5 Lowest Paying Nurse Practitioner Specialties

Last week, we looked at the top ten highest paying nurse practitioner specialties; but which specialties are on the low end of the salary totem pole? While location and experience undoubtedly affect how much NPs can expect to make, there are a few specialties that seem to mean lower pay. Which nurse practitioner specialties earn the least? 

1. Walk-in Clinic Nurse Practitioner ($95,414)

Nurse practitioners working in the walk-in clinic setting see patients without appointments for care. NPs in this specialty commonly treat patients for acute illnesses and injuries such sprains and strains, bronchitis and influenza.

2. Internal Medicine Nurse Practitioner ($95,136)

Internal medicine nurse practitioners focus their practice on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting adults. Though NPs specializing in internal medicine are qualified to practice in primary care settings for adults, the field also uniquely qualifies them to practice in hospital settings, rehabilitation centers and long-term care facilities, treating both acute and chronic illnesses.  

3. Obstetrics/Gynecology Nurse Practitioner (94,700)

Typically credentialed as Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners, OB-GYN NPs provide healthcare to women from adolescence through childbearing and advanced age, focusing specifically on reproductive health, prenatal care, delivery, and postnatal care.

4. Oncology Nurse Practitioner ($94,018)

The oncology specialty used to be one of top ten highest paying specialties in the NP profession. Despite this year’s survey naming it as one of the lowest, the salary for the field has still seen growth over the last few years. This comes as no surprise given that cancer treatment is continuously evolving and becoming more multifaceted. Oncology NPs (check out our interview with one here!) specialize in cancer prevention and screening, deliver direct care to cancer patients in active treatment and remission, as well as participate in cancer research. The specialty offers the opportunity to work in a variety of settings such as hospitals, private practice, home health, extended care facilities and hospices.

5. Pediatric Nurse Practitioner ($93,041)

Despite taking the number one spot as the lowest paying nurse practitioner specialty, PNPs have seen a dramatic salary increase of over $10,000 per year in just the last five years! Pediatric NPs treat patients from birth through late teens in a wide variety of settings and of various levels of acuity depending on the type of certification they choose to pursue.

As the nurse practitioner profession continues to grow alongside the booming healthcare industry, salaries on all specialty fronts have increased dramatically, including those considered to be on the lower paying end of the spectrum. Not to mention, NPs working in these specialties still earn substantial salaries near the six-figure mark. 

How does your nurse practitioner salary compare? 

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