How Much Does a Family Nurse Practitioner Make?
You’ve graduated from your FNP program, taken your certifying exam, and passed. Congrats! Now you need to decide where you want to work as a family nurse practitioner (FNP). This means you will likely want to know how much a family nurse practitioner makes in each state you are considering. What is the job market like? How much can you expect to earn if you are just starting?
A family nurse practitioner is one of the most sought-after and fastest-growing jobs in the US. On average, a nurse practitioner will make about $110,000 annually, but some states pay significantly more than others. It’s probably no surprise that California is the highest paying state for FNPs, but did you know that New Jersey isn’t far behind? Or that Alabama is the lowest paying state for nurse practitioners?
Which states have the most FNP jobs?
Two of the biggest states are on top - Texas and California, with over 17,000 NPs employed in each state. The metropolitan area of New York/Newark/Jersey City has the highest concentration of family nurse practitioner jobs, with just over 15,000 in that area alone.
Where are the top paying areas in the US for nurse practitioners?
All ten of the top paying areas for family nurse practitioners are in California. The highest paying area in the United States for NPs is the San Jose/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara metropolitan area in California, with an average annual income of $197,870. Napa, California is the second highest paying area in the country for NPs at $184,700 - although there are only 90 NP jobs in that area. The greater San Francisco Bay area rounds out the top three highest paying areas in the US for NPs.
What are the certification requirements?
To become a family nurse practitioner, you must have an RN license and graduate from an accredited FNP program. Also, you will need to take either the ANCC or AANP certifying exam - which you choose is up to you. Usually, both exams are accepted by most employers and the costs are very similar. Each exam has different testing categories, but they will both cover the same primary content. Clinical scenarios, diagnosis, pharmacology, and scope of practice are all examples of the topics covered on both certifying FNP exams. Once you pass, most states have an online portal for you to submit your documents. Beware that some states (like California) may have extended processing times, so factor this into your job search and be upfront when you interview if your license is still pending.
Where can you work as an FNP?
Something to consider when looking at all these numbers is that the FNP field is varied, and certain specialties will be more in demand and pay better than others. Specializing in geriatrics or pediatrics could net you a higher average salary. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the majority of nurse practitioners work in physician offices, with over 100,000 employed and an average salary of just over $111,000. The highest paying industry on average for NPs is outpatient care centers, with just under 19,000 NPs employed and an average salary of $123,850. Since most NPs working in these outpatient settings are family nurse practitioners or other primary care NPs, this is a good representation of the job market in these sectors.
What is the job outlook for FNPs?
Nurse Practitioners will experience a significant increase in employment growth by 2030 - at over 50% with the addition of over 114,000 jobs. The shortage of primary care physicians, combined with uninsured or underinsured individuals seeking health services, and the addition of healthcare to retail and grocers, creates this massive drive for growth in NP employment.
Top 25 highest-paying states for family nurse practitioners
Check out our list of where family nurse practitioners make the most money. Here are the 25 highest paying states (including the District of Columbia) for FNPs, starting with how much a nurse practitioner makes in California.
1. California
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for an NP is $151,830. Depending on the area in California you are looking to work in, Northern California specifically tends to pay exceptionally well for NPs. Nonmetropolitan Northern California is the highest paying nonmetropolitan area in the country, with an average salary of about $136,000. California also has the highest percentage of employed NPs. In addition, all of the ten highest paying metropolitan areas in the United States are in California. The state also predicted huge growth for NPs, adding an estimated 4600 jobs over the next six years.
2. New Jersey $137,010
Sharing the ranking with New York for the second highest number of employed NPs, the Newark-Jersey City area has an average salary for NPs over $140,000. Family nurse practitioners in New Jersey can practice independently from a supervising physician and are considered “licensed independent practitioners” according to the state Board of Nursing.
3. New York $133,940
Ranking as the highest metropolitan area for the number of employed NPs, the New York-Newark-Jersey City area has over 15,000 employed NPs, and here they can expect an average salary of over $140,000 per year. New York expects a huge increase in NP jobs over the next six years - with almost 45% growth anticipated. Low accessibility to healthcare and lack of insurance are the main drivers of this job expansion.
4. Washington $130,840
By 2028, Washington expects to have over 5,000 NP jobs, especially in the low-access rural parts of the state. Washington is also an independent practice state, meaning NPs can practice without physician oversight.
5. Massachusetts $129,540
The Boston-Cambridge-Nashua metropolitan area ranks the second highest for employment level of NPs, with an average salary coming in just over the Massachusetts state average at $132,070. Although Massachusetts expects only a 16% increase in NP jobs by 2028, that number projects upwards of 8,500 total jobs in the coming years.
6. Oregon $128,190
Jumping up the list of highest paying states considerably, Oregon NPs have seen a pay increase of almost $10,000 annually since last year. Oregon is also a full-practice state for nurse practitioners.
7. Hawaii $127,490
While Hawaii has less than 500 nurse practitioners, they expect NP jobs to grow as the demand for healthcare access expands. Urban areas like Honolulu hope to see the most growth over the next 5-10 years.
