2026 Salary Report

Nurse Practitioner Salary

Nurse practitioners earn a median of $132,300, and the top 10% clear $174,000, but the averages hide a lot. Your population focus, your state, and whether you work W-2, 1099, or own your practice move the number by tens of thousands of dollars. Here is what NPs actually earn, broken down by state, specialty, experience, employer, and education, with real BLS data.

Compiled from BLS & AANP data by the Best PMHNP Programs editorial team ·

Last updated: June 15, 2026

· Source: BLS & AANP

10th percentile

$101,000

Entry & lower-cost markets

National median

$132,300

Typical Nurse Practitioner pay

90th percentile

$174,000

Senior & cash-pay practice

43%

Median lands 43% up the 10th–90th range

The short version

Nurse Practitioner pay at a glance

The BLS median for nurse practitioners is $132,300 (May 2025), with the lowest 10% near $101,000 and the top 10% above $174,000.

Population focus is the biggest swing factor. NPs in psychiatric and substance-use settings earn a median of $142,100, the highest-paying focus, well above family practice.

Geography matters. California NPs average around $166,600, New Jersey around $149,600, and New York around $156,100, while many Southern states pay below the national median.

NP is the fastest-growing occupation in the country, projected to grow about 40% from 2024 to 2034, which keeps wages strong and gives new graduates negotiating leverage.

Practice model changes the ceiling. W-2 roles offer benefits and stability; 1099, locum, and telehealth contracts pay more per hour; and practice owners in full-practice-authority states can clear well past $200,000.

The honest take

Nurse practitioner pay is among the strongest in healthcare for the training required, and it is remarkably consistent across the country compared with many professions. The BLS median is $132,300 (May 2025), but where you land inside the range depends on three things you control: your population focus, your state, and your practice model.

The lever most students underestimate is population focus. NPs in psychiatric and substance-use settings earn a median of $142,100, the highest-paying NP focus, while family-practice NPs cluster nearer the overall median. That gap, plus the strongest demand in the field, is why we steer readers seriously weighing pay toward the PMHNP track.

The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics puts the national median wage for nurse practitioners at $132,300 as of May 2025, across roughly 431,000 NPs. The lowest 10% earn near $101,000, while the top 10% earn above $174,000. Most of that spread comes from population focus, state, setting, and practice model rather than raw experience.

By state

Top-paying states for Nurse Practitioners

State median NP wages from BLS OEWS data. PMHNPs generally earn at or above the all-NP figure for their state. Search for yours or re-sort the table.

#	State	Median wage	Employed
1	California	$166,610	~17,400
2	New Jersey	$149,620	~7,800
3	New York	$145,390	~20,500
4	Oregon	$144,600	~3,400
5	Washington	$140,220	~6,300
6	Massachusetts	$138,890	~8,900
7	Arizona	$133,790	~7,000
8	Minnesota	$131,000	~6,400
9	Illinois	$126,950	~9,800
10	Texas	$126,580	~21,690
11	Pennsylvania	$126,140	~13,200
12	Ohio	$123,690	~10,500
13	North Carolina	$121,450	~9,600
14	Georgia	$119,490	~9,500
15	Florida	$118,400	~22,800

By experience

How Nurse Practitioner pay grows over a career

Pay climbs steeply in the first few years, then flattens. The early jumps come from speed and a full caseload, not new titles.

1

Entry level (0-2 years)

$100,000 to $120,000
2

Early career (2-5 years)

$118,000 to $140,000
3

Mid-career (5-10 years)

$135,000 to $160,000
4

Experienced (10-20 years)

$150,000 to $180,000
5

Practice owner / leadership

$170,000 to $300,000+

By employer

Where Nurse Practitioners earn the most

Employer type moves pay more than tenure does. Practice ownership and high-volume telehealth sit far above salaried clinic roles.

Psychiatric and substance-use facilities

Highest ceiling

$142,100

Hospitals (general medical and surgical)

$135,000

Outpatient care centers

$132,000

Physician offices

$126,000

Community health centers / FQHCs

$120,000

Educational services / academic

$112,000

By specialty

Nurse Practitioner pay by specialty

Acuity and scarcity drive the spread. Some subspecialties carry a clear premium over general practice.

Psychiatric-Mental Health (PMHNP)

Top premium

$142,100

Acute Care (ACNP)

$135,000

Adult-Gerontology (AGNP)

$131,000

Neonatal (NNP)

$130,000

Family (FNP)

$128,000

Pediatric (PNP)

$122,000

Women's Health (WHNP)

$120,000

By degree

Does the degree change the paycheck?

More education raises the ceiling, not the floor. Weigh the added years and cost against the bump.

