Nurse practitioners are enjoying positive momentum in the healthcare job market these days. It seems that every time I tell someone I’m an NP, they respond with a smile and an “Oh yeah, I just saw a nurse practitioner at…, It was great!”. Increasing recognition of our profession among patients, growing employment of NPs by healthcare facilities, and more permissive scope of practice regulations passed by lawmakers all contribute to the positives of life as a nurse practitioner in our current healthcare landscape. Not to mention, with these trends, NP salaries are naturally on the rise.
As nurse practitioners become more widely utilized, and are able to offer a greater number of services to patients, employers recognize their growing value with compensation to match. Looking at the most recent trends in pay reveals that from 2015 to 2016, NPs in some states received a significant financial boost. Here are the states where nurse practitioners fared best based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
1. Wyoming (+$22,620)
2015 Mean Annual Wage: $90,400
2016 Mean Annual Wage: $113,020
2. Maryland (+$15,150)
2015 Mean Annual Wage: $93,020
2016 Mean Annual Wage: $108,170
3. Connecticut (+$13,840)
2015 Mean Annual Wage: $99,180
2016 Mean Annual Wage: $113,550
4. Kansas (+$13,180)
2015 Mean Annual Wage: $84,270
2016 Mean Annual Wage: $97,450
5. Massachusetts (+$10,630)
2015 Mean Annual Wage: $107,230
2016 Mean Annual Wage: $117,860
6. Georgia (+$10,170)
2015 Mean Annual Wage: $90,490
2016 Mean Annual Wage: $100,660
7. New Jersey (+$9,170)
2015 Mean Annual Wage: $106,060
2016 Mean Annual Wage: $115,230
8. Utah (+$8,960)
2015 Mean Annual Wage: $93,110
2016 Mean Annual Wage: $102,070
9. New York (+$8,940)
2015 Mean Annual Wage: $104,510
2016 Mean Annual Wage: $113,450
10. California (+$8,870)
2015 Mean Annual Wage: $115,460
2016 Mean Annual Wage: $124,330
While these ten states experienced the biggest leaps when it comes to nurse practitioner salaries between 2015 and 2016, all but two states saw compensation for NPs increase during this timeframe. Have you seen your salary grow accordingly?
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