How much do nurse practitioners make?
Nurse practitioners make $132,300 a year at the national median, and the middle half of NPs earn $117,990 to $156,700.[onet_np][oews] BLS estimated 323,040 nurse practitioner jobs in May 2025, about 10 registered nurses for every NP.[oews_api]
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $101,340 | $48.72 | $80,123 |
| 25th | $117,990 | $56.73 | $91,836 |
| Median (50th) | $132,300 | $63.61 | $101,693 |
| 75th | $156,700 | $75.34 | $118,370 |
| 90th | $174,420 | $83.86 | $130,482 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
Even the lowest-paid tenth of nurse practitioners, at $101,340, earn more than about 56% of registered nurses. That floor is what makes the graduate degree pay back for most RNs; the full cost and timeline are worked out on nurse practitioner school.
Family nurse practitioner salary and specialties
BLS does not publish separate salaries for family, psychiatric, acute care or other NP specialties; every nurse practitioner is in one occupation, SOC 29-1171.[onet_np] A family nurse practitioner salary is therefore best read from the overall NP figures on this page, adjusted for state and metro area, rather than from a specialty number with no published source. For psychiatric NPs, BLS does publish NP pay inside mental health employers, which is worked out on PMHNP salary.
Nurse practitioner hourly pay
Nurse practitioner hourly pay is $63.61 at the median, $48.72 at the 10th percentile and $83.86 at the 90th.[onet_np] Many NPs are salaried at 40 hours a week; others in urgent care or hospital medicine are paid per hour or per shift.
| Percentile | Hourly | Per 10-h shift | 40 h/week, yearly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $48.72 | $487 | $101,340 | $80,123 |
| 25th | $56.73 | $567 | $117,990 | $91,836 |
| Median | $63.61 | $636 | $132,300 | $101,693 |
| 75th | $75.34 | $753 | $156,700 | $118,370 |
| 90th | $83.86 | $839 | $174,420 | $130,482 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
Nurse practitioner salary by state
California pays nurse practitioners the most, with a median of $168,520, followed by New Jersey ($159,310) and Washington ($156,100); Alabama pays the least at $105,750.[onet_np][oews_api] BLS projects nurse practitioner employment to grow 41% from 2025 to 2035, far faster than any other nursing role, so the state ranking can shift quickly as new NPs enter each market.[ooh_aprn]
| State | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. California | $168,520 | $81.02 | $120,340 | $240,830 | 25,120 |
| 2. New Jersey | $159,310 | $76.59 | $122,390 | $183,420 | 9,950 |
| 3. Washington | $156,100 | $75.05 | $122,420 | $187,240 | 6,700 |
| 4. Oregon | $155,680 | $74.85 | $124,660 | $194,070 | 2,820 |
| 5. Alaska | $155,170 | $74.60 | $95,570 | $207,490 | 710 |
| 6. New York | $153,510 | $73.80 | $112,730 | $198,060 | 22,890 |
| 7. Massachusetts | $142,440 | $68.48 | $111,950 | $207,710 | 8,070 |
| 8. Nevada | $140,670 | $67.63 | $85,380 | $172,170 | 1,930 |
| 9. Connecticut | $138,470 | $66.57 | $109,930 | $173,810 | 3,750 |
| 10. New Hampshire | $137,550 | $66.13 | $106,070 | $166,240 | 1,770 |
| 11. New Mexico | $137,520 | $66.12 | $106,320 | $175,020 | 1,770 |
| 12. Montana | $137,210 | $65.97 | $105,110 | $166,940 | 1,260 |
| 13. Rhode Island | $135,970 | $65.37 | $111,420 | $176,410 | 1,180 |
| 14. District of Columbia | $135,880 | $65.33 | $115,200 | $180,300 | 680 |
| 15. Hawaii | $135,570 | $65.18 | $106,450 | $174,350 | 550 |
| 16. Vermont | $134,740 | $64.78 | $108,510 | $167,610 | 700 |
| 17. Arizona | $134,420 | $64.63 | $104,400 | $173,270 | 7,220 |
| 18. Oklahoma | $133,390 | $64.13 | $99,490 | $167,950 | 3,620 |
| 19. Minnesota | $133,260 | $64.07 | $98,950 | $170,140 | 7,780 |
| 20. Colorado | $132,930 | $63.91 | $87,770 | $170,310 | 4,270 |
| 21. Idaho | $132,540 | $63.72 | $100,480 | $169,710 | 1,750 |
| 22. Wyoming | $132,200 | $63.56 | $101,970 | $165,250 | 440 |
| 23. Nebraska | $132,130 | $63.52 | $103,820 | $161,990 | 2,340 |
| 24. Wisconsin | $131,980 | $63.45 | $106,320 | $166,260 | 5,160 |
| 25. Texas | $131,670 | $63.30 | $96,880 | $161,980 | 25,970 |
| 26. Michigan | $131,450 | $63.20 | $101,640 | $165,870 | 8,290 |
| 27. Maryland | $131,110 | $63.03 | $99,920 | $169,330 | 6,710 |
