Nurse Practitioners
SOC code 29-1171 · O*NET-SOC 29-1171.00 · Extensive preparation needed · Healthcare
Bright Outlook — O*NET expects rapid growth for this occupation
Nurse Practitioners pay
U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number
Median pay
$132,300
a year
Hourly
$63.61
per hour
The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.
Average pay
$137,300
$66.01 per hour
Middle 50%
$117,990 – $156,700
25th to 75th percentile
Full spread
$101,340 – $174,420
10th to 90th percentile
People employed
323,040
nationwide
National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.
- 10th percentile
- $101,340
- $48.72/hr
- 25th percentile
- $117,990
- $56.73/hr
- Median percentile
- $132,300
- $63.61/hr
- 75th percentile
- $156,700
- $75.34/hr
- 90th percentile
- $174,420
- $83.86/hr
What does a nurse practitioner do?
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.
The tasks that matter most day to day
- 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.
How to become a nurse practitioner
Most people in this role hold master's degree — 65% 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 Degree65%
- Doctoral Degree26%
- Bachelor's Degree4%
- Post-Doctoral Training4%
Common questions
How much does a nurse practitioner earn?
The national median is $132,300 a year. The full range runs from $101,340 at the 10th percentile to $174,420 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.
Can you become a nurse practitioner 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.
Skills and knowledge you need
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.1/5
- Active Listening4.1/5
- Critical Thinking4.1/5
- Writing4.0/5
- Speaking4.0/5
- Active Learning4.0/5
- Monitoring4.0/5
Knowledge areas
- Medicine and Dentistry4.8/5
- English Language4.3/5
- Biology4.2/5
- Psychology4.2/5
- Customer and Personal Service4.1/5
- Therapy and Counseling4.0/5
- Education and Training3.8/5
- Sociology and Anthropology3.6/5
Transferable strengths: Complex Problem Solving, Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making.