Nurse Practitioner Salaries, by Specialty and State

Nurses who want to take their careers to a new level often pursue a Master of Science degree in Nursing, sometimes referred to as an MS in Nursing. The advanced degree gives them the education and training they need to become a Nurse Practitioner (NP) and the opportunity to specialize in a specific area, such as family practice or Nurse-Midwifery, if they choose.

NPs are able to diagnose patients and prescribe medications in a clinical environment. Nurses enter the profession because they are passionate about patient care and community health, and earning a master’s degree can help prepare nurses for leadership roles and boost earning potential.

It is helpful to understand acronyms for nursing degrees when exploring graduate programs. Generally, any nurse who has earned a Master of Science degree in Nursing is considered an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse or APRN. Nurse Practitioners (NP), Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP), Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioners (AG-ACNPs), Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNM), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA), and Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) are under the umbrella of an APRN.

Nurses in each specialty area take specific graduate-level courses and training while earning their MS in Nursing to enhance their knowledge. They also take certification exams in their areas of expertise and any state-required continuing education courses. APRN salaries, or NP salaries, can vary based on specialty area, education level, the number of years a nurse has practiced, type of practice, and the state where they work.

Following is a description of the job and salary potential for NPs, FNPs, AG-ACNPs, and CNMs.

Nurse Practitioners work in a variety of health care settings across the United States, including physician offices, hospitals, outpatient care centers, medical specialist offices, and schools. While the salary for a Nurse Practitioner who holds a valid RN license, a graduate nursing degree, and national certification varies by state, the mean annual wage for an NP in 2018 was $110,030, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Like other graduate-level nursing degrees, a Master of Science degree in Nursing can be earned through either online or campus-based Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) programs, in which nurses learn to diagnose and treat patients of all ages. FNP students gain skills that help them teach patients about disease prevention across the lifespan. FNPs treat patients in primary care settings and can find work opportunities in almost any region, including urban, suburban, and rural areas.

While the BLS does not break down average salaries by specialty, they do offer information based on environments. For example, an NP working in a physician’s office made an average annual salary of $107,530 in 2018. It’s important to note that salary numbers specific to FNPs are dependent on location and experience level. A background in emergency patient care, case management, and geriatrics can help boost a Family Nurse Practitioner’s salary.

Request information for the online Family Nurse Practitioner program from Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies.

An Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP) program prepares RNs to manage the care of patients who have acute and chronic conditions. These are commonly hospital patients, but AG-ACNPs practice in other settings, too.

Candidates generally enter an AG-ACNP program with at least a year of experience in an intensive care unit, emergency department, telemetry unit, or progressive care unit. Through a combination of classroom and hands-on clinical training, students learn to communicate and actively listen to patients and families and manage complex — even life-threatening — medical situations. AG-ACNPs also develop practical skills that help them stabilize seriously ill patients, manage and interpret diagnostic tests, and troubleshoot further complications.

As previously mentioned, the BLS does not break down salaries by specialty. However, the BLS reports that an NP working in a general medical or surgical hospital — as many AG-ACNPs do — had an average yearly salary of $113,900 in 2018.

Request information for the online Acute Care Adult Gerontology Nurse practitioner program from Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies.

Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) programs prepare registered nurses (RNs) to manage a woman’s reproductive care during her childbearing years. According to the American College of Nurse-Midwives, the midwife cares for babies up to four weeks old and offers care to pregnant women before, when, and after the child is delivered. In 2018, the mean annual wage for a Nurse-Midwife was $106,910, according to the BLS. Out of the industries with the highest levels of employment, outpatient care centers had the highest annual mean wage for Nurse-Midwives ($114,450).

Request information for the online Nurse Midwifery Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner program from Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies.

California boasts the top salary for the job with an annual mean wage of $133,780. Alaska ($122,880) comes in second, and Massachusetts ($122,740) stands at third. (Note: Salary averages are based on BLS 2018 data.) Texas isn’t far behind, with an average nurse practitioner salary of $111,330 in 2018.

Below are state-by-state average salaries for Nurse Practitioners, based on 2018 BLS data:

Below are state-by-state average salaries for Certified Nurse-Midwives, based on 2018 BLS data. 2018 data from the BLS is not available for Alabama, Arkansas, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Citation for this content: Nursing@Georgetown, the online Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner program from the School of Nursing & Health Studies