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

Specialties NP

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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!

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That's great for you. Some of us can't afford for money to be immaterial.

Not over the top. The original response served no constructive purpose.

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Not over the top. The original response served no constructive purpose.

In your "personal" opinion.

(and I already know that what I wrote is redundant)

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Specializes in ..
In your "personal" opinion.

(and I already know that what I wrote is redundant)

Did I just get "served"? LOL. Good one!

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Did I just get "served"? LOL. Good one!

Glad to see that SOMEBODY has a sense of humor! :lol2:

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.

Salary is region dependent as many already stated. I was making over 130 K in Michigan with one full time NP job and 1-2 days a week of moonlighting somewhere else. Here in California, I make more than the pay in Michigan with just one full time job but the cost of living is outrageous because I live in an expensive city by choice. NP's who work in the central valley of California where the pay is about the same have a lower cost of living and are reaping the benefits of a higher pay.

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Salary is region dependent as many already stated. I was making over 130 K in Michigan with one full time NP job and 1-2 days a week of moonlighting somewhere else. Here in California, I make more than the pay in Michigan with just one full time job but the cost of living is outrageous because I live in an expensive city by choice. NP's who work in the central valley of California where the pay is about the same have a lower cost of living and are reaping the benefits of a higher pay.

What specialty were you in when practicing in Michigan, and how much experience did you have at the time?

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Wow...RN's making $80-90K per year? I am a staff RN in the midwest...working nights...and I cleared right at $40,000 last year. I am going to NP school starting this summer to get away from all the hospital BS, holidays, nights, weekends, etc AND double my pay. :) Can't wait.

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.
What specialty were you in when practicing in Michigan, and how much experience did you have at the time?

NP in the ICU setting, did that for 5 years in Michigan, I started at mid-75K a year in 2004 but the salary went up accordingly each year to 90K by the 5th year (as an RN, I made around 60K). With lots of time left to moonlight, I was able to make 130K. I worked as an RN in ER with previous experience in ICU and tele prior to that. The hospital I worked for in Michigan did not count RN experience when determining salary, just NP experience. The salary I'm quoting does not include full hospital sponsored benefits.

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Thanks for that info. I didnt know NP's could do travel nursing.

You can do travel nursing (called locum tenens) as a Nurse Practitioner as well. I went to school for FNP in CO and figured out afterwards that there are no jobs, or just PT or very low paying jobs (lower or same as RN).

Traveling as a NP I think is also better then traveling as a RN. As a RN you pretty much are stuck with 13 week contracts. As a NP you choose how long you want to go, if you need time off in between, etc. I have worked as little as 4 days to as long as 5.5 months. And almost ALL of them ask you to go perm (unless they just need vaca coverage) but you are not obligated unless you decide you love it and want to stay there.

I have worked all over the place and licensed in 5 states + 1 expired.

They usually pay for all your licenses, travel, malpractice, housing, and often they will pay for rental car or a car allowance. Most will also pay for your gas (if a short stent few weeks) and luggage fees.

I calculated I made 70k last year NOT including my travel, housing, etc. and I only worked 24 weeks.

There are downsides, you are continually packing your suitcase, have to pay for your own CME and vacations, health insurance, etc. (but most of that you can deduct on taxes)

It is a great way to pay off student loans and see the country!! How many jobs pay for a great apartment directly on the beach??

It is also a great way to get a wide variety of experience and really figure out what exactly you want to do. I've done rural pediatrics, family camp, college health, ER, urgent care, occ med, family practice, anesthesia/pre-op.

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NP in the ICU setting, did that for 5 years in Michigan, I started at mid-75K a year in 2004 but the salary went up accordingly each year to 90K by the 5th year (as an RN, I made around 60K). With lots of time left to moonlight, I was able to make 130K. I worked as an RN in ER with previous experience in ICU and tele prior to that. The hospital I worked for in Michigan did not count RN experience when determining salary, just NP experience. The salary I'm quoting does not include full hospital sponsored benefits.

Thank you for that information! That's pretty darn good. Am I understanding correctly that you were an employee of the hospital and not a physician?

I'm planning to start my NP program in January. I have less than a year of ICU experience that was in 2007. Since then I've always had two jobs and worked a lot of extra shifts, so I'll have FT ED experience along with some in med/surg, tele, PCU, ortho, and TCU. I'd be very happy with $100K, although I could get by on $70K-$80K if necessary to start.

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Wow...RN's making $80-90K per year? I am a staff RN in the midwest...working nights...and I cleared right at $40,000 last year. I am going to NP school starting this summer to get away from all the hospital BS, holidays, nights, weekends, etc AND double my pay. :) Can't wait.

Similar around here. The average seems to be about $20 an hour which is actually a good living in this state, lol. An RN can expect between $17 and $25/hour with the extreme making probably $30/hr. I'd be satisfied with 30. I'm seeing what some RNs make on here and am thinking the NPs would be doing good to make that.

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.
Thank you for that information! That's pretty darn good. Am I understanding correctly that you were an employee of the hospital and not a physician?

I'm planning to start my NP program in January. I have less than a year of ICU experience that was in 2007. Since then I've always had two jobs and worked a lot of extra shifts, so I'll have FT ED experience along with some in med/surg, tele, PCU, ortho, and TCU. I'd be very happy with $100K, although I could get by on $70K-$80K if necessary to start.

Yes, worked for HFHS in Detroit and moonlighted at HFHS in WB (I'm sure you know what the letters mean). You can easily find that goal salary in Michigan. Don't know what your interests are but when I left Michigan in late 2009, HFHS was still hiring NP's for in-patient positions with 3 twelve hour shifts a week and are paying well over 80K for NP's even those without NP experience which was upsetting to some experienced NP's who started at 70K just a few years ago but that's just how things go. Some of my colleagues worked for hospitals owned by DMC, OHS (Downriver), WBH, and SJMHS and are getting around the same pay scale. UMich pays really good and their salary ranges are in the public domain but it seems harder to get a job there. I feel there are a lot of in-patient positions in SE Michigan more so than clinic positions but that's almost 2 years ago now so I don't know what the current job outlook is.

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