FNP Oversaturation

Goldenfox · Apr 8, 2018

ICUman said:
Over half of the nurses I work with are enrolled in a FNP or ACGNP program. This is the case at many hospitals wherever you go.
Barrier to entry is low. Many flock to the profession, and the resultant wages are dropping and this will likely continue.

Yes, the pay will continue to decline. I once made a post about this and it made some people angry, but its true. I saw it happening a while back and it is much more obvious in many places now. It really is a supply and demand issue. They can offer lower pay because no matter how low the pay is there is somebody out there who will take it---even if for no other reason than to get experience. I have seen this a lot in my home state....salary ranges starting around 60k/70k a year. No one would offer an NP that pay several years ago because no NP would have accepted it. But in an increasing number of situations now its no longer a matter of finding a job that pays better, its about finding a job at all.

And those NPs who have a lot of experience and now have very high paying jobs are not insulated from this. Eventually, they will be let go and replaced with people who are willing to do the work for less money. I see this happening too. It is frustrating to read the untruths in the nursing journals about the shortage or NPs. The people who write and publish this stuff do not serve the profession at all.

guest416560 · Apr 8, 2018

At this point I would not recommend any RN to pursue the NP path if you are doing it to garner higher wages. Had a very good friend of mine just get offered a NP job starting at $35 per hour.

The wage deflation is happening. No need to spend $ for a NP education if the ROI is negative. The nursing programs should of capped NP production long ago. It's going to take 10 years plus for the over supply situation to correct itself. One only has to look at the legal profession for guidance. Have a friend of mine who graduated with a law degree and passed the bar. He makes more being a bar tender than he can as an attorney. I fear those days are just around the corner for NPs regardless of your specialty.

Chief NP, MSN, RN, APN, APRN, NP · Apr 11, 2018

Every thought of moving? Whats the AGNP primary market like in houston?

CommunityOB · Apr 12, 2018

I think its hard to say, but i think that if you have experience it will be easier to find a position. Where i live (seattle area), there is an over saturation of new grad FNPs with little experience. I have heard and seen, if you have a background that will set you apart, you will be ok. Good luck.

BirkieGirl · Apr 12, 2018

Depends where you are and where you are WILLING to go! There are many areas that YES, are saturated. However there are plenty of areas that still are underserved and have huge demand for providers.

OllieW, DNP, PhD, NP · Apr 12, 2018

yup salaries are dropping. Jobs are becoming more scarce and more competitive. I have seen it in my area where rvu reimbursements have been slashed and entry level salaries have dropped by 15-20k. The organizations do it because they can get away with it. i do not see it changing in the near future....

NICUmiiki, DNP, NP · Apr 12, 2018

Yea. I drank the tea when starting grad school last year. My plan was always to do neonatal, but All I kept hearing was "do FNP, work anywhere." But after I started, I realized FNPs shouldn't work everywhere, and my State was starting it's initial push towards the consensus model. (More personally, I was feeling tons of regret. I don't like much of the corsework, and the only time I feel ok is during the tiny bits we learn about OB and babies.)

djmatte, ADN, MSN, RN, NP · Apr 12, 2018

OllieW said:
yup salaries are dropping. Jobs are becoming more scarce and more competitive. I have seen it in my area where rvu reimbursements have been slashed and entry level salaries have dropped by 15-20k. The organizations do it because they can get away with it. i do not see it changing in the near future....

Do we have any validation that salaries are actually dropping? I live in Michigan and while my local city of ann Arbor the locations were demanding experience (U of M is awash in np grads so that's understandable). I got a job an hour north of me as a new grad where I countered with 10k more than the initial offer plus more time off and they jumped on it. What actual evidence do we have that NPs are making less because all the trends I've seen from online tools have shown steady rises. Was anyone here actually ever offered less money than they currently make?

SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP · Apr 12, 2018

djmatte said:
Do we have any validation that salaries are actually dropping? I live in Michigan and while my local city of ann Arbor the locations were demanding experience (U of M is awash in np grads so that's understandable). I got a job an hour north of me as a new grad where I countered with 10k more than the initial offer plus more time off and they jumped on it. What actual evidence do we have that NPs are making less because all the trends I've seen from online tools have shown steady rises. Was anyone here actually ever offered less money than they currently make?

Same here in Mid-Michigan

NICUmiiki, DNP, NP · Apr 12, 2018

I work with an RN who has been on the unit for a long time working nights and has maxed out the RN pay scale at my hospital. She became an FNP and still maintains her cert. She decided to stay an RN in our unit because her offers were less than what she is currently making. I'm not sure if that was the best move in the long run. She is maxed out here, and she could have made more as an NP over time. But I guess she couldn't stomach the pay cut even if it comes with better hours.

guest416560 · Apr 12, 2018

I can only use my own personal experience as NP wages declining. I was working at a multi-physician dermatology practice. I was making over $200k a year but knew the gross revenue I produced via cosmetic procedures was close to $900,000. I did lots and lots of botox, fillers and laser resurfacing. The owner of the practice asked me to take a cut in pay of over $60,000 because in her words " The average new NP salary for our area was $115k" This was in Southern California. I said no thank you, I know my worth and what revenues I bring in. They did bring in a new NP and tried to train her. Trust me, you don't want a brand new graduate trying to inject Botox and fillers in clients who have high demands. She lasted two weeks. The next one last 3 weeks. I got called a few weeks ago asking me to come back. I declined. So yes, wages are going down because of the glut of new graduates. I have a dozen NP colleagues who can tell you the same story. It's not isolated in any geography. If it hasn't happened to you yet it will. Over supply of NPs = lower salaries. I'm now doing locums and even that is being affected.

Jules A, MSN · Apr 12, 2018

Me too. My last offer where the medical director knows me and wanted to bring me on stalled at 60% of my current rate. The most recent hire at my present job accepted an offer $40,000 a year less than what I make. They are however getting what they paid for.