Nurse Practitioner salary
A nurse practitioner earns about $132,300 a year — roughly $63.61/hour, with most earning between $117,990 and $156,700. This is a verified national figure from official public wage data.
Nurse Practitioner — U.S. national
Verified public wage dataMedian annual pay
$132,300
Hourly
$63.61/hr
- Typical range
- $117,990–$156,700
- What most nurses earn
- High end
- $174,420
- Top earners
- Entry level
- $101,340
- Newer nurses
What affects this pay
- State scope-of-practice and labor market
- Specialty (acute care, psych, FNP)
- Setting (hospital vs outpatient)
- Experience and patient panel
- Call and productivity incentives
About Nurse Practitioners
What they do
Nurse Practitioners are advanced practice registered nurses who diagnose conditions, order and interpret tests, manage treatment, and prescribe. In full-practice states they can run a panel of patients independently.
How to become a Nurse Practitioner
NPs are first RNs, then earn a graduate degree — a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) — and pass national certification in a population focus such as family (FNP), acute care, or psychiatric-mental health.
What drives the pay
NPs are tracked directly in public wage data and earn well above staff RNs because of the graduate degree and prescriptive authority. State scope-of-practice laws and specialty (psych and acute care run high) are major pay drivers.
Nurse Practitioner pay by state
Estimated nurse practitioner pay where this role tends to earn the most. Open a state for the full local picture.
| State | Est. annual pay | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| California | $168,520 | +27% vs national |
| New Jersey | $159,310 | +20% vs national |
| Washington | $156,100 | +18% vs national |
| Oregon | $155,680 | +18% vs national |
| Alaska | $155,170 | +17% vs national |
| New York | $153,510 | +16% vs national |
| Massachusetts | $142,440 | +8% vs national |
| Nevada | $140,670 | +6% vs national |
Nurse Practitioner salary by state
Open any state for nurse practitioner pay, local metros, and how it compares to the U.S. average.
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Nurse Practitioner salary FAQ
- How much do Nurse Practitioners make?
- A Nurse Practitioner earns about $132,300 a year — roughly $63.61 an hour — based on verified public wage data. Most earn between $117,990 and $156,700, and the top 10% earn roughly $174,420 or more.
- What is the hourly pay for Nurse Practitioners?
- Most Nurse Practitioners are paid an hourly wage. The national figure works out to about $63.61 an hour at a full-time schedule, with a typical range of $56.73 to $75.34. Nights, weekends, and overtime differentials push the real hourly rate higher.
- Which state pays Nurse Practitioners the most?
- California is among the highest-paying states for Nurse Practitioners, at roughly $168,520 a year, followed by other West Coast and Northeast states. State figures are estimates based on national pay and local cost of living.
- How does Nurse Practitioner pay compare to a registered nurse?
- Nurse Practitioners earn more than staff RNs — about $132,300 a year vs $97,550 for registered nurses — reflecting additional education, certification, and a broader scope of practice.
- 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.
Source & confidence— A verified figure from official U.S. public wage data.
BLS OEWS (May 2025, national)
National wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2025 national data.
Source year 2025. Last reviewed July 17, 2026. Full methodology