Just curious.. will I get a pay cut as an NP

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I am again exploring the NP track ... esp ACNP... not really interest in primary care. been a nurse for over 5yrs and most of that been in critical care. It seem the NP's field is over saturated, np's are in competition with Pa's and MD's and wondering will i get a pay cut as an np. Are Acute care NP satisfied with there jobs and would u take up this track again? Which school in the east coast would u recommend

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Depends on where you live?

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Hi

It depends on where you live..and what positions are available. I had 5 yrs experience as a nurse at a big teaching hospital in Boston when I accepted my first NP position.

The job that I accepted was about 17 thousand more per year than my staff nurse salary. However, one NP pos in a hospital wanted to pay me about the same rate as my RN salary. So it depends on location and what type of practice environment.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I agree with above poster: I had 12 years RN experience before I became an APN and the hospital where I was working wanted to hire me but at a reduced rate - lol. Needless to say I turned them down. I ended up in a nephrology practice for 15,000 more than I was making as a staff nurse and I have been very happy with the pay and benefits. Much does depend on the area of the country though.

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We've seen a great salary range for people graduating in the same year (depending on where they are practicing, which specialty, etc). The range for FNP graduates last year went from $55,000 - $138,000 (with practice sites ranging from a RediClinic in Walmart to an ortho practice).

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also, you should become an NP for other reasons in addition to money...autonomy; the ability to diagnose and treat, etc. the two roles are different....

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Gee, I certainly hope not! I'll have about 100k in student loans when I'm done. I live in Missouri, NP's are in demand. I'm hoping to double my salary.

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I WILL take a pay cut to become an NP. This has always been my dream, so the pay is not important. I like the idea of non-rotating shifts and being home Christmas and Thanksgiving every year! I have been a nurse for 9 years and work in administration. My salary would be equivalent to about $72,000 per year if I worked full-time. In my geographical area, there are many NPs working as staff nurses because the NP pay just isn't comparable. NPs start at around $50,000 to 60,000 here. I actually just applied for a job today (even though I don't graduate until May, the job seemed to perfect not to apply for). The pay was $16.50 to $30.00/hr DOE. However, it is at a private university, 9 month position, and good benefits including free tuition for dependents. Considering the cost of college x4 kids, I would work for $20/hr! They wanted experience so I don't think I will get it, but it was worth a try!

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However, it is at a private university, 9 month position, and good benefits including free tuition for dependents.

I work for a university health system that offers free tuition to dependents. The thing is, the IRS considers that free tuition to be income, so you have to pay income tax on it. So, depending on the cost of the school, that free tuition can be pretty darn expensive. It would actually be cheaper for me to pay to send my kids to a state school, then to send them to my employer for "free" because of the tax hit. Of course, my oldest is 4, so I've got some time before it becomes an issue.

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Specializes in CT ICU, OR, Orthopedic.

I am in Mich, and I have been told that Critical care NPs make about 80 - 120 K here... You make more if you re on call etc. I hope so cuz I will owe about $100 K in student loans when all is said and done...

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I am again exploring the NP track ... esp ACNP... not really interest in primary care. been a nurse for over 5yrs and most of that been in critical care. It seem the NP's field is over saturated, np's are in competition with Pa's and MD's and wondering will i get a pay cut as an np. Are Acute care NP satisfied with there jobs and would u take up this track again? Which school in the east coast would u recommend

I just received my copy of the February 2009 Journal for Nurse Practitioners (JNP) today and the results from a salary study were listed. Here's a few of the average salaries for nurses in various fields:

Occupational Health: $89,375

VA: $84,324

ER: $85,820

Urgent care: $75,194

Planned Parenthood: $60,567

Hospitalist: $94,944 (highest salary)

Psychiatry/Mental Health: $87,651

Adult: $79,904

Long-term Care: $79,607

Family: $78,588

Pain Management: $78,378

Ortho: $78,250

Cardiology: $76,942

Pediatrics: $74,597

School/college health: $60,426 (lowest salary)

There are many more salaries listed based on type of practice, but the majority of them are in the high seventies to low eighties. I'm a little confused as to the year this survey was done...if anyone else read the article, please enlighten me. However, the most recent salary survey (2007) was referenced and it was conducted by and published in Advance for Nurse Practitioners. A total of 6162 NP's participated in that survey and the average salary for NP's in 2007 was $81,397. NP's in the ER averaged the highest salary at $95,157 while NP nurse educators averaged the lowest income of $68,624. I live in Texas and these are very close to the salaries we're seeing around here. We're not experiencing a nursing (RN) shortage where I live and they're making around $20 to $25 per hour...high 40's to low 50's.

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Specializes in Med surg, cardiac, case management.

It's funny...so often the answer to a question about NPs is usually "Well, it depends..."

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