How to Become a Nurse Practitioner | Salary & Requirements

Thinking about exploring a career as a nurse practitioner? Learn how to become a nurse practitioner, what they do, how much you can make, and more.

What is a Nurse Practitioner?

A nurse practitioner (NP) is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) who has completed advanced education and training beyond that required of a registered nurse (RN). Nurse practitioners are trained to provide a wide range of healthcare services, including diagnosing and treating illnesses, prescribing medications, interpreting diagnostic tests, and managing overall patient care.

 

The main difference between being an RN and an NP is that nurse practitioners have more authority and have similar responsibilities to those of a doctor. They can serve as primary care or specialty care providers and typically focus their care on a specific population, such as families, children, or the elderly. 

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How to Become a Nurse Practitioner

1. Become a Registered Nurse
   

   The first step to becoming a nurse practitioner is becoming a registered nurse. You'll do this by enrolling in either an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing (BSN) program. 

2. Get Your Bachelor's Degree
   

   If you don’t already hold a BSN, you may want to earn one before pursuing your MSN.  However, it is possible to go straight from your ADN to an MSN degree if you want to skip the step of earning your Bachelor's degree. 

3. Gain Nursing Experience
   

   Most NP programs require that students have 1-2 years of bedside experience before enrolling in an accredited program. 

4. Enroll in a Nurse Practitioner Program
   

   You'll need to choose between an MSN or a DNP NP program. An MSN is the minimum degree requirement for becoming an NP but a DNP is a terminal degree.

5. Earn Your Advanced Practice Nursing Licensure
   

   The specifics for NP licensure are set by the individual states. But generally, after graduating from an accredited NP program and meeting the minimum clinical hours required, you will need to apply to take the NP certification exam. This will vary depending on your specialty. You are only eligible for the board certification in the specialty you took in school.

6.  Get Your First Nurse Practitioner Job

   Finding an NP job might be more daunting than finding an RN position. There are several ways to find a position. You might want to consider working with a nurse recruiter to find a position, or simply checking hospital job boards. NP positions can be niche, depending on your specialty, so networking can be helpful as well. 

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Nurse Practitioner Specialties

In addition to being general nurse practitioners, NPs can also specialize in a specific population. They often attend a nursing program that allows them to specialize in this area and obtain clinical competency. If they choose a specialization, they'll also need to become certified in the specific specialty area.

Here are some of the popular nurse practitioner specialties, but you can check out our article on nurse practitioner specialties for more details. 

 

Depending on your career goals, you may want to pursue more than one NP specialty. You can achieve this by earning an NP degree in one specialty and attending a post graduate certificate program to certify in the other. Alternatively, some colleges offer double NP majors, like dual FNP and PMHNP programs, to qualify graduates in both specialties at once.

Nurse Practitioner Salary

Nurse practitioners earn a median annual salary of $129,210 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average nurse practitioner salary will vary based on many factors, including location, experience, and specialty.

Certain specializations earn more than others, so be sure to check our article on the highest-paying nurse practitioner specialties to find the ones with the highest earning potential. 

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Nurse Practitioner Salaries by Specialty

	General Nurse Practitioner	$129,210 per year
	Family Nurse Practitioner	$158,093
	Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner	$106,826
	Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner	$134,003
	Pediatric Nurse Practitioner	$119,000
	Acute Care Nurse Practitioner	$117,423
	Women's Health Nurse Practitioner	$124,362
	Orthopedic Nurse Practitioner	$125,900
	Emergency Nurse Practitioner	$134,121
	Neonatal Nurse Practitioner	$136,649

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Nurse Practitioner Salary by State 

State	NP Salary
Alabama	$109,650
Alaska	$142,340
Arizona	$132,920
Arkansas	$116,030
California	$173,190
Connecticut	$141,140
Delaware	$130,190
District of Columbia	$137,600
Florida	$128,340
Georgia	$125,490
Hawaii	$135,020
Idaho	$131,380
Illinois	$128,880
Indiana	$126,520
Iowa	$133,020
Kansas	$127,900
Kentucky	$116,930
Louisiana	$124,850
Maine	$127,750
Maryland	$127,100
Massachusetts	$145,140
Michigan	$127,200
Minnesota	$128,120
Mississippi	$122,930
Missouri	$124,600
Montana	$131,560
Nebraska	$127,950
Nevada	(8) -
New Hampshire	$133,660
New Jersey	$140,470
New Mexico	$136,620
New York	$148,410
North Carolina	$124,830
North Dakota	$121,200
Ohio	$121,250
Oklahoma	$127,120
Oregon	$148,030
Pennsylvania	$126,730
Rhode Island	$139,600
South Carolina	$113,950
South Dakota	$122,300
Tennessee	$108,180
Texas	$130,930
Utah	$131,680
Vermont	$130,580
Virginia	$122,180
Washington	$143,620
West Virginia	$122,140
Wisconsin	$130,490
Wyoming	$126,060

Source: BLS 2024 Report

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Nurse Practitioner Education

As we mentioned, there's not just one way to become an NP. Nurse practitioners have several different schooling options depending on where they're starting out and what degree they want to obtain.

Nurse Practitioner Degrees

In order to become a nurse practitioner, you need to complete either an MSN or DNP degree.

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Types of Nurse Practitioner Programs

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Nurse Practitioner Duties

NPs are healthcare providers who can prescribe medication, examine patients, order diagnostic tests, diagnose illnesses, and provide treatment, much like physicians do.

Their experience as working nurses gives them a unique approach to patient care, while their advanced studies qualify them to take on additional duties that are usually left to physicians. In fact, as reported by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), it’s estimated that NPs can provide 80-90 percent of the care that primary care physicians offer.

Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice

NP scope of practice has three levels: full, reduced, and restricted practice authority. Nurse practitioners have full practice authority in 25 states, meaning that they do not have to work under the supervision of a doctor.

In the remaining states, NPs still have more authority than RNs, but they need a medical doctor to sign off on certain patient care decisions.

Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice by State

 

FAQs

• What is the difference between a doctor and a nurse practitioner? 

  • A doctor has more clinical abilities and responsibilities than an NP.  However, in some states, NPs are independent practitioners.

• How long does it take to become a nurse practitioner? 

  • It takes around 6-7 years to become an NP: 4 years to earn your BSN, then 2-3 to earn your NP. 

• Is a nurse practitioner higher than an RN? 

  • An NP does have more advanced training and clinical abilities than an RN. 

• What is the fastest way to become a nurse practitioner? 

  • The fastest way to become an NP is to enroll directly into a BSN program, then apply immediately to an NP program. Alternatively, an RN-NP may take about the same amount of time. 

• Is becoming a nurse practitioner worth it? 

  • NPs do make more money than RNs, have more career options and flexibility, and report higher job satisfaction.

• What's the difference between a CNS vs a nurse practitioner?

  • NPs practice autonomously and collaboratively with other healthcare providers. CNSs often work with other providers, have less autonomy, but usually work closely with staff to educate and support through the use of evidence-based research.

• Can nurse practitioners prescribe medications?

  •  22 states allow nurse practitioners to prescribe medications without the supervision of a physician.

• What's the difference between a nurse practitioner vs a physician assistant?

  • Both NPs and PAs are mid-level practitioners, but in many states, NPs can operate independently, while PAs can not. 

 

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