8. Minnesota $127,010
Approximately 4,500 NPs work in Minnesota, with many jobs concentrated in the Minneapolis area. Increasing access to healthcare will lead to increased job growth over the next 5-10 years.
9. Rhode Island $126,760
Although Rhode Island ranks in the top ten for annual NP salary, it has the lowest
projected job growth in the Northeast, at just over 14%. That said, NPs in 2021 made considerably more in Rhode Island than they did the previous year in 2020, partly due to increased healthcare access across the state.
10. District of Columbia $125,290
Although the District of Columbia has a relatively small number of NPs at 680, their average salary has increased by almost $10,000 annually since 2020.
11. Nevada $123,680
With under 300 NP jobs, Nevada expects job growth for NPs to reach nearly 29%. As the population grows, access to healthcare will become paramount, especially in rural or outlying areas.
12. Iowa $121,370
According to the Iowa Nursing Demand Survey Report, ambulatory care centers in the state report the highest number of job openings. The majority of the job openings were also at large institutions (>100 employees).
13. New Hampshire $120,730
With 1200 nurse practitioners currently employed in New Hampshire and an expected increase in jobs of nearly 30%, the outlook for NPs in this independent practice state is positive.
14. Illinois $120,470
Illinois already has a substantial population of nurse practitioner jobs. Still, by 2028 those numbers are expected to increase nearly 30% and reach 10,000 NP jobs, which will increase the annual income for this role.
15. Arizona $119,910
According to careeronestop.org, Arizona projects to have the most significant increase in demand for NPs by 2028. Similar to the US projections, NP jobs are expected to rise by over 50% in this state. Many of the state’s residents live in low-access areas for healthcare, and hospitals use NPs to fill this gap due to the shortage of primary care physicians.
16. New Mexico $118,480
Pay for NPs has remained relatively stable over the last year in New Mexico, only up about $1000 since 2020. New Mexico is outpacing the projected job growth (estimated 1340 by 2028) with nearly 1270 total NP jobs in 2021.
17. Wyoming $118,810
Although Wyoming has one of the smallest total numbers of employed NPs in the US, it expects significant growth of 30% before 2028, adding 90 jobs to the already 300 in the state. With the vast amount of rural areas in the state, patients often turn to telemedicine or neighboring states for healthcare due to the lack of primary care resources.
18. Texas $117,890
Two top metropolitan areas for NP employment in the US are in Texas - the Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington area (mean annual income $115,510) and the Houston/The Woodlands/Sugarland area (mean annual income $123,810). Texas also ranks the highest for the total number of employed NPs, with 17,810 NPs working in that state.
19. Pennsylvania $117,260
The Philadelphia/Camden/Wilmington metro area is in the top ten areas for NP employment and has an average annual income of $121,370. Proximity to New Jersey and New York likely contributes to the increased income here. Projected job increases of 26% put NPs in high demand here.
20. Oklahoma $116,650
Oklahoma expects to add 350 NP jobs before 2028, in large part due to the rural nature of the state and poor access to healthcare in those areas. This would be an increase in NP jobs of almost 20%.
21. Maine $116,370
Maine has a small number of total nurse practitioners, with only about 1300 jobs in this relatively small state. The highest earning metropolitan area in the state is the Lewiston/Auburn area, where NPs make, on average, over $118,000 annually.
22. Delaware $116,230
In August of 2021, Delaware became an independent practice state for NPs. This means that NPs in Delaware can practice independently of a physician under the authority of the Delaware Board of Nursing. Camden, Delaware, is also among the top ten metropolitan areas for employed NPs.
23. Montana $115,710
The highest earning area in Montana for nurse practitioners is actually the nonmetropolitan area in the western part of the state. This area averages an annual income of $121,370, which is considerably above the state average.
24. Maryland $115,700
While Maryland doesn’t have many NP jobs, they expect to grow by over 34% in the next six years. The highest earning area in Maryland is the California/Lexington Park metropolitan area, where NPs average $123,400 annually.
25. Wisconsin $114,530
For nurse practitioners in the Duluth metropolitan area in Wisconsin, the average annual income is $146,740 - well above almost every state on the list. Other high-earning parts of the state are the Western nonmetropolitan area and the Chicago/Naperville/Elgin metropolitan area. NPs in these two areas average over $120,000 annually.
Want to learn more about the world of a family nurse practitioner? We invite you to check out the USU Trailblazers blog for more FNP-related articles that will provide career insights and other relevant info. Just the same, if you’re a student thinking about nursing school, or already a nursing school student (or even if you’re a current practicing nurse!), check out United States University’s FNP program if you’re interested in pursuing a stellar career jam-packed with perks and opportunities.
Alex lives in Southern California and has spent her decade-long nursing career in cardiac critical care and loves all things heart-related. She’s currently a pediatric ICU nurse in Los Angeles and has worked in both adult and pediatric cardiac surgery as well as the cardiac cath lab. After getting her degree in immunology and genetics from UCLA, she studied nursing at Mount St. Mary’s University. As a mom to five in her blended family and married to her firefighter husband, her house is generally chaotic. When not at the hospital Alex loves traveling with her family, surfing, and doing her kids’ laundry.
