Do DNPs get compensated more

elkpark · May 2, 2015

There's no single answer to your question. It would be up to individual employers and/or the negotiating skills of individual NPs. Many employers base compensation on the job that is being performed, regardless of what degree the employee holds. Others (like my current employer) pay more for someone having a higher degree than someone else doing the same job, so an NP with a DNP would get paid more than an NP with an MSN. And there's also the factor of individual negotiation skills.

guest538567 · May 2, 2015

There are several sites that perform salary analyses each year. According to the Advance Healthcare Network (no affiliation), masters prepared NPs earned an average of $100,585, while DNP prepared NPs earned an average of $113,618. You can google this site for more of a breakdown between states and specialties. However, I am not sure how valid the data is given a relatively small sample (N - 1,533 vs 182 for MSN vs DNP respectively). I could see that the smaller DNP population could have some inherent bias given possible geographical locations or perhaps more seasoned NPs who are returning to school that could account for the 7.5% difference in salary averages.

I agree with the former poster. Any differences likely reflect educational preferences by employers and individual negotiating skills. It is important to show there is value in the degree that justifies an increased salary. Personally, I am completing my DNP program and think there is value to the DNP that extends beyond salary.

scottaprn · May 2, 2015

In my areas he only place it gets you more money is in academics.

Jules A, MSN · May 2, 2015

In my areas he only place it gets you more money is in academics.

I'm not sure about the money but in my area the DNP does offer more opportunities in academia but not in other areas. In fact I asked the owner of the op practice I work for if it was of any value and he said "why the heck would you need that?". I'm at the high end pay scale for my specialty so none of my jobs would pay me more to get my DNP. Since the DNP doesn't offer additional clinical skills or pharmacology there is no benefit for me in getting it.

carachel2 · May 4, 2015

In my areas he only place it gets you more money is in academics.

Really? I know the salary ranges for DNP faculty at a local university and let's just say it's ironically low...because all of the faculty encouraged us to never accept offers in that low range. Hmmm.

tonet0908 · Jun 13, 2015

Like my colleagues already mentioned, it depends on where you work unfortunately. Some employers will give you a pay raise for the DNP degree and others won't. I work in a single physician practice, it's just me, him and two PA's and he has made it clear on numerous occasions that he cannot afford to pay us anymore than he is already paying us. Why I stay there you might ask? It's convenient at the moment and it fits my agenda, lol.

PG2018 · Jun 22, 2015

If you're an APRN, you won't get more from insurance reimbursement because they reimburse your license - not your degree (unless there's some hidden provision I've never read). Having said that, you could potentially negotiate if you're being paid a base salary. In a hospital, I have no clue. I do my best to avoid hospitals in every capacity. In academics, I'm certain you'd be placed "higher" on the salary schedule with an earned doctorate.

If nothing else, you'll be able to check the "Dr." box on demographic forms. That should be incentive enough, right?

heh heh just kidding

IsabelK · Jun 25, 2015

It depends on the practice setting. Where I work now, nope. No difference. In other settings besides academia, maybe. A few places I talked to did come back with higher figures than if I had not gotten the DNP. A few places are productively based and everyone (NPs, PAs, MDs, DOs) earn the same base salary and then production. Those are rare, but they are out there. I would imagine it also depends on the state/area of the county.

RiskManager · Jun 25, 2015

In the medical clinic environments in which I have worked, a primary care medical mid-level provider is paid the same regardless of degree: PA, MSN or DNP. Insurance reimburses the same regardless of degree.

IsabelK · Jun 25, 2015

In the medical clinic environments in which I have worked, a primary care medical mid-level provider is paid the same regardless of degree: PA, MSN or DNP. Insurance reimburses the same regardless of degree.

Please don't lump PA, MSN, DNP like that. MSNs and DNPs are not just NPs. They are also CNSs, educators, managers, etc. If you're talking about providers you're talking about NPs and PAs. And NPs are not "mid-level providers". We don't provide "mid-level" care. NPs are also not physician extenders; we are nurses first. PAs are educated in a medical model and only a medical model; they also have "physician" in their title...I don't.

TheOldGuy · Jun 28, 2015

I appreciate that you took the time to make this point - we do not provide "mid-level" care. Mid-level is a term that docs like to use in referring to us in trying to maintain a hierarchical structure with the "physician as captain". Well, healthcare in the US spends more money than any other country in the world, our outcomes are near the bottom in many categories....maybe its time for the captain to retire...