Why is our salary so low?

Specialties NP

Published

Something I grapple to understand is how come our average salaries are in the $99k range. Is it because most NP's are new to the career and that skews it do the lower end?

If we are reimbursed 80% of what physicians get, why are we paid 1/4 of what physicians make? In independent states where you open up your own practice, how much do you make?

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Yoo hoo PsychGuy! Why is our salary so low? I'll start:

1. Because if I don't singlehandedly save lives and stamp out disease who will?

2. I'm not in this for the money its my calling

3. I love my patients and coworkers

4. Mommy hours!!!!!

5. That is what they offered me

6. I didn't want them to think I'm focused on the money

7. I didn't know the difference between W4 and 1099

8. I had no idea what a NP salary or duties should be, don't know 1 single NP and didn't bother investigating before signing up for my online program at NitWit U

9. Highbrow University doesn't pay squat but looks great on my resume

:sarcastic:

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so you make more than most most physicians at over $200k? How do you do it?

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I don't know the exact reason but the specialist that I used to work did mention that he makes the most money when he has an NP.

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So some NP applies for a position with less than 2 years nursing experience and a degree from Walden and she should make almost as much as a physician. That is a hard pill to swallow!

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Specializes in Cardiac, ER.

JellyDonut, but what about those of us who have 20 yrs of nursing experience, and went to a brick and mortar school? I don't claim to be a physician, and don't expect to make equal salary, but as a provider I am now making money for the hospital. My salary should have increased more than 10k/yr when transitioning from RN to NP.

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JellyDonut, but what about those of us who have 20 yrs of nursing experience, and went to a brick and mortar school?

As a lot of us have been saying for a long time, our reputations (and earning ability) are being damaged by the proliferation of low-quality schools turning out hordes of minimally prepared graduates. Physicians are so aware of the ubiquity of on-line "diploma-mill" graduate programs in nursing that many assume that is the prevailing model of graduate education in nursing. I talk to physicians who are sincerely surprised to learn that I attended a "real" graduate program at a well-known and well-respected B&M school, and have a "real" degree; they didn't know there was such a thing. IMO, we should be v. alarmed about the fact that the physician community is starting to assume that all graduate degrees in nursing are a joke and don't need to be taken seriously.

But, again, like so many problems in nursing, this is something we (collectively) are doing to ourselves.

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so you make more than most most physicians at over $200k? How do you do it?

First post. "Why do we only make 1/4 of what docs make. We only make only 99k!!!!"

second post "how do you make 200k, that's more than most docs make"

???? Mathluls?

Most docs make more than 200 but less than 400. At least in primary and psych.

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Yoo hoo PsychGuy! Why is our salary so low? I'll start:

1. Because if I don't singlehandedly save lives and stamp out disease who will?

2. I'm not in this for the money its my calling

3. I love my patients and coworkers

4. Mommy hours!!!!!

5. That is what they offered me

6. I didn't want them to think I'm focused on the money

7. I didn't know the difference between W4 and 1099

8. I had no idea what a NP salary or duties should be, don't know 1 single NP and didn't bother investigating before signing up for my online program at NitWit U

9. Highbrow University doesn't pay squat but looks great on my resume

:sarcastic:

In before people are offended that attended nitwit u :-)

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How many MD programs are offered online? The education and value of the degree have been devalued by the online programs and I would not be surprised is the salaries continue to tank over the next 5 years.

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How many MD programs are offered online? The education and value of the degree have been devalued by the online programs and I would not be surprised is the salaries continue to tank over the next 5 years.

Dont think any are. One I'm in doesn't require attendance. We can watch all the vids online. But tests and labs are in person.

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I swear, I had the best answers to your question all typed out but decided against posting it because it isn't PC, and people would get angry, and I would be banned from this website. But, essentially what JulesA said.

When I'm negotiating or considering an employment situation I don't just look at a dollar amount as the end all. Cash is always king, but how much cash you should ask for (and reasonably expect to get) depends a whole lot on where you live and what else they're offering in the bag. It also depends on your tax situation. If you want to earn decent pay and benefits and keep more of what you earn you need to pay much closer attention to these things than the average NP does. Just one example is the tax thing. Many do not understand what the differences/advantages/disadvantages are of doing different types of employment contracts vs working staff, or how if we incorporated and took advantage of certain deductions how we might come out further ahead despite the seemingly daunting tax codes. I've tried to talk to people about this stuff and they really didn't care enough to bother to change anything even though they were always complaining about not making enough money or paying too much tax, or whatever.

I've decided to go locum for another year and then open my own practice. I'm still in the research and planning phase of this. What I have discovered thus far is that you can make a lot or a little--depending on what type of practice you're running, where you're located, your business acumen, and your determination to be successful. And, by 'successful' I don't just mean having a lot of patients and working yourself to death, but managing your business and your time the way that you want them to be, earning a lot more money for your work and making YOURSELF wealthier rather than someone else, and not feeling bad about making more money and being successful just because you are in healthcare. Most NPs never even look down this road, which is too bad.

Btw, you don't have to be in an independent state to open your own practice, its just that the rules are different.

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