Nurse Practitioners
Nurse Practitioners (SOC 29-1171) earn a median $132,300 a year ($63.61 an hour) in the United States, with 323,040 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What nurse practitioners do
Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with specialized graduate education who diagnose and treat acute, episodic or chronic illness, independently or as part of a healthcare team. They analyze and interpret a patient's history, symptoms, physical findings and diagnostic information to reach diagnoses, then develop treatment plans based on scientific rationale, standards of care and professional practice guidelines. They may order, perform or interpret diagnostic tests such as lab work and x rays. They diagnose or treat chronic problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and complex or emergency conditions in collaboration with other providers. They prescribe medications as legally authorized, choosing on efficacy, safety and cost. They give patients information to promote health and reduce risk factors, and keep detailed records of care plans and prognoses. O*NET alternate titles such as adult, acute care, cardiology and pediatric nurse practitioner show how many are tied to a population or specialty. About two in three respondents report a master's degree. Nurse anesthetists and nurse midwives, also advanced practice nurses, are coded separately.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a master's degree as the typical level of education for this occupation (65 percent).
Also called: ACNP (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner), Adult Nurse Practitioner, Advanced Practice Nurse (APN), Advanced Practice Provider, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN).
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $48.72 | $56.73 | $63.61 | $75.34 | $83.86 | $66.01 | 323,040 |
| Annual | $101,340 | $117,990 | $132,300 | $156,700 | $174,420 | $137,300 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where nurse practitioners earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $57.86 | $70.18 | $81.02 | $100.65 | $115.78 | $84.98 | 25,120 | 1.38 | 0.66 |
| Annual | $120,340 | $145,980 | $168,520 | $209,350 | $240,830 | $176,760 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $58.84 | $65.74 | $76.59 | $81.99 | $88.19 | $74.88 | 9,950 | 2.32 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $122,390 | $136,740 | $159,310 | $170,530 | $183,420 | $155,750 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $58.86 | $62.34 | $75.05 | $81.49 | $90.02 | $73.16 | 6,700 | 1.89 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $122,420 | $129,670 | $156,100 | $169,500 | $187,240 | $152,180 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $59.93 | $64.83 | $74.85 | $81.11 | $93.30 | $74.89 | 2,820 | 1.43 | 0.69 |
| Annual | $124,660 | $134,840 | $155,680 | $168,700 | $194,070 | $155,780 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $45.95 | $60.62 | $74.60 | $82.69 | $99.75 | $71.69 | 710 | 2.17 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $95,570 | $126,080 | $155,170 | $172,000 | $207,490 | $149,120 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $46.58 | $54.73 | $63.31 | $70.99 | $77.88 | $63.18 | 25,970 | 1.85 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $96,880 | $113,840 | $131,670 | $147,660 | $161,980 | $131,420 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $57.86 | $70.18 | $81.02 | $100.65 | $115.78 | $84.98 | 25,120 | 1.38 | 0.66 |
| Annual | $120,340 | $145,980 | $168,520 | $209,350 | $240,830 | $176,760 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $54.20 | $63.70 | $73.80 | $81.87 | $95.22 | $73.99 | 22,890 | 2.36 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $112,730 | $132,490 | $153,510 | $170,290 | $198,060 | $153,900 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $49.00 | $54.03 | $62.26 | $66.16 | $78.66 | $62.70 | 21,790 | 2.19 | 1.06 |
