The nurse practitioner salary in US is $73,550 annually.
Jobs in the medical field are undoubtedly said to be lucrative but the job of a nurse practitioner is likely to be overlooked in this field. In some cases, nurse practitioners earn more salaries than some resident doctors do in the United States.
A nurse practitioner in the United States can in an hour earn $35.36 and $73,550 annually on average. Quite fascinating, isn’t it?
Being a nurse practitioner comes with other benefits; asides the pay, that is. To give a few examples, the skills acquired are transferable.
They can be applicable and executed in the daily lives of nurses.
Again, it’s an occupation that commands respect.
Besides being seen as one who is smart, compassionate and selfless, the fact that a nurse comes to mind first when an emergency arises earns them a lot of reverence.
Nurse Practitioner Salary in US States
The job of a nurse practitioner is one that is well liked and also well practiced in the U.S.
Below are the average earnings of Nurse Practitioners in states across the United States; hourly and annually:
States | Hourly Salary | Annual Salary | ||||||
Alabama | $45.62 | $94,880 | ||||||
Alaska | $60.16 | $125,140 | ||||||
Arizona | $50.47 | $104,970 | ||||||
Arkansas | $45.79 | $95,230 | ||||||
California | $60.95 | $126,770 | ||||||
Colorado | $53.10 | $110,440 | ||||||
Connecticut | $56.97 | $118,500 | ||||||
Delaware | $50.66 | $105,380 | ||||||
Florida | $48.04 | $99,930 | ||||||
Georgia | $49.95 | $103,890 | ||||||
Hawaii | $58.94 | $122,580 | ||||||
Idaho | $49.40 | $102,760 | ||||||
Illinois | $49.02 | $101,960 | ||||||
Indiana | $48.93 | $101,780 | ||||||
Iowa | $50.06 | $104,130 | ||||||
Kansas | $47.05 | $97,870 | ||||||
Kentucky | $45.89 | $95,450 | ||||||
Louisiana | $47.49 | $98,780 | ||||||
Maine | $48.13 | $100,100 | ||||||
Maryland | $52.81 | $109,840 | ||||||
Massachusetts | $57.76 | $120.140 | ||||||
Michigan | $49.16 | $102,250 | ||||||
Minnesota | $55.84 | $116,150 | ||||||
Mississippi | $51.58 | $107,280 | ||||||
Missouri | $46.39 | $96,490 | ||||||
Montana | $46.86 | $97,470 | ||||||
Nebraska | $48.04 | $99,930 | ||||||
Nevada | $50.74 | $105,520 | ||||||
New Hampshire | $54.06 | $112,440 | ||||||
New Jersey | $44.06 | $91,647 | ||||||
New Mexico | $53.56 | $109,330 | ||||||
New York | $56.35 | $117,210 | ||||||
North Carolina | $51.11 | $106,320 | ||||||
North Dakota | $49.75 | $103,470 | ||||||
Ohio | $48.90 | $101,710 | ||||||
Oklahoma | $45.96 | $95,596 | ||||||
Oregon | $54.27 | $112,870 | ||||||
Pennsylvania | $47.24 | $98,260 | ||||||
Rhode Island | $52.23 | $108,630 | ||||||
South Carolina | $46.70 | $97,140 | ||||||
South Dakota | $48.09 | $100,030 | ||||||
Tennessee | $45.18 | $93,970 | ||||||
Texas | $53.53 | $111,330 | ||||||
Utah | $48.06 | $99,960 | ||||||
Vermont | $49.96 | $104,920 | ||||||
Virginia | $49.15 | $102,240 | ||||||
Washington | $55.41 | $115,250 | ||||||
West Virginia | $45.67 | $95,000 | ||||||
Wisconsin | $49.00 | $101,930 | ||||||
Wyoming | $54.48 | $113,310 | ||||||
20 Cities with Highest Nurse Practitioner Salary in US
As a nurse practitioner, there are a couple determinants for how much you earn. Your city of residence is one of the most considered factors behind that.
This is most of the time due to a heightened level in the cost of living of some cities more than others.
Again, it can be due to the sparseness of nurses in some cities compared to others.
