Nurse Practitioners Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for nurse practitionerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $137,300 ≈ $66/hr
National median salary $132,300
Total employment 323,040 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +40.1%
Much faster than average
Annual openings 29,500 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 320,400 → 448,800 (+128,400)
Typical entry education Master's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$176,760
- Oregon$155,780
- New Jersey$155,750
- New York$153,900
- Massachusetts$152,320
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Alabama$110,970
- Tennessee$115,510
- Ohio$122,910
- South Carolina$124,170
- Kentucky$125,010
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $176,760 | $168,520 | $85 | +28.7% | 25,120 |
| 2 | Oregon | $155,780 | $155,680 | $75 | +13.5% | 2,820 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $155,750 | $159,310 | $75 | +13.4% | 9,950 |
| 4 | New York | $153,900 | $153,510 | $74 | +12.1% | 22,890 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $152,320 | $142,440 | $73 | +10.9% | 8,070 |
| 6 | Washington | $152,180 | $156,100 | $73 | +10.8% | 6,700 |
| 7 | Alaska | $149,120 | $155,170 | $72 | +8.6% | 710 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $146,470 | $135,880 | $70 | +6.7% | 680 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $143,510 | $137,520 | $69 | +4.5% | 1,770 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $143,150 | $135,970 | $69 | +4.3% | 1,180 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $142,910 | $135,570 | $69 | +4.1% | 550 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $142,340 | $138,470 | $68 | +3.7% | 3,750 |
| 13 | Arizona | $140,600 | $134,420 | $68 | +2.4% | 7,220 |
| 14 | Vermont | $139,400 | $134,740 | $67 | +1.5% | 700 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $138,070 | $137,550 | $66 | +0.6% | 1,770 |
| 16 | Nevada | $137,410 | $140,670 | $66 | +0.1% | 1,930 |
| 17 | Utah | $137,060 | $130,920 | $66 | -0.2% | 2,740 |
| 18 | Iowa | $136,940 | $130,160 | $66 | -0.3% | 3,240 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $135,890 | $133,260 | $65 | -1% | 7,780 |
| 20 | Montana | $135,290 | $137,210 | $65 | -1.5% | 1,260 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $135,160 | $131,980 | $65 | -1.6% | 5,160 |
| 22 | Maine | $134,210 | $130,260 | $65 | -2.3% | 1,650 |
| 23 | Oklahoma | $134,200 | $133,390 | $65 | -2.3% | 3,620 |
| 24 | Idaho | $133,420 | $132,540 | $64 | -2.8% | 1,750 |
| 25 | Maryland | $133,360 | $131,110 | $64 | -2.9% | 6,710 |
| 26 | Delaware | $132,900 | $131,040 | $64 | -3.2% | 1,430 |
| 27 | Michigan | $132,790 | $131,450 | $64 | -3.3% | 8,290 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $132,680 | $132,200 | $64 | -3.4% | 440 |
| 29 | Colorado | $132,540 | $132,930 | $64 | -3.5% | 4,270 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $132,070 | $130,140 | $64 | -3.8% | 10,670 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $131,710 | $132,130 | $63 | -4.1% | 2,340 |
| 32 | Texas | $131,420 | $131,670 | $63 | -4.3% | 25,970 |
| 33 | Missouri | $130,970 | $129,930 | $63 | -4.6% | 7,710 |
| 34 | Illinois | $130,940 | $130,680 | $63 | -4.6% | 9,270 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $130,870 | $128,990 | $63 | -4.7% | 9,800 |
| 36 | Florida | $130,410 | $129,510 | $63 | -5% | 21,790 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $130,260 | $125,660 | $63 | -5.1% | 3,970 |
| 38 | Virginia | $129,060 | $127,810 | $62 | -6% | 7,110 |
| 39 | Georgia | $128,800 | $129,430 | $62 | -6.2% | 10,460 |
| 40 | Kansas | $127,940 | $126,650 | $62 | -6.8% | 3,780 |
| 41 | West Virginia | $126,780 | $127,320 | $61 | -7.7% | 2,550 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $126,630 | $125,600 | $61 | -7.8% | 5,380 |
| 43 | Indiana | $126,600 | $128,830 | $61 | -7.8% | 7,450 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $126,370 | $130,070 | $61 | -8% | 1,290 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $125,340 | $124,730 | $60 | -8.7% | 4,690 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $125,160 | $128,840 | $60 | -8.8% | 1,020 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $125,010 | $122,870 | $60 | -9% | 4,770 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $124,170 | $123,290 | $60 | -9.6% | 5,670 |
| 49 | Ohio | $122,910 | $124,870 | $59 | -10.5% | 15,400 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $115,510 | $117,590 | $56 | -15.9% | 12,150 |
| 51 | Alabama | $110,970 | $105,750 | $53 | -19.2% | 5,640 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 517 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $231,560 | $225,610 | 1,580 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $219,080 | $215,430 | 3,110 |
| 3 | Vallejo, CA | $182,370 | $196,780 | 180 |
| 4 | Napa, CA | $176,270 | $188,720 | 60 |
| 5 | Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $174,670 | $180,000 | 50 |
| 6 | Modesto, CA | $173,380 | $187,690 | 380 |
| 7 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $172,010 | $177,260 | 1,170 |
| 8 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $169,920 | $171,680 | 1,710 |
| 9 | North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $169,820 | $169,730 | 120 |
| 10 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $168,540 | $170,070 | 70 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing nurse practitionerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business Support Services | $185,200 | $181,960 | 40 |
| 2 | Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities | $166,670 | $166,680 | 1,560 |
| 3 | Other Residential Care Facilities | $165,540 | $147,110 | 240 |
| 4 | Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities | $165,070 | $164,600 | 1,680 |
| 5 | Junior Colleges | $162,460 | $141,380 | 30 |
| 6 | Junior Colleges, Local Government Owned | $162,460 | $146,920 | 30 |
| 7 | Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals, Privately Owned | $154,740 | $152,020 | 1,770 |
| 8 | Technical and Trade Schools, Privately Owned | $154,440 | $142,000 | — |
| 9 | Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services | $150,460 | $126,990 | 120 |
| 10 | Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | $148,850 | $150,110 | 2,900 |
| 11 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, State Government Owned | $147,480 | $162,280 | 4,080 |
| 12 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, Privately Owned | $144,810 | $154,070 | 2,860 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do nurse practitioners make in the U.S.?
The median nurse practitioners salary in the United States is $132,300 per year (mean $137,300), and about 80% earn between $101,340 and $174,420.
How much do nurse practitioners make per hour?
Roughly $66 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $137,300 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays nurse practitioners the most?
California has the highest average pay for nurse practitioners at $176,760 per year (median $168,520).
What is the job outlook for nurse practitioners?
Employment is projected to change +40.1% from 2024 to 2034 (Much faster than average), with about 29,500 openings per year.
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Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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