| Annual | $101,920 | $112,380 | $129,510 | $137,610 | $163,600 | $130,410 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $48.45 | $51.29 | $60.03 | $64.79 | $74.37 | $59.09 | 15,400 | 2.77 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $100,780 | $106,670 | $124,870 | $134,750 | $154,680 | $122,910 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $78.69 | $86.00 | $111.33 | $134.59 | $136.25 | $108.47 | 1,580 | 1.39 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $163,670 | $178,880 | $231,560 | $279,950 | $283,410 | $225,610 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $73.69 | $84.85 | $105.33 | $116.30 | $131.71 | $103.57 | 3,110 | 1.31 | 0.63 |
| Annual | $153,280 | $176,490 | $219,080 | $241,910 | $273,960 | $215,430 | ||||
| Vallejo, CA | Hourly | $64.39 | $74.61 | $87.68 | $116.88 | $138.04 | $94.61 | 180 | 1.27 | 0.61 |
| Annual | $133,940 | $155,180 | $182,370 | $243,110 | $287,130 | $196,780 | ||||
| Napa, CA | Hourly | $74.02 | $78.65 | $84.74 | $108.53 | $108.54 | $90.73 | 60 | 0.83 | 0.40 |
| Annual | $153,970 | $163,590 | $176,270 | $225,740 | $225,760 | $188,720 | ||||
| Modesto, CA | Hourly | $66.57 | $78.36 | $83.36 | $104.50 | $120.00 | $90.24 | 380 | 1.93 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $138,470 | $162,980 | $173,380 | $217,360 | $249,600 | $187,690 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $63.70 | $68.59 | $78.53 | $83.60 | $97.57 | $78.18 | 21,680 | 2.28 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $132,490 | $142,660 | $163,340 | $173,890 | $202,940 | $162,620 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $57.67 | $64.06 | $77.63 | $85.96 | $103.94 | $78.66 | 10,060 | 1.60 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $119,950 | $133,240 | $161,470 | $178,790 | $216,180 | $163,610 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $45.04 | $49.10 | $62.97 | $74.80 | $78.34 | $62.64 | 7,310 | 1.81 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $93,690 | $102,120 | $130,980 | $155,580 | $162,950 | $130,280 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $50.00 | $60.22 | $65.24 | $74.43 | $81.44 | $67.16 | 6,590 | 2.27 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $104,000 | $125,260 | $135,700 | $154,800 | $169,390 | $139,700 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $51.09 | $57.07 | $63.34 | $71.71 | $79.21 | $63.96 | 6,530 | 1.45 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $106,260 | $118,710 | $131,740 | $149,150 | $164,750 | $133,040 | ||||
Top industries employing nurse practitioners
Offices of Physicians employ 46.0% of nurse practitioners nationally (148,600 jobs) at a median $129,190 a year ($62.11 an hour), followed by General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (22.8%) and Outpatient Care Centers (9.8%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offices of Physicians NAICS 621100 | 148,600 | 46.0% | $129,190 | $62.11 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 73,610 | 22.8% | $136,230 | $65.50 |
| Outpatient Care Centers NAICS 621400 | 31,590 | 9.8% | $139,320 | $66.98 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners NAICS 621300 | 15,260 | 4.7% | $129,490 | $62.25 |
| Home Health Care Services NAICS 621600 | 11,600 | 3.6% | $129,460 | $62.24 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (323,040). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $120,680 for nurse practitioners in May 2021 and $132,300 in May 2025, with employment of 234,690 and 323,040.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $120,680 | $58.02 | 234,690 |
| May 2022 | $121,610 | $58.47 | 258,230 |
| May 2023 | $126,260 | $60.70 | 280,140 |
| May 2024 | $129,210 | $62.12 | 307,390 |
| May 2025 | $132,300 | $63.61 | 323,040 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California profile | $81.02 | $168,520 | $120,340 | $240,830 | 25,120 | 1.38 | 0.66 |
| 2 | New Jersey profile | $76.59 | $159,310 | $122,390 | $183,420 | 9,950 | 2.32 | 1.12 |
| 3 | Washington profile | $75.05 | $156,100 | $122,420 | $187,240 | 6,700 | 1.89 | 0.91 |
| 4 | Oregon profile | $74.85 | $155,680 | $124,660 | $194,070 | 2,820 | 1.43 | 0.69 |
| 5 | Alaska profile | $74.60 | $155,170 | $95,570 | $207,490 | 710 | 2.17 | 1.04 |
| 6 | New York profile | $73.80 | $153,510 | $112,730 | $198,060 | 22,890 | 2.36 | 1.14 |
| 7 | Massachusetts profile | $68.48 | $142,440 | $111,950 | $207,710 | 8,070 | 2.22 | 1.07 |
