Nurse Midwives
Median wage · national
$134,040
Range: $117K – $157K
Employed
8K
Openings/yr
400
Typically: master's degree
HEALTH
Nurse Practitioner
Nurse Practitioner is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the country, projected to grow +41.0% through 2035. Median pay sits at $132,300 nationally, a strong return for the training investment.
About Nurse Practitioner
This page sets out what the federal data says about working as a nurse practitioner: what the job pays, how fast it is growing, and what it takes to get in. Most people arrive through a degree in Nursing and what it leads to, though it is not the only route.
Diagnose and treat acute, episodic, or chronic illness, independently or as part of a healthcare team. May focus on health promotion and disease prevention. May order, perform, or interpret diagnostic tests such as lab work and x rays. May prescribe medication. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.
- Median Wage
- $132,300
- Employed Nationally
- 323K
- Openings / Year
- 29,400
- Entry Education
- Master's degree
- Job Zone
- Zone 5: Extensive Preparation
Also known as:
ACNP (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner)
Adult Nurse Practitioner
Advanced Practice Nurse (APN)
Advanced Practice Provider
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)
How Much Do Nurse Practitioners Make?
Most nurse practitioners take home around $132,300 a year, well above what most college graduates make. Half earn somewhere between $117,990 and $156,700, so where you land depends a lot on employer, specialty and city. Worth weighing against how long the training takes. Source: BLS.
A wage on its own says nothing about whether the degree behind it pays for itself, which is a question of lifetime earnings set against the total cost of getting there.
$132,300
National Median (Annual)
Well above average for college graduates.
$118K–$157K
Middle 50% Range
25th to 75th percentile. Most workers earn within this band.
Earnings Range
$117,990
Entry-level
$132,300
Median
$156,700
Experienced
What Do Nurse Practitioners Do?
This is what the job actually looks like on a Tuesday: 5 core activities and 5 skills the work depends on. Read it before the salary, because pay matters less than whether you would want to spend your days doing this. Source: O*NET.
What You'll Do
- 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.
Core Skills Employers Look For
Critical Thinking
Active Listening
Reading Comprehension
Complex Problem Solving
Monitoring
Who Thrives Here
I
Investigative
This career demands analytical thinking: researching problems, interpreting data, and applying logical reasoning to find practical solutions.
S
Social
Working closely with people, teaching, advising, or helping others navigate challenges is a defining feature of this career's daily work.
C
Conventional
Success depends on precision and structured processes, where detail-oriented people who work consistently within established systems perform best.
Where Do Nurse Practitioners Work?
What the physical and mental conditions of this job actually look like day to day, based on O*NET Work Context data collected from people working in this occupation.
Work Setting
Mixed
Split between indoor and outdoor or field settings.
Physical Demands
Light
Mix of sitting and movement throughout the day.
Stress Level
High
High time pressure and significant consequences for errors. Deadline-driven or high-stakes decisions are common.
What Is the Job Outlook for Nurse Practitioners?
Through 2035 the BLS expects this field to change by +41.0%, meaning it is growing faster than most occupations, so jobs should be easier to find over time. Around 29,400 roles open up each year, which is the number that matters most if you are starting out. Source: BLS.
Growth rates are only meaningful next to other occupations, and the full list of careers with their projected growth puts this one in context.
↗ +41.0%
10-Year Growth (2025–2035)
Much faster than average.
29,400
Annual Openings
New positions plus replacements for retirees and career-changers.
323K
Currently Employed
Total US employment as of BLS May 2025.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025.
Where the Jobs Are
The five states below employ the most Nurse Practitioner professionals nationwide. State-level wages can differ significantly from the $132,300 national median. Research your specific market before committing to a program.
| # | State | Jobs | Median Wage | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 25,970 | $131,670 | -0.5% |
| 2 | California | 25,120 | $168,520 | +27.4% |
| 3 | New York | 22,890 | $153,510 | +16.0% |
| 4 | Florida | 21,790 | $129,510 | -2.1% |
| 5 | Ohio | 15,400 | $124,870 | -5.6% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Employment figures rounded. Read our methodology →
How to Get Here
To get hired here you will usually need a master's degree. The program below is the most common route in, ordered by how many people actually graduate from each one.
Typical Entry Education
Master's degree
Job Zone
Zone 5: Extensive Preparation
Extensive education (usually a master's or doctoral degree) plus years of field experience is required to qualify for most positions.
