Nurse Practitioner Salaries – Salary Resource for Nurse Practitioners
With a masters in nursing and a set of highly specialized skills nurse practitioners (NPs) play an essential part in our health care system today. And it’s because they play a variety of roles in the medical field, from diagnosing and treating a wide range of acute and chronic illnesses and injuries, counseling patients, developing treatment plans, and more. We all know that the nursing shortage is becoming greater than it’s ever been, and more and more physicians are shifting their focus away from primary care towards specialized practices. And so it is that the nurse practitioner demand is greater than it’s ever been.
Consequently, nurse practitioners are able to command a fairly comfortable salary, one that compares favorably with other professionals who have earned their master’s degrees. And as the need for these skilled individuals continues to increase (as it is projected to) those salaries should continue to rise as well.
Nurse Practitioner Salary Trends
According to PayScale.com, nurse practitioners can make on average anywhere between $68,000 and $90,000 annually. Some NPs can earn even more if they work in an independent practice. Certain areas of focus have been proven to be more lucrative than others in this field. For instance, the salary of a nurse practitioner specializing in Acute Care, Case Management, or Intensive Care Unit work will typically be higher than the salary of a nurse practitioner working in other areas. According to the Nurse Practitioner Salaries by Hospital Setting report, nurse practitioner salaries tend to be higher in a general hospital or surgery setting in comparison to the salary of a nurse practitioner employed in a school or private practice. Many nurse practitioners are able to leverage their salaries by progressing their careers into some of the more higher-paying specialties, such as Family Nurse Practitioner ($65,117-$84,993), Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) ($63,926-$84,518), and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner ($66,562-$84,512).
Location also plays a significant part in determining the salary of a nurse practitioner. New York and Boston are two cities that currently have the highest paid nurse practitioners, with Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Atlanta, and Indianapolis also ranking as top-paying cities in the United States.
Nurse Practitioner Education
Getting a good education from a quality Nurse Practitioner School and earning your Nurse Practitioner Degree is instrumental in being able to advance your nurse practitioner career and earn a comfortable salary as a nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners who hold their Masters in Nursing Degree have been able to increase their salary and enjoy upward mobility within their career field. If you want to take your career to the next level, find the nurse practitioner program that’s right for you and get on track to furthering your career as a nurse practitioner.
Get Started with your Online Nurse Practitioner Degree
Today it’s easier than ever for you to further your education and increase your Nurse Practitioner salary with an nurse practitioner program. If you want to start taking steps towards becoming a nurse practitioner, find the online school and degree program that’s right for you today!
Adult Nurse Practitioner Program – Prepare for your career in adult primary care by going through extensive clinical practice.
Family Nurse Practitioner Program – Prepare for a career working with children and adult patients as you study how illness affects the family.
Clinical Nurse Specialist Program – Find a degree program that specializes in areas such as research, clinical practice, management, teaching, and more.
Nurse Educator Program – Move towards a career in educating future generations of nurses with a degree program that combines your nursing skills and passion for teaching.
Nurse Midwife Program- Help guide women through their pregnancies and provide medical care to the woman and infant after delivery.
Nursing Administration Degree - Learn what it takes to coordinate and manage a team of nurses in the workplace.
Psychiatric Nursing Program- Prepare for a career in caring for and treating patients who suffer from various forms of mental illness.
Womens Health Program- Learn how to apply your nurse practitioner skills to diagnosing and managing medical conditions for female patients.
Nurse Practitioner Career Resources
There are a lot of things to consider as you move forward with your education and begin plotting the course of your career, but you don’t have to do it alone. Get the information you need by exploring our Career Resources below.
Nurse Practitioner Careers – Find out what kinds of different career options exist for professional nurse practitioners.
Nurse Practitioner Schools – Learn what you need to think about when considering nurse practitioner schools and find the one that best fits your goals.
Nurse Practitioner Programs – Explore the different areas of study that are out there and find the one that best fits your career goals.
The Demand for Nurse Practitioners – Find out why nurse practitioners are in such high demand within the health care industry.

