How Much Do Nurse Practitioners Make?
If you're working toward becoming a Nurse Practitioner, the thought of a higher salary has probably crossed your mind. Advancing your nursing career can boost both job satisfaction and pay — and grad school costs a lot, so it had better be worth it on the other end.
When I was a broke college student obsessing over my future NP salary, I couldn't find an honest answer. Online forums gave inconsistent numbers — some too low, some unrealistically high. Now that I'm a practicing NP, I want to give you exactly what I was looking for: an honest answer. I'll break down the four factors that determine NP pay, then share my own salary.
The Four Factors That Determine NP Salary
Many variables affect pay in healthcare. I simplify them into four factors that, together, give a solid estimate of what you can earn as an NP.
1. Experience
This one is a no-brainer: as in any profession, more experience means more value to your employer — and that tends to mean higher pay. Two sources line up well here:
Glassdoor put the average NP salary at about $105,000 with 0–5 years of experience and approximately $122,000 with greater than 15 years — a $17,000 difference. Medscape's 2018 NP Compensation Report supported these numbers: $106,000 for 1–5 years and $123,000 for 11–20 years.
It can be frustrating when those who've "put in their time" do lower-quality work than a newer NP who works hard — but you too can reap these benefits 10–20 years down the road. These averages reflect experience alone; what type of work you do affects salary even more.
2. Clinical Setting
Where you work — which type of clinical setting — has a major impact on NP salary. Acute hospital settings (Emergency Department, inpatient) pay the highest of all settings. These sites tend to have less desirable hours and higher stress, but they bring in more revenue, so pay is higher.
Per the same Medscape report (2017 data), NPs in acute settings averaged $120,000, while non-hospital outpatient offices averaged $108,000. Academic professionals made about $105,000, and college health came in lowest at $95,000. In general, plan on $10,000–$15,000 less in an outpatient office versus ED/inpatient.
Pay Isn't Everything
Each setting has trade-offs. College health pays least but often offers great hours, holiday breaks, and tuition assistance. And pay may be higher in rural areas that struggle to maintain staffing — keep that in mind.
3. Location
Geographic location is another major factor. According to Medscape, the highest NP salaries are on the Pacific coast, averaging $130,000. The more central, the less pay you can generally expect — the lowest-paying region was East South Central (Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama), averaging $103,000.
4. Contract Type
What type of employee you are plays a big part in your overall pay.
What I Make as an NP
To give you a real reference point, here's my own salary. When interviewing last year, I had offers of about $100,000/year plus benefits for outpatient primary care offices. I ended up taking a job as an inpatient hospitalist on night shift.
I hope this gives you the clarity and perspective I wish I'd had as an aspiring NP. Use these four factors — experience, setting, location, and contract — to estimate your own future salary with confidence.
