Annual Salary For Nurse Practitioner
Nurse practitioners are trained to deliver primary care, and their salaries reflect that training. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the median salary for nurse practitioners was $104,690 in 2016. This is up from $102,190 in 2015, reflecting a 2% increase over the previous year. The top 10% of earners made more than $145,180 annually while the lowest 10% made less than $76,520 per year.
The average annual salary for nurse practitioners varies by state and by region of the country. For example, in 2016 it was $104,040 in Alaska but only $91,360 in Arkansas. In addition to taking into account regional differences in cost of living and employment opportunities, you also need to consider individual factors such as experience level and education level when making decisions about where to live and work as a nurse practitioner.
Annual Salary For Nurse Practitioner
salary. Rural areas always pay less then metropolitan areas. For example, although Tennessee pays the lowest NP salaries in the country, what you are paid depends upon where you practice. Oddly, you do not get paid more in areas where there are fewer nurse practitioners. If you work in rural Morristown, where there are only 70 nurse practitioners, you will earn $81,320 a year. However, if you work in metropolitan Jackson where there are 150 NPs, you will earn the highest NP wage in Tennessee of $96,150.
The highest NP salaries in the country
The highest salaries for nurse practitioners in the United States can be found in metropolitan areas. Of course the cost of living in those areas is also higher, so keep that in mind when deciding where to live and work. The metropolitan areas with the highest NP salaries in the US are as follows:
- San Franciso-Redwood City–South San Francisco: $151,660
- Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA: $150,040
- Alexandria, VA: $144,010
- Peabody-Salem-Beverly, MA: $142,730
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: $141,930
- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT: $140,540
- Panama City, FL: $139,780
- San Franciso-Oakland-Hayward, CA: $138,380
- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA: $138,180
- Madera, CA: $135,070
If you decide you want to live in a non-metropolitan area of the country, here are the highest paying rural areas in the U.S.
- Big Thicket Region Texas, nonmetro area: $143,670
- Balance of Alaska nonmetro: $137,330
- Central Louisiana nonmetro: $131,950
- Southeast Alaska nonmetro: $131,110
- North and West Central New Mexico nonmetro: $129,020
- Mother Lode Region of California nonmetro: $129,000
- SW New York nonmetro: $124,590
- SW Minnesota nonmetro: $122,670
- Nevada nonmetro: $121,120
- Far West N. Dakota nonmetro: $119,950
Salaries vary by industry
Another variable that impacts salary levels for nurse practitioners is the industry in which they work. NPs can work in many different industries, ranging from traditional hospital settings to residential facilities. The top paying industries are not necessarily the ones with the highest percentage of NPs.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top paying industries for nurse practitioners include:
- Personal care services: $139,770
- Community food and housing, emergency and other relief services: $131,930
- Religious organizations: $126,650
- Computer systems design and related services: $121,490
- Residential, intellectual, and developmental disability, mental health, substance use facilities: $117,440
For the most part, nurse practitioners choose to work in traditional healthcare settings that are not necessarily the highest paying organizations. The industries with the highest concentrations of NPs, and the salaries they earn, include:
- Outpatient care centers: $116,550
- Home health care services: $115,650
- Specialty (except psychiatric and substance use) hospitals: $114,880
- General med/surg hospitals: $113,900
- Outpatient mental health and substance use centers: $113,180
- Hospitals, state government owned: $112,790
- Offices of other health practitioners: $111,520
- Offices of physicians: $107,530
Job security looks good
The outlook for job growth for nurse practitioners is excellent. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that part of the healthcare sector will grow at 31 percent and job openings will increase by 47,600 by the year 2022.
If you are currently a nurse and are looking for a new challenge or expanded career opportunities, consider advanced training to become an APRN. If you have achieved that level of training and certification, there are endless opportunities for you to find a place to live and work that challenges you professionally and brings high satisfaction personally.