Degree Programs That Lead Here
| # | Program | Graduates/yr | 4yr Median | Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | 308,114 | $88,910 | 2,190 |
Top Colleges for Aspiring Nurse Practitioners
Colleges offering the degree programs that lead to this career, ranked by UCD Score. A strong program plus solid outcomes is a good place to begin your search.
| # | College | UCD Score | Net Price | Salary 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | 93 | $12,548 | $82,511 |
| 2 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL | 93 | $6,541 | $71,588 |
| 3 | University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA | 92 | $14,251 | $80,735 |
| 4 | North Florida College Madison, FL | 91 | $804 | $33,929 |
| 5 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | 91 | $13,138 | $83,648 |
| 6 | University of Florida-Online Gainesville, FL | 90 | $4,815 | $71,588 |
Plan Your Path
Once you've sized up Nurse Practitioner, these tools turn the numbers into a plan. Estimate the real cost of a degree that leads here, weigh the long-term payoff, compare specific colleges side-by-side, and find programs that match your profile.
College ROI Calculator
See if the degree that leads to Nurse Practitioner pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings graduates see.
College Cost Calculator
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Compare Colleges
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
College Match Quiz
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
Nurse Practitioner Pros & Cons
Strong earnings and growing demand make Nurse Practitioner a compelling path. The 4 strengths and 1 trade-offs below are drawn from BLS wage data and employment projections.
PROS
- Very high median salary The national median of $132,300 places this career well above average for college graduates, with significant upside at the 75th percentile.
- Exceptional job growth The BLS projects +41.0% employment growth through 2035, one of the fastest rates across all occupations. Demand for qualified candidates should remain elevated for a decade.
- High earning ceiling Top earners (75th percentile) reach $156,700 annually. Strong performers, specialists, and those in high-cost markets have significant upside beyond the median.
- Wide job market 323K professionals are employed in this field, large enough to offer geographic flexibility and multiple entry paths.
CONS
- High education requirement Most employers require a master's degree, typically 6 to 10+ years of higher education before earning full wages. Factor tuition costs into your ROI calculation.
Nurse Practitioner Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Nurse Practitioner professionals earn?
Around $132,300 a year for the typical worker, well into the top quartile of US wages. The middle 50% of earners fall between $117,990 and $156,700. Treat the national figure as a starting point rather than a promise: employer size, industry and city all move it.
Is Nurse Practitioner a good career?
Yes, for the right person, but the commitment is significant. The $132,300 median wage reflects years of training most workers invest, and the path to a first career-level role typically spans 8 to 12 or more years. Job growth of +41.0% through 2035 means demand is real. The harder question is whether the education investment at your specific program will pay off. School selection matters enormously at this preparation level.
How long does it take to work as Nurse Practitioners?
Plan on 8 to 12 or more years of combined education and supervised training before qualifying for career-level roles. A master's degree is the typical minimum credential. Degree programs like Nursing are typical entry paths. Early-career pay during this ramp-up period will be meaningfully below the $132,300 national median. Factor that gap into any program ROI calculation.
Is a master's degree worth it to become a Nurse Practitioner?
Yes, for most programs. At $132,300 median, graduates at in-state public programs typically recoup their investment within 10 to 15 years of practice. School choice (specifically tuition cost and your expected local job market) matters as much as the credential itself.
How fast is the Nurse Practitioner field growing?
Very fast. The BLS projects +41.0% growth for Nurse Practitioner through 2035, well above the roughly 5% national average and among the fastest rates across all occupations. Demand is being driven by structural forces, not cyclical ones. About 29,400 job openings per year are expected as the field expands and existing workers move on. From a current base of 323K workers, sustained growth creates real hiring volume, though fast-growing fields also attract more new graduates competing for entry-level roles.
What skills do Nurse Practitioner professionals need?
Mainly Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving, and Monitoring. Notice how many of those are habits rather than facts: they come from doing the work, not from a lecture. That is why programs with an internship or co-op requirement put you ahead of people who only studied the theory. Source: O*NET.
Related Findings
-
Does a Master's Degree Pay Off? Barely, on Average
Group every career by the degree it requires and master's-level jobs pay a median of about $91,000, statistically tied with bachelor's-level work. The premium hides in a few fields.
- Master's degree
- Bachelor's degree
- Median wage
- Graduate school
- Career outcomes
-
Growing and Paying $80K Plus: The Careers That Do Both
Only 106 of 393 federal careers both pay a median above $80,000 and grow faster than the typical job. Here is the rare set that clears both bars.
- Career growth
- Median wage
- High-paying careers
- Job outlook
- Career change
-
The Fastest-Growing Careers
The 25 careers with the steepest projected job growth pay a median of $87,220. Healthcare takes 15 of the 25 slots, and education splits the group in two.
- Job growth
- Career outlook
- Median wage
- Entry education
- Fastest-growing jobs
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