A nurse practitioner, which is commonly referred to as an NP within the field, is a health clinician that can manage health while also diagnosing and treating specific health conditions. Because Nurse Practitioners are registered nurses who are qualified to treat patients without having to work under the supervision of a physician, this is a highly desirable profession in healthcare to purse. The lower cost of receiving care from nurse practitioners and the fact that NP’s have been delivering quality care to more than 600 million satisfied patients shows that this is a great profession to pursue, but you also need to consider what the earning potential is before you invest a lot of time in your studies. Read on and learn how much you can expect to earn as a NP, and how long you can expect to spend studying to become one.
Average Salaries Reported for Nurse Practitioners
Salaries can range from location to location and also from healthcare setting to setting. You must remember that salaries that you are offered will depend upon how long you have worked in the field, how skilled you are, and also which region you would like to work in. There are a variety of different types of nurse practitioner positions, but combining these all together and averaging the salaries that have been reported to the Healthcare Strategies firm, the average base salary for all professionals have been tallied up to total about $92,708 per year. This base salary does not include other incentives and bonuses that professionals receive which brings the average up to $97,552 per year.
You must consider the averages reported for inexperienced practitioners and also experienced professionals. If you have two years or less experience as a NP, you can expect to earn about $73,000 per year. This figure will rise to an average of $81,000 when you have three years of experience, and to $85,000 with 6 or more years in the field. NP’s who have 20+ years of experience typically earn the highest salary range, which brings the total national average up.
Educational and Professional Requirements to Become an NP
NP are highly skills clinicians, but with the responsibility also comes the need for advanced training. To become an NP, you must earn your MSN or complete a doctoral program within the field of nursing and also have advanced clinical training where you can gain a specialized knowledge in primary care and long-term care. In addition to an advanced graduate degree, you must also undergo a rigorous certification, evaluations, and also periodic peer reviews. You must be licensed in the state where you are practicing and also be dedicated to continuing education to remain a NP.
Nurse Practitioners are undoubtedly the most independent nurses within the healthcare system, but they also do take on responsibilities that general RN’s do not. If you are willing to earn your master’s or doctoral degree and go through the certification process, this could be the specialty in nursing to pursue. Provide patients with a need for cost-effective care with the high-quality care that they deserve and make a sizable living doing so. The time that you invest in schooling will pay off because of the high salary ranges and the increasing demand for NP’s.