In the table below are the 20 highest paying cities for nurse practitioners in the U.S. written in a specific order:
Cities | Hourly Salary | Annual Salary | |
Vallejo-Fairfield, California | $89.50 | $186,100 | |
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, California | $83.80 | $174,390 | |
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, California | $76.60 | $159,290 | |
El Centro, California | $73.50 | $152,830 | |
Railbelt-Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area, Alaska | $70.40 | $146,470 | |
Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, California | $70.30 | $146,190 | |
Napa, California | $69.50 | $144,480 | |
Yuba City, California | $68.90 | $143,390 | |
Bakersfield-Delano, California | $68.60 | $142,790 | |
Redding, California | $67.70 | $140,720 | |
Merced, California | $67.50 | $140,460 | |
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area, California | $67.00 | $139,290 | |
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California | $65.80 | $136,850 | |
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, California | $65.70 | $136,560 | |
Longview, Washington | $65.60 | $136,460 | |
New Bedford, Massachusetts | $65.40 | $136,000 | |
Madera-Chowchilla, California | $65.30 | $134,800 | |
Salinas, California | $64.80 | $134,790 | |
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, California | $64.70 | $134,590 | |
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California | $64.70 | $134,540 |
Skill-based Nurse Practitioner Salary in US
An additional determinant for how much a nurse practitioner is paid in the United States is seen in how much skill has been acquired or accumulated in that field.
There are wide arrays of specialties a nurse practitioner can practice and some happen to be more lucrative than others, still on the basis of skill and expertise.
A certified registered nurse anesthetist can in a year earn an average of $181,000, which is more than what a neonatal nurse practitioner earns, which can be an annual average of $125,000.
Salaries differ in amounts as nurse practitioners differ in skill; some more than the others.
Experience-based Nurse Practitioner Salary in US
As skill matters in one’s salary range as a nurse practitioner, experience in the field plays a big role as well.
As a nurse practitioner; in accordance with what was surveyed by the AANP, the salary range broadens as more experience is attained.
Nurse practitioners with less than a year of experience can earn an average of $71,388 annually.
This amount goes for nurse practitioners with 1-2 years of experience.
Nurse Practitioners with 3-5 years and 6-9 years of experience definitely earn higher. Their salary earnings can be an average of $86,866 in a year.
Nurse practitioners with more than 10 years of experience earn up to $88,599 annually, on average.
10 Companies with Highest Nurse Practitioner Salary in US
As a nurse practitioner, working in the highest paying companies can give you a lead over others in the aspect of how much salary earned.
Most of these companies are healthcare related so the nurse practitioners are necessary and well recognized entities hence the pay they get.
In a particular order, here is a table of the 10 highest paying companies for nurse practitioners in the United States:
Companies | Hourly Salary | Annual Salary |
Woundtech | $570.80 | $1,187,234 |
UCLA Health | $85.10 | $176,986 |
City of Hope | $82.20 | $171,075 |
Eventus WholeHealth | $77.20 | $160,620 |
Molina Healthcare | $74.40 | $154,654 |
Northwell Health | $72.00 | $149,759 |
Wound Care Plus, LLC | $70.70 | $146,965 |
Keck Medicine of USC | $70.60 | $146,770 |
New York – Presbyterian Hospital | $70.10 | $145,723 |
Anthem, Inc. | $69.90 | $145,442 |
More Benefits for Nurse Practitioners in US
Aside from being very necessary in society due to their knowledge on things concerning health and wellbeing, nurse practitioners have a lot of benefits attached to their jobs. Below are some of these benefits:
- Flexibility
Medical care is necessary at every point in time, in places of all kinds and by people of all kinds.
Hence the high demand for nurse practitioners gives them the chance to pick or choosewhatever works best for them and not settle for less.
- Respect and Trust
Nursing, time after time, ranks among the highly trusted and respected professions for clearly obvious reasons.
It’s a job that demands a lot of skill as well as patience, and the display of those qualities give nurse practitioners a lot of admiration and of course, respect.
- Personal Growth
As a nurse practitioner, things continually change and standardize, giving you a chance to grow in skill and increase in knowledge as well. These skills acquired can even be applied in daily living.
- Career Longevity
A lot of jobs are becoming less productive due to the evolution of technology but that doesn’t apply to nursing.
A nurse-patient physical relationship will always be necessary. This ensures the continuity of this career.
