Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses
SOC code 29-1141 · O*NET-SOC 29-1141.02 · Extensive preparation needed · Healthcare
Bright Outlook — O*NET expects rapid growth and numerous job openings for this occupation
Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses pay
U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number
Median pay
$97,550
a year
Hourly
$46.90
per hour
The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.
Average pay
$101,420
$48.76 per hour
Middle 50%
$80,330 – $112,350
25th to 75th percentile
Full spread
$68,940 – $137,470
10th to 90th percentile
People employed
3,379,720
nationwide
National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.
These pay and employment figures are for the broader BLS group “Registered Nurses”, not this job alone.
- 10th percentile
- $68,940
- $33.14/hr
- 25th percentile
- $80,330
- $38.62/hr
- Median percentile
- $97,550
- $46.90/hr
- 75th percentile
- $112,350
- $54.02/hr
- 90th percentile
- $137,470
- $66.09/hr
Job outlook · federal projection 2024–34
+5%
Growing faster than average
3,391,000
jobs in 2024
3,557,100
projected for 2034
About 166,100 more jobs
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projections, 2024–34. Projections describe the broader occupation group and are estimates, not guarantees.
What does an advanced practice psychiatric nurs do?
Assess, diagnose, and treat individuals and families with mental health or substance use disorders or the potential for such disorders. Apply therapeutic activities, including the prescription of medication, per state regulations, and the administration of psychotherapy.
The tasks that matter most day to day
- Assess patients' mental and physical status, based on the presenting symptoms and complaints.
- Diagnose psychiatric disorders and mental health conditions.
- Document patients' medical and psychological histories, physical assessment results, diagnoses, treatment plans, prescriptions, or outcomes.
- Educate patients and family members about mental health and medical conditions, preventive health measures, medications, or treatment plans.
- Write prescriptions for psychotropic medications as allowed by state regulations and collaborative practice agreements.
- Monitor patients' medication usage and results.
- Evaluate patients' behavior to formulate diagnoses or assess treatments.
- Distinguish between physiologically- and psychologically-based disorders, and diagnose appropriately.
How to become an advanced practice psychiatric nurs
Most people in this role hold master's degree — 87% of workers surveyed reported it as their level of education.
Preparation level: zone 5 — Extensive preparation needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Experience
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
- Training
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Education reported by people doing this job
- Master's Degree87%
- Doctoral Degree9%
- First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.4%
Common questions
How much does an advanced practice psychiatric nurs earn?
The national median is $97,550 a year. The full range runs from $68,940 at the 10th percentile to $137,470 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.
Can you become an advanced practice psychiatric nurs without a degree?
Not usually — this occupation sits in preparation zone 5, where the typical entry route is most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree). The education breakdown above shows what people in the role actually reported.
Is advanced practice psychiatric nurs in demand?
Federal projections expect employment to grow by about 5% between 2024 and 2034 — growing faster than average. Openings also come from people retiring or changing jobs, which the growth figure does not count.
Skills and knowledge you need
Core skills
- Active Listening4.4/5
- Speaking4.1/5
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Writing4.0/5
- Critical Thinking4.0/5
- Monitoring4.0/5
- Active Learning3.9/5
Knowledge areas
- Psychology5.0/5
- Therapy and Counseling4.7/5
- English Language4.6/5
- Medicine and Dentistry4.5/5
- Biology4.3/5
- Sociology and Anthropology4.1/5
- Education and Training3.9/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.8/5
Transferable strengths: Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management.