GS Pay Scale for Nurse Practitioners

PG2018 · Aug 23, 2015

So I was applying online for a NP job on a military installation, and from what I could tell new grads would only qualify for GS-11 which is about $58,000/year. Am I missing something? That's ridiculously low . . . why do people say it's so great working for the DOD if the pay is over $30K below the area average? I must be missing something, right?

Wow. That's a total buzz kill. It's probably about right. In a prior career, I used to network with a lot of GS-11 guys, but they got a 25% bump on top of that. I would so totally walk away, quickly, from that job. You could probably get a little less than double that with the VA, maybe a little more at a soul eating corporate hospital, or heck three times that in private practice or an efficiently ran nonprofit. You pick.

(I work at business savvy nonprofit and because we can't retain a lot of holdings in the company it's dispersed to the employees. We make a lot. I make note of this because the feel good, hugs and kisses nonprofit won't necessarily reimburse like this. This being said, because the company doesn't retain a lot of money or expend on frivolities the cleaning service was a low bid, and they don't mop or wax the floors enough for my liking.)

Jules A, MSN · Aug 24, 2015

People are not business minded, they get enamored by "the great benefits" and become short sighted of just how much money those great benefits are costing them on a yearly basis. Hopefully someone will write with more current information but last check depending on how many years you have as a nurse VA was paying between $75,000 and $129,000 with the $129,000 being if you had been a nurse since when Florence herself was walking the hospital halls. Crazy low and there is no way the benefits are worth taking that much of a hit in wages, imo.

BTW don't allow non-profits to cry poor and suck you in with altruism when it comes to wages because they often have grant funding and if they need a provider they are just as likely to have the ability to pay as well as a for profit organization.

PG2018 · Aug 24, 2015

BTW don't allow non-profits to cry poor and suck you in with altruism when it comes to wages because they often have grant funding and if they need a provider they are just as likely to have the ability to pay as well as a for profit organization.

This. There are well run nonprofits and others where they sit around singing I guess and trying to save the world. That's stupid and you can't if you want to work. We pay better than for profit, government, and community mental health. I really got lucky, and I can't really put a finger on what happened that led to this job. I'm just saying there are well run machines, and there are clunkers. You can choose to ride in a clunker, or...

Barnstormin' PMHNP · Aug 24, 2015

This is a very interesting thread to me personally. I graduate next spring and I have had expressions of interest from many different facilities. The Unit where I work is an inpatient attached to a large hospital, they are already writing an offer for me. There is a VA in my area also that contacted me and after talking to them, they are about 40k below the hospital, but my, think of the benefits! (sarcasm). I have a friend who works for Pathways and they are starting up an article 28 clinic and want to bring me on board as the psych NP, but I am also hearing from them the altruistic, non-profit song and dance.....plus how they can only be reimbursed for 85% for me compared to a physician. It's frustrating to hear this from people. So far the hospital has my complete attention.

Barnstormin' PMHNP · Aug 24, 2015

It's unfortunate that the military is so rigid with their payscale and that it is so paltry compared to the civilian. I feel that with the critical need for psychiatric care they would be doing more to help out our vets by being competitive in pay in order to draw in providers. It's shameful.

Jules A, MSN · Aug 24, 2015

plus how they can only be reimbursed for 85% for me compared to a physician.

Please share the good news with them after you look up the reimbursement codes. The numbers you will be able to bring in even based on 85% is huge. And since that is their angle also tell them you would be happy to accept 85% of what they pay psychiatrists. :)

Jules A, MSN · Aug 24, 2015

It's unfortunate that the military is so rigid with their payscale and that it is so paltry compared to the civilian. I feel that with the critical need for psychiatric care they would be doing more to help out our vets by being competitive in pay in order to draw in providers. It's shameful.

Its also unfortunate that nurses are such pitiful business people that they accept and attempt to justify this treatment both with military and civilian jobs.

Barnstormin' PMHNP · Aug 24, 2015

Please share the good news with them after you look up the reimbursement codes. The numbers you will be able to bring in even based on 85% is huge. And since that is their angle also tell them you would be happy to accept 85% of what they pay psychiatrists. :)

Great line JulesA, I will be sure to use it when she approaches me again, I was put off by her comment and this is a very pointed statement.

Jules A, MSN · Aug 24, 2015

Great line JulesA I will be sure to use it when she approaches me again, I was put off by her comment and this is a very pointed statement.[/quote']
In this market the minute someone attempts to minimize my contribution I have no problem politely putting them on blast and if necessary walking away. Initially I had a hiring manager attempt to be cheap by pulling out the new grad card. I had no problem saying that I doubted they would be billing less for my services since I was only a new grad. They met my wage requirement btw. :)

zenman · Aug 25, 2015

I work for the Army and Psych NP's are GS 13 pay scale. I worked as a contractor for the Army for 2 years then went GS in the same job, and have been for almost a year. You get a locality adjustment which in my location is 29K, making my salary over 100K. As a veteran, I just like treating active duty Soldiers and being on a military post.

bethymaester · Aug 25, 2015

I work for the Army and Psych NP's are GS 13 pay scale. I worked as a contractor for the Army for 2 years then went GS in the same job, and have been for almost a year. You get a locality adjustment which in my location is 29K, making my salary over 100K. As a veteran, I just like treating active duty Soldiers and being on a military post.

See, I was having a very hard time understanding the pay scale. It looked like one year of experience was required to even qualify as GS-11, but that was the only scale that allowed education substitution for experience. GS-12 and GS-13 required 3 years of advanced education (only have 2 with my masters, right?) and one year of experience (assume licensed experience and not school clinical?). So if I started as a GS-11, would I be stuck proceeding through the steps in that scale or would I be able to move to a GS-12 or 13? The application freaked me out because it said if you didn't get the questions right about what scale you qualified for your application would not be considered!