| 8 | Nevada profile | $67.63 | $140,670 | $85,380 | $172,170 | 1,930 | 1.24 | 0.60 |
| 9 | Connecticut profile | $66.57 | $138,470 | $109,930 | $173,810 | 3,750 | 2.21 | 1.06 |
| 10 | New Hampshire profile | $66.13 | $137,550 | $106,070 | $166,240 | 1,770 | 2.58 | 1.24 |
| 11 | New Mexico profile | $66.11 | $137,520 | $106,320 | $175,020 | 1,770 | 2.04 | 0.98 |
| 12 | Montana profile | $65.97 | $137,210 | $105,110 | $166,940 | 1,260 | 2.46 | 1.18 |
| 13 | Rhode Island profile | $65.37 | $135,970 | $111,420 | $176,410 | 1,180 | 2.34 | 1.13 |
| 14 | District of Columbia profile | $65.33 | $135,880 | $115,200 | $180,300 | 680 | 0.97 | 0.47 |
| 15 | Hawaii profile | $65.18 | $135,570 | $106,450 | $174,350 | 550 | 0.88 | 0.43 |
| 16 | Vermont profile | $64.78 | $134,740 | $108,510 | $167,610 | 700 | 2.30 | 1.11 |
| 17 | Arizona profile | $64.63 | $134,420 | $104,400 | $173,270 | 7,220 | 2.23 | 1.07 |
| 18 | Oklahoma profile | $64.13 | $133,390 | $99,490 | $167,950 | 3,620 | 2.12 | 1.02 |
| 19 | Minnesota profile | $64.07 | $133,260 | $98,950 | $170,140 | 7,780 | 2.64 | 1.27 |
| 20 | Colorado profile | $63.91 | $132,930 | $87,770 | $170,310 | 4,270 | 1.49 | 0.72 |
| 21 | Idaho profile | $63.72 | $132,540 | $100,480 | $169,710 | 1,750 | 2.04 | 0.98 |
| 22 | Wyoming profile | $63.56 | $132,200 | $101,970 | $165,250 | 440 | 1.57 | 0.75 |
| 23 | Nebraska profile | $63.52 | $132,130 | $103,820 | $161,990 | 2,340 | 2.29 | 1.10 |
| 24 | Wisconsin profile | $63.45 | $131,980 | $106,320 | $166,260 | 5,160 | 1.75 | 0.84 |
| 25 | Texas profile | $63.31 | $131,670 | $96,880 | $161,980 | 25,970 | 1.85 | 0.89 |
| 26 | Michigan profile | $63.20 | $131,450 | $101,640 | $165,870 | 8,290 | 1.88 | 0.91 |
| 27 | Maryland profile | $63.03 | $131,110 | $99,920 | $169,330 | 6,710 | 2.43 | 1.17 |
| 28 | Delaware profile | $63.00 | $131,040 | $97,450 | $162,870 | 1,430 | 2.95 | 1.42 |
| 29 | Utah profile | $62.94 | $130,920 | $102,980 | $175,220 | 2,740 | 1.58 | 0.76 |
| 30 | Illinois profile | $62.83 | $130,680 | $102,440 | $161,470 | 9,270 | 1.52 | 0.73 |
| 31 | Maine profile | $62.62 | $130,260 | $107,820 | $166,740 | 1,650 | 2.58 | 1.24 |
| 32 | Iowa profile | $62.58 | $130,160 | $107,990 | $167,590 | 3,240 | 2.08 | 1.00 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania profile | $62.57 | $130,140 | $102,940 | $163,720 | 10,670 | 1.76 | 0.85 |
| 34 | North Dakota profile | $62.53 | $130,070 | $103,490 | $162,020 | 1,290 | 3.00 | 1.44 |
| 35 | Missouri profile | $62.47 | $129,930 | $100,650 | $162,060 | 7,710 | 2.63 | 1.26 |
| 36 | Florida profile | $62.26 | $129,510 | $101,920 | $163,600 | 21,790 | 2.19 | 1.06 |
| 37 | Georgia profile | $62.22 | $129,430 | $99,160 | $166,060 | 10,460 | 2.14 | 1.03 |
| 38 | North Carolina profile | $62.01 | $128,990 | $103,530 | $164,320 | 9,800 | 1.98 | 0.96 |
| 39 | South Dakota profile | $61.94 | $128,840 | $103,080 | $156,000 | 1,020 | 2.22 | 1.07 |
| 40 | Indiana profile | $61.94 | $128,830 | $101,790 | $155,260 | 7,450 | 2.33 | 1.12 |
| 41 | Virginia profile | $61.45 | $127,810 | $99,990 | $161,470 | 7,110 | 1.73 | 0.83 |
| 42 | West Virginia profile | $61.21 | $127,320 | $100,220 | $155,500 | 2,550 | 3.63 | 1.75 |
| 43 | Kansas profile | $60.89 | $126,650 | $98,330 | $158,080 | 3,780 | 2.63 | 1.27 |
| 44 | Arkansas profile | $60.41 | $125,660 | $99,420 | $205,810 | 3,970 | 3.04 | 1.47 |
| 45 | Louisiana profile | $60.38 | $125,600 | $99,050 | $159,570 | 5,380 | 2.78 | 1.34 |
| 46 | Ohio profile | $60.03 | $124,870 | $100,780 | $154,680 | 15,400 | 2.77 | 1.34 |
| 47 | Mississippi profile | $59.96 | $124,730 | $98,780 | $156,830 | 4,690 | 4.04 | 1.94 |
| 48 | South Carolina profile | $59.28 | $123,290 | $97,080 | $160,170 | 5,670 | 2.46 | 1.18 |
| 49 | Kentucky profile | $59.07 | $122,870 | $95,710 | $162,960 | 4,770 | 2.39 | 1.15 |
| 50 | Tennessee profile | $56.54 | $117,590 | $82,790 | $137,880 | 12,150 | 3.71 | 1.78 |
| 51 | Alabama profile | $50.84 | $105,750 | $86,300 | $134,650 | 5,640 | 2.67 | 1.29 |
Part of Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 29-1171 Nurse Practitioners.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 29-1171, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 29-1171.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.