Nurse Salaries / Nurse Practitioner Salary
A nurse practitioner is an advanced practice registered nurse who works autonomously to manage patients’ health care and prevent disease. With advanced training and qualifications, NPs are granted greater authority than a registered nurse would have to treat patients across a variety of fields and situations. As of May 2021, the average salary for a nurse practitioner in the United States is $118,040 – an effective hourly rate of $56.75.
Nurse practitioners are also among the highest-earning categories of nurses, considering registered nurses earn an average salary of just $82,750.
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Highest-paying states for nurse practitioners
In addition to specialty, license, and experience, location also plays a major factor in a nurse’s expected wages – driven by cost-of-living and the overall job market in each area.
For nurse practitioners, California tops the list of highest-paying states with an average annual wage of $151,830. New Jersey comes in at second with an average NP salary of $137,010, followed by New York at $133,940.
Top 10 highest-paying states for nurse practitioners
Top 10 highest-paying cities for nurse practitioners
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Nurse practitioner salary vs other types of nurses
Nurse practitioners are among the highest-paid healthcare professions, and the career is projected to grow in demand by 28.2% over the next few years. However, the role itself may not be a fit for everyone. Luckily, many other types of nurses can also earn a very good living in the United States. Below are the average nationwide salaries, according to the BLS, for 5 different nursing categories.
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