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

$125,000 to $140,000

Post-graduate NP certificate

$125,000 to $145,000

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Highest range

$135,000 to $165,000

Compare roles

How Nurse Practitioner pay compares

Median pay for the roles people weigh against this one. Pay tracks scope of practice and years of training. Tap a role to read its guide.

Role	Relative median	Median pay
Psychiatrist		$281,870
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)		$138,000
Nurse Practitioner This role		$132,300
Psychiatric Nurse		$97,550

Raise your number

How to increase your Nurse Practitioner salary

NP pay is strong out of the gate, but the spread between an average and a top earner is large, and most of the levers are choices you make rather than years you wait. Here is how NPs raise their income.

Choose a high-paying population focus. Psychiatric-mental health (PMHNP) leads at a median of $142,100; acute care and gerontology also pay above family practice. Your focus is set early, so this is the highest-leverage decision you make.

Work in a full-practice-authority state. Without a required physician collaborative agreement, you keep more of your billing and can open your own practice. Relocating or practicing via telehealth across state lines can unlock this.

Add 1099, locum tenens, or telehealth contracts. These generally pay more per hour than W-2 roles. The trade-off is self-employment taxes and buying your own malpractice and benefits.

Target higher-paying settings. Psychiatric facilities, hospitals, and acute care pay premiums over primary-care physician offices because of higher acuity and call burden.

Earn a DNP for leadership and faculty roles. The doctorate opens medical-director, clinical-leadership, and academic positions that pay above clinician-only roles.

Own your practice in a full-practice-authority state. Setting your own rates and panel, especially in cash-pay psychiatry, is the clearest path past $200,000.

Keep going

Keep reading

How to Become a Nurse Practitioner

The full NP career guide: the RN-to-NP pathway, choosing a population focus, MSN vs. DNP, certification, and job outlook.

PMHNP Salary Guide

Pay for psychiatric-mental health NPs, the highest-paying NP focus, broken down by state, practice model, and experience.

Best PMHNP Programs

Our national ranking of psychiatric NP programs scored by accreditation, clinical placement support, and certification pass rates.

Common questions

Salary questions, answered

How much do nurse practitioners make?+

The BLS median for nurse practitioners is $132,300 (May 2025). The lowest 10% earn near $101,000 and the top 10% earn above $174,000. Pay depends heavily on population focus, state, setting, and whether you work W-2, 1099, or own a practice.

Which nurse practitioner specialty pays the most?+

Psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) earn the most among NP focuses, with a median of $142,100 in psychiatric and substance-use settings. Acute care and adult-gerontology also pay above family practice. Cash-pay and telepsychiatry PMHNPs can clear $200,000 or more. See our PMHNP salary guide for the detail.

What state pays nurse practitioners the most?+

California pays nurse practitioners the most, averaging around $166,600 per year, according to BLS data. New Jersey (around $149,600), New York (around $156,100), Oregon (around $144,600), and Washington (around $140,200) follow. West Coast and Northeast states pay well above the national median, while many Southern states pay below it. Cost of living should factor into any comparison.

Do nurse practitioners with a DNP earn more than those with an MSN?+

Modestly, and mostly through the roles the DNP opens rather than the degree itself. Two NPs doing the same clinical job often earn similar pay regardless of degree. But the DNP qualifies you for medical-director, clinical-leadership, and faculty positions that pay above clinician-only roles, so DNP-prepared NPs tend to earn more over a career. The MSN remains a fully valid and common entry degree.

How does nurse practitioner pay compare to a physician's?+

Physicians earn more. A primary-care physician earns a median well above $200,000, and specialists more, against an NP median of $132,300. But the NP reaches prescriber status in 2 to 4 years after becoming an RN, versus 11-plus years of medical school and residency, and carries far less educational debt. For many people the NP math (faster, cheaper, strong pay) comes out ahead.

Do nurse practitioners get paid more in full-practice-authority states?+

Often, yes, for two reasons. In the 27 full-practice-authority states plus DC, NPs can bill directly without paying a physician for a required collaborative agreement, and they can own their own practices and set their own rates. Both raise earning potential. In reduced and restricted states, the cost and constraint of a collaborative agreement can hold pay and autonomy down.

What is the highest-paying way to work as a nurse practitioner?+

Owning a practice, especially a cash-pay psychiatric practice in a full-practice-authority state, has the highest ceiling, with personal income that can exceed $200,000 to $300,000 once the schedule fills. High-volume telehealth and locum/1099 contracting also pay more per hour than salaried roles. All of these trade stability and benefits for higher and more variable income.

References

Every figure on this page traces to a primary source.