Nurse Practitioners: Job Description
Diagnose and treat acute, episodic, or chronic illness, independently or as part of a healthcare team. May focus on health promotion and disease prevention. May order, perform, or interpret diagnostic tests such as lab work and x rays. May prescribe medication. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.
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What Tasks Do Nurse Practitioners Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of nurse practitioners span:
- Maintain complete and detailed records of patients' health care plans and prognoses.
- Develop treatment plans, based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and professional practice guidelines.
- Provide patients with information needed to promote health, reduce risk factors, or prevent disease or disability.
- Analyze and interpret patients' histories, symptoms, physical findings, or diagnostic information to develop appropriate diagnoses.
- Diagnose or treat complex, unstable, comorbid, episodic, or emergency conditions in collaboration with other health care providers as necessary.
- Prescribe medication dosages, routes, and frequencies, based on such patient characteristics as age and gender.
- Diagnose or treat chronic health care problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
- Prescribe medications based on efficacy, safety, and cost as legally authorized.
What Nurse Practitioners Need to Know
Successful nurse practitioners combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Nurse Practitioners Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- ACNP (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner)
- ARNP Specialist (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner Specialist)
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- Advanced Practice Nurse (APN)
- Advanced Practice Provider
- Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)
- CPNP (Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner)
- Cardiology Nurse Practitioner
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 1,967,669 nurse practitioners working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +3.3% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Nurse Practitioners Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $147,651 |
| Hourly median | $70.99 |
| 10th percentile | $89,776 |
| 25th percentile | $118,713 |
| 75th percentile | $176,588 |
| 90th percentile | $205,526 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $166,610 |
| New Jersey | $149,620 |
| Alaska | $145,450 |
| New York | $145,390 |
| Oregon | $144,600 |
| Washington | $140,220 |
| Connecticut | $138,960 |
| Massachusetts | $138,890 |
| New Mexico | $138,440 |
| Arizona | $133,790 |
| Montana | $133,640 |
| New Hampshire | $132,440 |
| District of Columbia | $131,380 |
| Hawaii | $130,940 |
| Rhode Island | $130,710 |
| Texas | $129,880 |
| Colorado | $129,750 |
| Vermont | $129,740 |
| Iowa | $129,420 |
| Florida | $129,010 |
| Idaho | $128,940 |
| Illinois | $128,620 |
| Wisconsin | $128,580 |
| Minnesota | $128,570 |
| Indiana | $128,280 |
| Nebraska | $127,930 |
| Delaware | $127,810 |
| Wyoming | $127,750 |
| Pennsylvania | $127,400 |
| Ohio | $126,740 |
| Oklahoma | $126,670 |
| Missouri | $126,370 |
| Georgia | $126,060 |
| Louisiana | $125,980 |
| Utah | $125,700 |
| Michigan | $125,620 |
| Maryland | $125,530 |
| Maine | $125,040 |
| North Carolina | $125,020 |
| Kansas | $124,690 |
| Virginia | $124,210 |
| North Dakota | $123,220 |
| South Dakota | $122,600 |
| West Virginia | $121,640 |
| Mississippi | $119,290 |
| South Carolina | $116,240 |
| Kentucky | $113,870 |
| Arkansas | $113,660 |
| Tennessee | $108,420 |
| Alabama | $106,930 |
| Guam | $105,060 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for nurse practitioners differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $144,902 | 10.5% | 0.64 |
| Middle Atlantic | $138,947 | 16.1% | 1.06 |
| New England | $136,102 | 5.8% | 1.21 |
| Southwest | $130,929 | 11.1% | 0.90 |
| Rocky Mountains | $128,789 | 3.3% | 0.82 |
| Great Lakes | $127,409 | 14.4% | 1.06 |
| Plains States | $127,085 | 8.4% | 1.24 |
| Southeast | $120,877 | 30.4% | 1.34 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $225,730 | 1,280 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $220,330 | 2,960 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $216,380 | 90 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $171,150 | 210 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $169,990 | 190 |
| Salinas, CA | CA | $168,270 | 140 |
| El Centro, CA | CA | $166,090 | 50 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | CA | $165,460 | 360 |
Which Industries Hire Nurse Practitioners
Most nurse practitioners are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 281,110 | $129,330 |
| Educational Services | 7,490 | $126,170 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 5,500 | $128,750 |
| Finance and Insurance | 2,600 | $126,100 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 2,390 | $129,440 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1,660 | $135,750 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1,530 | $126,790 |
| Retail Trade | 410 | $131,030 |
Below are examples of industries where nurse practitioners work:
Tools and Technology
- Medical software: eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- Medical software: Epic Systems (hot technology)
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for nurse practitioners reflects the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Exposed to Disease or Infections
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Getting Started in This Career
Most nurse practitioners positions require a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Physician Assistants (Primary-Long)
- Registered Nurses (Primary-Short)
- Acute Care Nurses (Primary-Short)
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses (Primary-Short)
- Critical Care Nurses (Primary-Long)
- Clinical Nurse Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Nurse Anesthetists (Supplemental)
- Nurse Midwives (Primary-Long)
Where to Study
Future nurse practitioners often complete programs in:
52 programs across 1 majors
Health Professions and Related Programs
20 programs across 1 majors
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-1171.00 (Nurse Practitioners).
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