Nurse practitioners salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $101,340 | $48.72 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $132,300 | $63.61 |
| Mean (average) | $137,300 | $66.01 |
| 90th percentile | $174,420 | $83.86 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Nurse practitioners pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 52 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $105,750 | $86,300 | $134,650 | 5,640 | 1.29 |
| Alaska | $155,170 | $95,570 | $207,490 | 710 | 1.04 |
| Arizona | $134,420 | $104,400 | $173,270 | 7,220 | 1.07 |
| Arkansas | $125,660 | $99,420 | $205,810 | 3,970 | 1.47 |
| California | $168,520 | $120,340 | $240,830 | 25,120 | 0.66 |
| Colorado | $132,930 | $87,770 | $170,310 | 4,270 | 0.72 |
| Connecticut | $138,470 | $109,930 | $173,810 | 3,750 | 1.06 |
| Delaware | $131,040 | $97,450 | $162,870 | 1,430 | 1.42 |
| District of Columbia | $135,880 | $115,200 | $180,300 | 680 | 0.47 |
| Florida | $129,510 | $101,920 | $163,600 | 21,790 | 1.06 |
| Georgia | $129,430 | $99,160 | $166,060 | 10,460 | 1.03 |
| Guam | $118,670 | $78,500 | $174,910 | 90 | 0.65 |
| Hawaii | $135,570 | $106,450 | $174,350 | 550 | 0.43 |
| Idaho | $132,540 | $100,480 | $169,710 | 1,750 | 0.98 |
| Illinois | $130,680 | $102,440 | $161,470 | 9,270 | 0.73 |
| Indiana | $128,830 | $101,790 | $155,260 | 7,450 | 1.12 |
| Iowa | $130,160 | $107,990 | $167,590 | 3,240 | 1 |
| Kansas | $126,650 | $98,330 | $158,080 | 3,780 | 1.27 |
| Kentucky | $122,870 | $95,710 | $162,960 | 4,770 | 1.15 |
| Louisiana | $125,600 | $99,050 | $159,570 | 5,380 | 1.34 |
| Maine | $130,260 | $107,820 | $166,740 | 1,650 | 1.24 |
| Maryland | $131,110 | $99,920 | $169,330 | 6,710 | 1.17 |
| Massachusetts | $142,440 | $111,950 | $207,710 | 8,070 | 1.07 |
| Michigan | $131,450 | $101,640 | $165,870 | 8,290 | 0.91 |
| Minnesota | $133,260 | $98,950 | $170,140 | 7,780 | 1.27 |
| Mississippi | $124,730 | $98,780 | $156,830 | 4,690 | 1.94 |
| Missouri | $129,930 | $100,650 | $162,060 | 7,710 | 1.26 |
| Montana | $137,210 | $105,110 | $166,940 | 1,260 | 1.18 |
| Nebraska | $132,130 | $103,820 | $161,990 | 2,340 | 1.1 |
| Nevada | $140,670 | $85,380 | $172,170 | 1,930 | 0.6 |
| New Hampshire | $137,550 | $106,070 | $166,240 | 1,770 | 1.24 |
| New Jersey | $159,310 | $122,390 | $183,420 | 9,950 | 1.12 |
| New Mexico | $137,520 | $106,320 | $175,020 | 1,770 | 0.98 |
| New York | $153,510 | $112,730 | $198,060 | 22,890 | 1.14 |
| North Carolina | $128,990 | $103,530 | $164,320 | 9,800 | 0.96 |
| North Dakota | $130,070 | $103,490 | $162,020 | 1,290 | 1.44 |
| Ohio | $124,870 | $100,780 | $154,680 | 15,400 | 1.34 |
| Oklahoma | $133,390 | $99,490 | $167,950 | 3,620 | 1.02 |
| Oregon | $155,680 | $124,660 | $194,070 | 2,820 | 0.69 |
| Pennsylvania | $130,140 | $102,940 | $163,720 | 10,670 | 0.85 |
| Rhode Island | $135,970 | $111,420 | $176,410 | 1,180 | 1.13 |
| South Carolina | $123,290 | $97,080 | $160,170 | 5,670 | 1.18 |
| South Dakota | $128,840 | $103,080 | $156,000 | 1,020 | 1.07 |
| Tennessee | $117,590 | $82,790 | $137,880 | 12,150 | 1.78 |
| Texas | $131,670 | $96,880 | $161,980 | 25,970 | 0.89 |
| Utah | $130,920 | $102,980 | $175,220 | 2,740 | 0.76 |
| Vermont | $134,740 | $108,510 | $167,610 | 700 | 1.11 |
| Virginia | $127,810 | $99,990 | $161,470 | 7,110 | 0.83 |
| Washington | $156,100 | $122,420 | $187,240 | 6,700 | 0.91 |
| West Virginia | $127,320 | $100,220 | $155,500 | 2,550 | 1.75 |
| Wisconsin | $131,980 | $106,320 | $166,260 | 5,160 | 0.84 |
| Wyoming | $132,200 | $101,970 | $165,250 | 440 | 0.75 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for nurse practitioners
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 29,400. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 1.6%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for nurse practitioners
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Nursing Administration CIP 51.3802
- Adult Health Nurse/Nursing CIP 51.3803
- Family Practice Nurse/Nursing CIP 51.3805
- Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing CIP 51.3806
- Nursing Science CIP 51.3808
- Pediatric Nurse/Nursing CIP 51.3809
- Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing CIP 51.3810
- Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing CIP 51.3811
- Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing CIP 51.3812
- Clinical Nurse Specialist CIP 51.3813
- Critical Care Nursing CIP 51.3814
- Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing CIP 51.3815
- Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing CIP 51.3816
- Nursing Practice CIP 51.3818
- Palliative Care Nursing CIP 51.3819
- Clinical Nurse Leader CIP 51.3820
- Geriatric Nurse/Nursing CIP 51.3821
- Women's Health Nurse/Nursing CIP 51.3822
- Forensic Nursing CIP 51.3824
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other CIP 51.3899
- Nurse Practitioner Residency/Fellowship Program, General CIP 60.0701
- Combined Nurse Practitioner Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0702
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0703
- Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0704
- Adult/Gerontology Critical Care Nurse Practitioner Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0705
- Cardiology/Cardiovascular Nurse Practitioner Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0706
- Clinical Informatics Nurse Practitioner Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0707
- Dermatology Nurse Practitioner Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0708
- Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics Nurse Practitioner Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0709
- Diabetes Nurse Practitioner Residency/Fellowship Program CIP 60.0710
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Maintain complete and detailed records of patients' health care plans and prognoses.
- Develop treatment plans, based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and professional practice guidelines.
- Provide patients with information needed to promote health, reduce risk factors, or prevent disease or disability.
- Analyze and interpret patients' histories, symptoms, physical findings, or diagnostic information to develop appropriate diagnoses.
- Diagnose or treat complex, unstable, comorbid, episodic, or emergency conditions in collaboration with other health care providers as necessary.
- Prescribe medication dosages, routes, and frequencies, based on such patient characteristics as age and gender.
- Diagnose or treat chronic health care problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
- Prescribe medications based on efficacy, safety, and cost as legally authorized.
Technology skills
- Epic Systems (hot technology)
- MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- Allscripts Professional EHR
- Amkai AmkaiCharts
- Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR
- Cerner Millennium
- GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
- Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
Transferable skills for career changers: Complex Problem Solving, Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making, Service Orientation, Coordination, Time Management.
Common job titles: ACNP (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner), Adult Nurse Practitioner, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), ARNP Specialist (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner Specialist), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Family Practice Certified Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, Gastroenterology Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Practitioner (NP), Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP), Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioner.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do nurse practitioners make?
The national median annual wage for nurse practitioners was $132,300 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $101,340 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $174,420. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do nurse practitioners need?
BLS lists master's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is nurse practitioners a growing career?
BLS projects employment of nurse practitioners to change +41.0% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 29,400 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay nurse practitioners the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were California ($168,520), New Jersey ($159,310), Washington ($156,100). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.