How much do nurse practitioners make? — Nurse practitioner pay

Details

For these three roles together, BLS reports 399,000 jobs in 2025. Projected employment growth is 36% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, with about 144,000 added jobs.

BLS lists a master’s degree as the typical entry-level education. Practitioners must be licensed in their state and pass a national certification exam.

Keep the combined-group label visible

The cited occupational handbook groups nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners together. Its median and outlook therefore answer a question about that combined population, not just nurse practitioners. Preserve that distinction when sharing the figure with a colleague or employer. A combined measure cannot establish a typical offer for a particular NP population focus, specialty or practice setting. If another source uses an NP-only category, do not present the figures as interchangeable without identifying the difference in their populations and wage definitions.

Find the NP-only row when that is your question

For a state employee-wage comparison, the clinician pay guides link to the existing NP state tables. Read the occupation name, data period and measure on the chosen page. Those rows serve a different purpose from the combined occupational handbook headline above. A mean is an average and a median is a midpoint; neither describes all components of an individual offer. Keep any comparison tied to its published category rather than relabeling a combined number to make it sound more specific.

Ask about the intended clinical role

Use the NP and PA offer checklist to ask what the job actually includes. Clarify patient population, clinical activities, schedule, prescribing duties, support and the settings covered. Ask the employer which credentials and facility approvals it requires. The BLS description of education, licensure and certification is occupational context, not an individual approval to practice. Confirm the state requirements with the relevant board rather than assuming the handbook determines your authority in a particular workplace.

Read growth as an occupational projection

Keep the published job count and growth projection attached to the same combined group. They are not a count of current NP openings at a specific employer. For a job-search decision, ask about the actual vacancy and written offer, and compare the work and payment terms. Separate benefits, expenses, unpaid tasks and malpractice arrangements from the quoted wage. A useful conversation is about what the employer is offering for the proposed scope, not whether a combined national headline guarantees your compensation or proves local demand.