What Related Job Titles to Nurse Practitioner Earn in US
Nurse practitioners handle a beautiful career option but asides from it, there are other careers in close relation to it that are essential in society and still quite lucrative.
Below are some of the most common occupations in the U.S. that are in close relation to that of nurse practitioners:
- Dental Hygienist
These people clean out people’s teeth before, after and while the dental series of steps take place.
They are not dentists but they work hand in hand with dentists and oral surgeons as well, and with an annual salary average of $71,530, this job is actually alluring.
- Respiratory Therapist
A respiratory therapist’s job is to work with patients who have problems with respiration, like asthma, bronchitis, etc.
This job can easily be taken up as it doesn’t require a lot of training before workers are functional.
It is also quite lucrative seeing that they tend to get an annual pay of $55,870, on average.
- Physician Assistant
A physician assistant studies and practices medicine but practices it under the watch or the supervision of a surgeon or physician.
They are given the duty of examining, diagnosing, and providing treatment to diagnosis. Their salary on average is summed up to $90,930, annually.
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialist
These health practitioners basically specialize in and ensure environmental health safety.
They make sure businesses, inclusive of customers and staff, are safe by seeing they keep to healthcare guidelines which are necessary for wellbeing.
On average, occupational health and safety specialists get paid up to $65,710 annually.
Nurse Practitioner Salary and Job Outlook in US
For nurse practitioners, there would be an increase in employment rates due to the high demand for healthcare services.
Employment rates for nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, and midwives are very likely to increase a whopping 45% from the year 2020 till the year 2023.
For the past decade and beyond, close to 29,400 openings are projected on a yearly basis.
Most of those vacancies are for replacement purposes, i.e. for the retired ones or the ones who got transferred.
In the aspect of salary outlook, these nurse practitioners, in 2020, made a median of $111,680.
The highest paid 25% of them made $130,240 in that year as well while the 25% that were paid the lowest made $94,980.
How to Increase your Salary as a Nurse Practitioner in US
Here are useful ideas you can apply to improve your salary as a nurse practitioner in the U.S.:
- Take a Look at New Aspects of Nursing
Moving out of the particular aspects they have been confined to and looking out for new aspects within that same field will not only lead to acquiring more skills for nurse practitioners but can also prompt a higher pay or salary range.
- Attain More Work Experience
As it applies to most occupations, more experience can mean more salary. The more experience a nurse practitioner has can give them the leverage of handling more compound obligations, which can lead to an increased amount of payment.
- Produce Writings Concerning The Medical Field
As a nurse practitioner, you have more knowledge about the medical field that most people don’t and wish to, so it’ll be advisable to put that into writing.
People like students, patients, etc. will have a need for it. It can be quite lucrative due to the wide range of audiences who have a necessity for medical information.
More Career Opportunities for Nurse Practitioners in the US
Here are additional career areas people with training and background as nurse practitioner can explore:
- Foreign Service Medical Provider
The nurse practitioner’s job here is to make available acute care, primary care, and emergency care to places where it is needed, and to people who need it.
- Public Health Advisor
Nurse practitioners can also work as public health advisors. This job enables you to supervise public health schemes abroad.
Added to that, public health advisors make and execute health plans to align with health goals abroad.
- Telemedicine
Telemedicine is the act of providing healthcare services to people through technological (digital) devices like phones and laptops.
A nurse practitioner can handle this occupation. This way you can do your job as a nurse and provide healthcare to a large number of people without having to travel from place to place all the time.
- Working for Global Organizations
Nurse practitioners can also work for global organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations (UN); they can even work for the CIA, providing healthcare to people who need it there.
What do Nurse Practitioners do?
Nurse practitioners learn and are trained to evaluate, detect, direct, and elucidate medical tests and prescribe medications while taking care of the patients.
See detailed nurse practitioner job descriptions.
The particular job opportunities for nurse practitioners differ in various states.
Conclusion
A nurse practitioner’s job in the U.S. is one with a lot of advantages attached to it and is of utmost importance to the society and the entirety of the work.
This article was written with the view of enlightening aspiring nurse practitioners on what to expect as salary and other benefits they stand to gain working as a nurse practitioner in the United States.
Information sources: indeed.com, bls.gov, payscale.com, glassdoor.com, registerednursern.com, nursingprocess.org, and usawage.com.