Nurse Practitioners

Overview

Introduction

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are one of four classifications of advanced practice nurses (APNs). APNs are registered nurses who have advanced training and education. This training enables them to carry out many of the responsibilities traditionally handled by physicians. Some nurse practitioners specialize in a certain field, such as pediatrics, oncology, critical care, or primary care. The most common specialty is a family nurse practitioner who usually serves community-based health clinics. There are approximately 292,500 nu...

Quick Facts


Median Salary

$129,210

Employment Prospects

Excellent

Minimum Education Level

Masters Degree


Experience

Several years experience as a registered nurse


Skills

Interpersonal|Scientific|Teaching


Personality Traits

Helpful|Social|Technical

Earnings

Geographic location, experience, and specialty area of practice are all factors that influence salary levels for nurse practitioners. The U.S. Department of Labor reports the median annual income for nurse practitioners as $126,260 in 2023, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $94,530 and the highest 10 percent earning more than $168,030. In January 2025, Indeed reported that NPs earned...

Work Environment

The work environment depends on the nurse practitioners specialty. Some work in remote, rural settings in small, local health care clinics. Others work in modern hospitals or nursing homes. Some nurse practitioners may work with patients who are fearful of any type of health care provider or who may have never been to a clinic before. Some patients may resent being seen by "just a nurse" instea...

Outlook

The U.S. Department of Labor predicts employment for registered nurses to grow much faster than the average in the coming years, and the job outlook for nurse practitioners is especially good, with 40 percent percent employment growth expected through 2033. One reason for this is that the nurse practitioner is increasingly being recognized as a provider of the high-quality yet cost-effective me...