Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
Typical entry preparation: Master's Degree and 2 to 5 years of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
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.
Top skills:Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingActive ListeningWritingSpeaking
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Nurse Practitioner pay by experience level
Entry level$105,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$122,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$137,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$162,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$180,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+40.1%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
29,500
projected openings per year
Growing faster than average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Nurse Practitioner salary by industry
Ambulatory Health Care Services
210,310 workers
$139,500
Offices of Physicians
148,600 workers
$136,000
Hospitals
79,530 workers
$150,000
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
73,610 workers
$149,500
Hospitals, Privately Owned
65,570 workers
$149,000
Outpatient Care Centers
31,590 workers
$154,000
Offices of Other Health Practitioners
15,260 workers
$139,000
Home Health Care Services
11,600 workers
$143,500
Hospitals, Local Government Owned
8,630 workers
$147,500
Educational Services
7,890 workers
$138,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Who works in this role
About 325,000 people held this occupation in the United States in 2025.
Women
90.5%
White
75.7%
Black or African American
11.1%
Asian
10.3%
Hispanic or Latino
6.8%
Race categories and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity overlap, so shares can sum to more than 100 percent. Figures describe this occupation across the national workforce, not any single employer. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Averages, Table 11, 2025.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $111,680 to $132,300.
+18.5% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$105,000
Early career25th percentile
$122,000
Median50th percentile
$137,000
Experienced75th percentile
$162,000
Top earners90th percentile
$180,500
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingActive ListeningWritingSpeaking
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
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.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Exempt · Professional, Administrative, or Executive exemption
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Exempt when paid above the salary threshold, provided they satisfy the duties test for one of the FLSA exemption categories. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$142,000
2027$147,000
2028$152,000
2029$157,500
2030$163,000
2031$168,500
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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The median market pay for a Nurse Practitioner in the United States is about $142,000 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Nurse Practitioner?
Most Nurse Practitioner pay falls between about $122,000 (25th percentile) and $162,000 (75th percentile), with top earners above $180,500.
What does a Nurse Practitioner do?
Core responsibilities include: maintain complete and detailed records of patients' health care plans and prognoses; and develop treatment plans, based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and professional practice guidelines.
Is pay for Nurse Practitioner roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $111,680 in 2020 to $132,300 in 2025, a change of +18.5% in nominal dollars.
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Nurse Practitioner make?
The average base salary for a Nurse Practitioner in the United States is $142,000 per year, or about $68.27 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $122,000 and $162,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical roles?
The Healthcare Practitioners and Technical job family averages $162,000 across 91 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Nurse Practitioner pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
