Occasionally, patients or acquaintances ask me why I did not become a doctor. I can always tell salary is on their mind. “Why would she choose to work a similar job for less?”, they wonder. Admittedly, compensation was a significant part of my own decision making process as I selected my career path. I became an NP knowing full well that my salary would be significantly lower than that of a physician. Just how much lower are nurse practitioner salaries compared to those of physicians?
Several factors come into play in comparing salaries of healthcare providers with location and specialty being the primary influencers. Comparing NP and MD salaries on a state-by-state basis gives a more in-depth picture of differences in compensation between the two professions. Remember, nurse practitioner scope of practice regulations also affect NP salaries and may account for variations as well as inconsistent comparisons with MD salaries across state lines.
Overall, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, family and general practice physicians earn a mean annual wage of $186,320. Nurse practitioners earn, on average, $97,990. So, primary care physicians earn about $88,330 more annually than NPs. Physician salaries listed below are broken down by state and reflect data for family and general practice physicians.
Alabama
Physician
Annual Salary: $186,640
Hourly Rate: $89.73
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $91,000
Hourly Rate: $43.75
Alaska
Physician
Annual Salary: $228,340
Hourly Rate: $109.78
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $115,670
Hourly Rate: $55.61
Arizona
Physician
Annual Salary: $171,980
Hourly Rate: $82.68
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $102,720
Hourly Rate: $49.38
Arkansas
Physician
Annual Salary: $202,110
Hourly Rate: $97.17
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $97,680
Hourly Rate: $46.96
California
Physician
Annual Salary: $198,160
Hourly Rate: $95.27
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $115,460
Hourly Rate: $55.51
Colorado
Physician
Annual Salary: $186,690
Hourly Rate: $89.75
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $101,290
Hourly Rate: $48.70
Connecticut
Physician
Annual Salary: $177,910
Hourly Rate: $85.53
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $99,180
Hourly Rate: $47.68
Delaware
Physician
Annual Salary: $105,210
Hourly Rate: $50.58
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $97,300
Hourly Rate: $46.78
District of Columbia
Physician
Annual Salary: $192,590
Hourly Rate: $92.59
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $91,430
Hourly Rate: $43.96
Florida
Physician
Annual Salary: $194,040
Hourly Rate: $93.29
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $92,530
Hourly Rate: $44.49
Georgia
Physician
Annual Salary: $223,710
Hourly Rate: $107.55
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $90,490
Hourly Rate: $43.50
Hawaii
Physician
Annual Salary: $231,110
Hourly Rate: $111.11
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $115,870
Hourly Rate: $55.71
Idaho
Physician
Annual Salary: $188,470
Hourly Rate: $90.61
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $94,040
Hourly Rate: $45.21
Illinois
Physician
Annual Salary: $162,890
Hourly Rate: $78.31
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $85,410
Hourly Rate: $41.06
Indiana
Physician
Annual Salary: $176,120
Hourly Rate: $84.67
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $93,200
Hourly Rate: $44.81
Iowa
Physician
Annual Salary: $217,460
Hourly Rate: $104.55
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $92,770
Hourly Rate: $44.60
Kansas
Physician
Annual Salary: $222,090
Hourly Rate: $106.77
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $84,270
Hourly Rate: $40.51
Kentucky
Physician
Annual Salary: $181,810
Hourly Rate: $87.41
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $93,230
Hourly Rate: $44.82
Louisiana
Physician
Annual Salary: $182.790
Hourly Rate: $87.88
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $96,510
Hourly Rate: $46.40
Maine
Physician
Annual Salary: $169,550
Hourly Rate: $81.51
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $94,400
Hourly Rate: $45.39
Maryland
Physician
Annual Salary: $171,480
Hourly Rate: $82.44
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $93,020
Hourly Rate: $44.72
Massachusetts
Physician
