How pay is spread out
The BLS does not split NP pay by specialty. The spread from $101,340 to $174,420 therefore mixes primary care, acute care, psychiatric and other roles.
Nurse practitioner salary by state
State medians run from $105,750 in Alabama to $168,520 in California. Each state sets its own APRN rules, including how much independence NPs have. Once prices are taken into account, California comes out on top at about $152,200.
| Compared with the top state | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $168,520 | 25,120 | $152,200 | |
| New Jersey | $159,310 | 9,950 | $146,420 | |
| Washington | $156,100 | 6,700 | $145,870 | |
| Oregon | $155,680 | 2,820 | $150,620 | |
| Alaska | $155,170 | 710 | $151,590 | |
| New York | $153,510 | 22,890 | $142,240 | |
| Massachusetts | $142,440 | 8,070 | $134,690 | |
| Nevada | $140,670 | 1,930 | $140,700 | |
| Connecticut | $138,470 | 3,750 | $133,650 | |
| New Hampshire | $137,550 | 1,770 | $132,050 | |
| New Mexico | $137,520 | 1,770 | $149,130 | |
| Montana | $137,210 | 1,260 | $144,970 | |
| Rhode Island | $135,970 | 1,180 | $132,940 | |
| District of Columbia | $135,880 | 680 | $123,640 | |
| Hawaii | $135,570 | 550 | $123,300 | |
| Vermont | $134,740 | 700 | $137,550 | |
| Arizona | $134,420 | 7,220 | $133,520 | |
| Oklahoma | $133,390 | 3,620 | $151,850 | |
| Minnesota | $133,260 | 7,780 | $135,120 | |
| Colorado | $132,930 | 4,270 | $128,990 | |
| Idaho | $132,540 | 1,750 | $138,790 | |
| Wyoming | $132,200 | 440 | $142,620 | |
| Nebraska | $132,130 | 2,340 | $146,640 | |
| Wisconsin | $131,980 | 5,160 | $140,260 | |
| Texas | $131,670 | 25,970 | $135,660 | |
| Michigan | $131,450 | 8,290 | $136,620 | |
| Maryland | $131,110 | 6,710 | $124,920 | |
| Delaware | $131,040 | 1,430 | $131,290 | |
| Utah | $130,920 | 2,740 | $132,420 | |
| Illinois | $130,680 | 9,270 | $130,730 | |
| Maine | $130,260 | 1,650 | $134,220 | |
| Iowa | $130,160 | 3,240 | $148,310 | |
| Pennsylvania | $130,140 | 10,670 | $133,380 | |
| North Dakota | $130,070 | 1,290 | $146,210 | |
| Missouri | $129,930 | 7,710 | $143,070 | |
| Florida | $129,510 | 21,790 | $125,230 | |
| Georgia | $129,430 | 10,460 | $134,410 | |
| North Carolina | $128,990 | 9,800 | $136,750 | |
| South Dakota | $128,840 | 1,020 | $145,440 | |
| Indiana | $128,830 | 7,450 | $138,040 | |
| Virginia | $127,810 | 7,110 | $126,410 | |
| West Virginia | $127,320 | 2,550 | $142,260 | |
| Kansas | $126,650 | 3,780 | $140,620 | |
| Arkansas | $125,660 | 3,970 | $144,540 | |
| Louisiana | $125,600 | 5,380 | $142,390 | |
| Ohio | $124,870 | 15,400 | $134,600 | |
| Mississippi | $124,730 | 4,690 | $143,450 | |
| South Carolina | $123,290 | 5,670 | $131,510 | |
| Kentucky | $122,870 | 4,770 | $136,280 | |
| Tennessee | $117,590 | 12,150 | $128,000 | |
| Alabama | $105,750 | 5,640 | $119,060 |
Best-paying cities
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has the highest median, $231,560. Use the cost-adjusted column to compare places with very different rents.
| Metro area | Median | Employed | Cost-adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $231,560 | 1,580 | $209,700 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $219,080 | 3,110 | $189,490 |
| Vallejo, CA | $182,370 | 180 | $168,120 |
| Napa, CA | $176,270 | 60 | $156,610 |
| Modesto, CA | $173,380 | 380 | $166,540 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $172,010 | 1,170 | $161,250 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $169,920 | 1,710 | $159,640 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $168,540 | 70 | $165,870 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $167,190 | 190 | $152,130 |
| Chico, CA | $167,080 | 140 | $165,100 |
Where the most jobs are
| Metro area | Median | Employed | Cost-adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $163,340 | 21,680 | $145,110 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $161,470 | 10,060 | $142,180 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $130,980 | 7,310 | $127,050 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $135,700 | 6,590 | $132,320 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $131,740 | 6,530 | $127,170 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $147,480 | 5,990 | $136,220 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $134,560 | 5,970 | $136,430 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $132,500 | 5,950 | $132,420 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $131,340 | 5,810 | $115,050 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $136,270 | 5,450 | $131,900 |
Pay by type of employer
Physicians' offices are the largest employer (46%, median $129,190). Hospitals pay $136,230 and outpatient care centers $139,320.
| Industry | Median | Employed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offices of Physicians | $129,190 | 148,600 | 46% |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $136,230 | 73,610 | 23% |
| Outpatient Care Centers | $139,320 | 31,590 | 10% |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $129,490 | 15,260 | 5% |
| Home Health Care Services | $129,460 | 11,600 | 4% |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $134,820 | 7,420 | 2% |
What nurse practitioners do
- Maintain complete and detailed records of patients' health care plans and prognoses.
- Develop treatment plans, based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and professional practice guidelines.
- Provide patients with information needed to promote health, reduce risk factors, or prevent disease or disability.
- Analyze and interpret patients' histories, symptoms, physical findings, or diagnostic information to develop appropriate diagnoses.
- Diagnose or treat complex, unstable, comorbid, episodic, or emergency conditions in collaboration with other health care providers as necessary.
Hourly to annual
Many NPs are salaried, so an hourly figure is mostly useful for comparing job offers. The conversion assumes 2,080 hours a year.
How you get there
Nurse practitioners are advanced practice registered nurses. They need an RN license first, then at least a master's degree in the role, a national certification exam and a state APRN license.
Typical entry-level education: master's degree. Projected job growth, 2025–35: 41%, about 29,400 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections).
Compare with similar jobs
Questions people ask
How much do nurse practitioners make an hour?
The national median was $63.61 an hour in May 2025.
Which state pays nurse practitioners the most?
California had the highest median at $168,520, followed by New Jersey at $159,310.
Does the BLS publish NP pay by specialty?
No. These figures combine all nurse practitioner specialties, so a figure quoted for one specialty comes from another source.
General information, not career or financial advice. Pay depends on hours, location and employer. Confirm licensing rules with your state's board.