| 28. Delaware | $131,040 | $63.00 | $97,450 | $162,870 | 1,430 |
| 29. Utah | $130,920 | $62.94 | $102,980 | $175,220 | 2,740 |
| 30. Illinois | $130,680 | $62.83 | $102,440 | $161,470 | 9,270 |
| 31. Maine | $130,260 | $62.63 | $107,820 | $166,740 | 1,650 |
| 32. Iowa | $130,160 | $62.58 | $107,990 | $167,590 | 3,240 |
| 33. Pennsylvania | $130,140 | $62.57 | $102,940 | $163,720 | 10,670 |
| 34. North Dakota | $130,070 | $62.53 | $103,490 | $162,020 | 1,290 |
| 35. Missouri | $129,930 | $62.47 | $100,650 | $162,060 | 7,710 |
| 36. Florida | $129,510 | $62.26 | $101,920 | $163,600 | 21,790 |
| 37. Georgia | $129,430 | $62.23 | $99,160 | $166,060 | 10,460 |
| 38. North Carolina | $128,990 | $62.01 | $103,530 | $164,320 | 9,800 |
| 39. South Dakota | $128,840 | $61.94 | $103,080 | $156,000 | 1,020 |
| 40. Indiana | $128,830 | $61.94 | $101,790 | $155,260 | 7,450 |
| 41. Virginia | $127,810 | $61.45 | $99,990 | $161,470 | 7,110 |
| 42. West Virginia | $127,320 | $61.21 | $100,220 | $155,500 | 2,550 |
| 43. Kansas | $126,650 | $60.89 | $98,330 | $158,080 | 3,780 |
| 44. Arkansas | $125,660 | $60.41 | $99,420 | $205,810 | 3,970 |
| 45. Louisiana | $125,600 | $60.38 | $99,050 | $159,570 | 5,380 |
| 46. Ohio | $124,870 | $60.03 | $100,780 | $154,680 | 15,400 |
| 47. Mississippi | $124,730 | $59.97 | $98,780 | $156,830 | 4,690 |
| 48. South Carolina | $123,290 | $59.27 | $97,080 | $160,170 | 5,670 |
| 49. Kentucky | $122,870 | $59.07 | $95,710 | $162,960 | 4,770 |
| 50. Tennessee | $117,590 | $56.53 | $82,790 | $137,880 | 12,150 |
| 51. Alabama | $105,750 | $50.84 | $86,300 | $134,650 | 5,640 |
Jobs: BLS OEWS employment estimate, May 2025.
Highest-paying metro areas for nurse practitioners
The best-paying metro area for NPs is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at a median of $231,560, and all twelve of the best-paying areas are in California.[onet_np] In New York, pay runs from $128,110 to $163,340 depending on the area.
| Area | Median | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $231,560 | $111.33 |
| 2. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $219,080 | $105.33 |
| 3. Vallejo, CA | $182,370 | $87.68 |
| 4. Napa, CA | $176,270 | $84.75 |
| 5. Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $174,670 | $83.98 |
| 6. Modesto, CA | $173,380 | $83.36 |
| 7. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $172,010 | $82.70 |
| 8. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $169,920 | $81.69 |
| 9. North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $169,820 | $81.64 |
| 10. Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $168,540 | $81.03 |
| 11. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $167,190 | $80.38 |
| 12. Chico, CA | $167,080 | $80.33 |
NP pay vs RN, CRNA and nurse midwife pay
Nurse practitioners earn $34,750 more than registered nurses at the median, about the same as nurse midwives ($134,040) and far less than nurse anesthetists ($236,590).[onet_rn][onet_cnm][onet_crna] The CRNA route takes longer and requires critical care experience; compare the two on CRNA salary and CRNA school, or see every role in one table on nurse salary by state.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a nurse practitioner make an hour?
$63.61 at the national median (BLS, May 2025); $48.72 at the 10th percentile and $83.86 at the 90th.
What state pays nurse practitioners the most?
California, with a median of $168,520, then New Jersey and Washington. Alabama has the lowest median at $105,750.
How much more does an NP make than an RN?
$34,750 a year at the national medians ($132,300 vs $97,550), about 36% more.
What is the take-home pay of a nurse practitioner?
About $101,693 a year, or $8,474 a month, at the national median for a single filer after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, before any state tax.
Sources
- Local Wages: 29-1171.00 Nurse Practitioners (state and metro percentiles)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates
- OEWS May 2025 employment and median wage series (OEUN/OEUS), Public Data API v2
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners
- Local Wages: 29-1141.00 Registered Nurses (state and metro percentiles)
- Local Wages: 29-1161.00 Nurse Midwives (state and metro percentiles)
- Local Wages: 29-1151.00 Nurse Anesthetists (state and metro percentiles)