Annual Salary: $209,050
Hourly Rate: $100.51
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $107,230
Hourly Rate: $51.55
Michigan
Physician
Annual Salary: $181,590
Hourly Rate: $87.30
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $92,260
Hourly Rate: $44.36
Minnesota
Physician
Annual Salary: $183,010
Hourly Rate: $87.99
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $102,640
Hourly Rate: $49.35
Mississippi
Physician
Annual Salary: $205,360
Hourly Rate: $98.73
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $99,080
Hourly Rate: $47.64
Missouri
Physician
Annual Salary: $149,430
Hourly Rate: $71.84
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $89,690
Hourly Rate: $43.12
Montana
Physician
Annual Salary: $191,730
Hourly Rate: $92.18
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $92,800
Hourly Rate: $44.61
Nebraska
Physician
Annual Salary: $222,480
Hourly Rate: $106.96
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $90,240
Hourly Rate: $43.38
Nevada
Physician
Annual Salary: $158,270
Hourly Rate: $76.09
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $95,450
Hourly Rate: $45.89
New Hampshire
Physician
Annual Salary: $206,440
Hourly Rate: $99.25
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $100,000
Hourly Rate: $48.08
New Jersey
Physician
Annual Salary: $162,360
Hourly Rate: $78.06
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $106,060
Hourly Rate: $50.99
New Mexico
Physician
Annual Salary: $172,700
Hourly Rate: $83.03
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $100,490
Hourly Rate: $48.31
New York
Physician
Annual Salary: $187,140
Hourly Rate: $89.97
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $104,510
Hourly Rate: $50.24
North Carolina
Physician
Annual Salary: $200,710
Hourly Rate: $96.49
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $96,020
Hourly Rate: $46.16
North Dakota
Physician
Annual Salary: $173,590
Hourly Rate: $83.46
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $88,520
Hourly Rate: $42.56
Ohio
Physician
Annual Salary: $184,450
Hourly Rate: $88.68
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $92,830
Hourly Rate: $44.63
Oklahoma
Physician
Annual Salary: $136,990
Hourly Rate: $65.86
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $82,880
Hourly Rate: $39.85
Oregon
Physician
Annual Salary: $182,880
Hourly Rate: $87.93
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $111,160
Hourly Rate: $53.44
Pennsylvania
Physician
Annual Salary: $190,470
Hourly Rate: $91.57
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $88,480
Hourly Rate: $42.54
Rhode Island
Physician
Annual Salary: $193,800
Hourly Rate: $93.17
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $101,130
Hourly Rate: $48.62
South Carolina
Physician
Annual Salary: $184,860
Hourly Rate: $88.88
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $88,460
Hourly Rate: $42.53
South Dakota
Physician
Annual Salary: $203,320
Hourly Rate: $97.75
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $90,210
Hourly Rate: $43.37
Tennessee
Physician
Annual Salary: $167,370
Hourly Rate: $80.47
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $91,950
Hourly Rate: $44.21
Texas
Physician
Annual Salary: $196,380
Hourly Rate: $94.41
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $102,070
Hourly Rate: $49.07
Utah
Physician
Annual Salary: $191,440
Hourly Rate: $92.04
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $93,110
Hourly Rate: $44.76
Vermont
Physician
Annual Salary: $147,070
Hourly Rate: $70.71
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $91,030
Hourly Rate: $43.77
Virginia
Physician
Annual Salary: $178,130
Hourly Rate: $85.64
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $96,420
Hourly Rate: $46.35
Washington
Physician
Annual Salary: $190,600
Hourly Rate: $91.63
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $100,530
Hourly Rate: $48.33
West Virginia
Physician
Annual Salary: $173,080
Hourly Rate: $83.21
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $88,780
Hourly Rate: $42.68
Wisconsin
Physician
Annual Salary: $198,120
Hourly Rate: $95.25
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $93,170
Hourly Rate: $44.79
Wyoming
Physician
Annual Salary: $165,550
Hourly Rate: $79.59
Nurse Practitioner
Annual Salary: $90,400
Hourly Rate: $43.46
*Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
How does your salary compare?