Earlier this week, we published a post on the blog showing trends among physician assistants and the PA profession. The post gave a quick look at what the average PA looks like, as well as showed how physician assistant salaries have changed over the past few years. One reader asked that we do the same for nurse practitioners. As requested, here’s a peek at similar stats for NPs.
Using data from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners we compiled data from 2004, 2010, 2011, and 2014 to see how the nurse practitioner profession has changed. While the number of practicing nurse practitioners has grown significantly, the demographic profile for the average NP has largely remained the same. The average nurse practitioner is just under 50 years old, is female, and has been practicing for about 10 years.
When is comes to specialty distribution, there has been some shift among nurse practitioners over the past ten years. As of 2014, a larger percentage of nurse practitioners were certified in the family specialty than in 2004, showing a gradual trend toward NPs becoming certified FNPs. Fewer nurse practitioners, however, are selecting the women’s health and pediatric specialties. This trend may be related to the career flexibility that an FNP certification provides, compared with a more specialized path.
Nurse practitioner salaries are on the rise. The average annual income for NPs has steadily increased since 2004, growing from an average of $73,630 in 2004, to an average salary of $102,526 in 2014.
Nurse practitioners have enjoyed positive momentum in recent years. With the number of NPs on the rise, the profession has captured increasing attention to the care nurse practitioners provide. Salaries are increasing, making the NP career path even more attractive. Given the current challenges healthcare in our nation faces, we can expect these trends to continue for nurse practitioners.
What trends have you noticed during your nurse practitioner career?