventive care and perform many of the same services as physicians.

NPs are often required to complete continuing education courses every few years to maintain their state licensure or renew their specialty certifications. By taking continuing education courses and staying up to date on the latest practices, you can gain new knowledge in your field and make yourself more desirable in the field. Many continuing education classes for nurses are offered online and sometimes only take a few hours to complete.

You might also be able to earn continuing education credits at workshops, conferences, and seminars. Many of these lower-cost-of-living areas may offer great opportunities for new NPs to begin their careers. Explore All States. NPs enter a thriving job market. BLS projections indicate that, from , the healthcare field will add more jobs than any other sector of the economy.

New NPs may find the most openings in rural and underserved regions. Already, NPs represent one in four healthcare providers in rural areas as of The highest-paying jobs, however, are concentrated in urban locations in coastal states.

In academia, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing reports a severe faculty shortage , meaning NPs who hope to teach should find a warm welcome in nursing schools. The U. Prospective NPs can roughly divide locations into two groups: states where salaries run high and locations with the most job openings.

In general, urban areas with high cost of living figures pay higher wages, while rural and underserved areas with lower cost of living numbers offer more job opportunities. Outside of New York and California, these two groups do not overlap much. Across the country, states face a severe lack of qualified NPs. As the following information indicates, the most populous states tend to hire the most NPs.

Demand continues to quickly grow in areas with the largest populations of senior adults, including Arizona , Florida , and Georgia. In general, underserved or rural populations face the most acute need for NPs. These areas generally offer comparatively low wages with modest cost of living figures. By contrast, states with large urban centers and high cost of living rankings often pay lucrative salaries.

NPs also need to consider their preferred work style. Laws about NP scope of practice without physician oversight vary widely from state to state. For some professionals, the question comes down to personal values. Do you prefer a slower-paced life with a largely independent practice in a rural area, or the benefits of city life but with urban sprawl and tighter oversight? Salaries, sector demand, and cost of living can differ considerably within individual areas, especially large states such as Texas and California.

Consequently, NPs may find certain cities or metro areas particularly appealing. The chart below shows that the metro area around New York City maintains the largest number of employed NPs and supports the highest average annual wage. In addition to income, employability, and cost of living, NPs should consider soft factors such as quality of life and population density when choosing where to reside. NPs can work in several top-paying industries and settings.

NPs can also consider aspects of their work that they find most rewarding and then focus on that industry. For example, NPs who enjoy a fast-paced environment and quick treatment of complex needs may want to explore emergency nursing. Professionals looking to integrate healthcare with spirituality may prefer working in religious organizations.

Physician offices employ many NPs. These professionals provide services comparable to family practice doctors. Unlike emergency room nurses, these professionals see fewer patients, build provider-patient relationships, and enjoy regular office hours. However, they receive relatively low wages. For many NPs, determining the right industry or setting means weighing financial, professional, family, and personal factors.

Furthermore, FNPs are part of a quickly growing field. By illustration, the BLS projected that between and , openings for NPs will swell 35 percent, more than five times the average growth anticipated for all occupations during that time period 7 percent. Read on to discover how FNP salaries may vary by experience and region, as well as the source of reporting e. Find a program that meets your affordability, flexibility, and education needs through an accredited, online school.

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners AANP conducted the National Nurse Practitioner Compensation Survey —a study comprising self-reported data from more than 2, nurses across the US—and discovered that like many occupations, salary tends to be commensurate with experience. Unfortunately, the AANP did not divide this data according to specialty, but rather reported on NPs across all areas of expertise.

These are the average base salaries of NPs in all subfields listed by years of experience:. Additionally, AANP reported on average total compensation i. As of December , Payscale reports the following salary averages among all FNP respondents by experience:. Finally, Payscale also includes a list of skills i. So what are the most lucrative states and cities for NPs? The BLS finds that the top-paying states for these healthcare professionals include:.

Although living in an area with higher compensation may be desirable, these regions also tend to have a higher cost of living. Finally, Clinical Advisor conducts an annual survey of NP and physician assistant PA salaries, including a regional analysis.