Nurse Manager vs Nurse Practitioner Salary
Nurse Practitioners earn more — a national median of $132,300 vs $126,820, a gap of about $5,480 per year.
Nurse Manager
Specialty estimate$126,820 / yr median
Nurse Practitioner
Verified public wage data$132,300 / yr median
Annual pay, side by side
- Nurse ManagerSpecialty estimate$126,820$60.97/hr
- Nurse PractitionerVerified public wage data$132,300$63.61/hr
What the difference comes down to
Nurse manager and nurse practitioner pay lands in a similar range, but the roles diverge sharply. The NP is a clinical advanced-practice provider who diagnoses and prescribes; the nurse manager is a leadership role running a unit's staffing, budget, and operations. Which pays more depends heavily on setting, region, and seniority. Scope of practice, required education, and autonomy are the biggest drivers of the gap. Use the calculator to personalize either path by your state, experience, and work setting.
Nurse Manager vs Nurse Practitioner Salary by state
Estimated pay gap for this comparison in each state.
Source & confidence— An estimate for a specialty that public pay data does not list on its own. A ballpark to start from, not an exact figure.
Modeled specialty estimate
Nurse Manager is not broken out by BLS. Figures are modeled from the SOC 29-1141 median using a specialty differential of 1.30×, reflecting commonly reported pay differences. Treat as directional, not precise.
Source year 2025. Last reviewed July 3, 2026. Full methodology
Last reviewed July 3, 2026.
Nurse Manager vs Nurse Practitioner Salary FAQ
- Do Nurse Managers or Nurse Practitioners earn more?
- Nurse Practitioners earn more, with a national median of about $132,300 a year vs $126,820 for Nurse Managers — a gap of roughly $5,480 per year.
- How big is the pay gap between Nurse Managers and Nurse Practitioners?
- The difference is about $5,480 a year, or roughly 4% more for Nurse Practitioners. It varies by state, experience, setting, and shift — use the calculator to compare both for your own situation.
- Why do Nurse Practitioners earn more than Nurse Managers?
- Scope of practice, required education, and autonomy are the biggest drivers — Nurse Practitioners complete more training and take on more clinical responsibility, which is reflected in pay.
- Why are some figures verified and others estimates?
- National pay for the main nursing roles — registered nurses, LPNs/LVNs, nurse practitioners, CRNAs, nurse midwives, and nursing assistants — comes from verified public wage data. State, city, and specialty figures that aren't reported on their own start from that national pay and are labeled "Estimated" or "Specialty estimate." We never show an estimate as a verified figure.
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