Do FNP's really make 80k to 90k a year?

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Hi everyone,

I was talking to my aunt who is an FNP, but she mostly teaches and does research. She was telling me that FNP's make 80k-90k a year and that FNP's are going to be really in demand when health care reform kicks in. I told her I wanted to be a PNP, NNP, or a midwife. She told me that PNP's don't make as much money, that is hard to break into the neonatal specialty, and that midwifes are only really needed in Kentucky. I really want to work with babies and/or children because I just LOVE them. So I was just curious about how hard it is to break into these specialties and I'm curious about general salary ranges. I'm not expecting to make a ton of money as a nurse I just want to love the work I do. Thanks in advance!

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
NPs clear about $80k starting out in my area of NC. Most RNs start out at about $45k per year.

It makes me so sad that nurses will work for such wages.

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It makes me so sad that nurses will work for such wages.

Regional cost of living is often a factor in wages.

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Specializes in Med-surg, telemetry, oncology.
Regional cost of living is often a factor in wages.

Unfortunately, no. The area I live in has a high cost of living and a shortage in affordable housing. What healthcare workers are paid has not caught up with the cost of living yet.

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Specializes in Med-surg, telemetry, oncology.
It makes me so sad that nurses will work for such wages.

"Will work for"? It's not much of a choice, really, unless a nurse wants to move. And not everyone can afford to do that.

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Unfortunately, no. The area I live in has a high cost of living and a shortage in affordable housing. What healthcare workers are paid has not caught up with the cost of living yet.

I don't discount that the possibility is that healthcare workers aren't paid as much. But when I see an RN clears 45k (starting) and an NP clears 80-85k (likely starting), that is an appropriate pay difference between the groups. It's fairly common knowledge the pay for NPs is significantly less in the southeast. But most places I lived in that region (not as an NP mind you) were never too costly. Especially compared to my home state of NY where even upstate the taxes make it hard to live.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
"Will work for"? It's not much of a choice, really, unless a nurse wants to move. And not everyone can afford to do that.

Nurses have skills that are in demand in other fields. I wouldn't work as an RN for that pay. If that's what was available Id go into a different line of work.

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Specializes in FNP.

I've been an NP for 3 years and make 160K and get amazing benefits with taking call every 8 weeks (telephone only), and working an extra 8 hours a month. This is the easiest job I've ever had, especially when compared to when I worked as an RN for over 20 years. NP is the way to go!!!

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I've been an NP for 3 years and make 160K and get amazing benefits with taking call every 8 weeks (telephone only), and working an extra 8 hours a month. This is the easiest job I've ever had, especially when compared to when I worked as an RN for over 20 years. NP is the way to go!!!

Good for you!

I love hearing these real life stories of nursing success.

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Specializes in Critical Care and ED.
I've been an NP for 3 years and make 160K and get amazing benefits with taking call every 8 weeks (telephone only), and working an extra 8 hours a month. This is the easiest job I've ever had, especially when compared to when I worked as an RN for over 20 years. NP is the way to go!!!

What kind of specialty do you work in, if you don't mind sharing?

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I don't discount that the possibility is that healthcare workers aren't paid as much. But when I see an RN clears 45k (starting) and an NP clears 80-85k (likely starting), that is an appropriate pay difference between the groups. It's fairly common knowledge the pay for NPs is significantly less in the southeast. But most places I lived in that region (not as an NP mind you) were never too costly. Especially compared to my home state of NY where even upstate the taxes make it hard to live.

the southeast is terrible for nurses, great for docs tho. Literally had to move out of state for my first NP job a few years ago, unless i wanted to make like 65k a year or something sad like that.

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Specializes in FNP.
What kind of specialty do you work in, if you don't mind sharing?

Managed care.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Managed care.

Forgive my ignorance, what's that?

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