If you’re an advanced practice provider, the location where you practice can make a significant difference in your compensation. Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurse anesthetist salaries vary significantly by state. Given that some providers prefer not to limit themselves to a single state when it comes to their careers, looking at how salaries vary by geographic region can also be helpful.
In a 2014 report, the Medical Group Management Association, released compensation and productivity data collected from 66,299 healthcare providers. Compensation data from nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and certified registered nurse anesthetists was compiled and analyzed by region.
Here’s the breakdown of average salary by geographic region for each profession based on the organization’s collected data:
While each type of provider earns a substantial salary regardless of geographic region, the location in which NPs, PAs, and CRNAs practice does affect income.
In general, the West and Midwest have higher average compensation for advanced practice providers. The southern and eastern regions of the country see lower average salaries for nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurse anesthetists. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants may see their incomes vary by nearly $10,000 based on the region of the country in which they practice. CRNA salaries differ by up to $15,000 by geographic region.
If you’re an advanced practice provider considering a career move, don’t forget to take cost of living for your specific location, and other compensation perks like benefits into consideration (here’s how to analyze your benefits package) as you analyze your salary. These factors can amount to an even more significant compensation variable than geographic region.
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