Nurse practitioner jobs

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Dec 4, 2006

I am just wondering if going to nurse practitioner school is worth it financially and if it is pretty easy to find/keep a job once you are done? I have heard that nurse practitioners don't make much more than a regular staff nurse working o.t. and am concerned that I won't be able to get a job when I am done if I choose to pursue this avenue. Any response would be appreciated. Thanks![/quote']
The job climate for NP's in Michigan is not the best in the entire US but it is improving. More and more physicians and hospitals are beginning to hire NP's than before. I graduated from my NP program in 2003 and did not have any difficulty finding a job. The same was true for all my batchmates. The salary is not the greatest. It's true that a nurse working for an agency will probably earn more. However, we are talking about newly graduated NP's. Just like new RN's, you have to start at the lowest scale. A new NP's salary usually matches closely the salary scale for an RN in a management position. Of course, there are always exceptions. Many experienced NP's I know are earning a lot more than me beacuse they have proven their worth and have had salary increases over the years.
Check out salary.com to see the average salary for NP's and if that is not what you're after, then maybe think twice about pursuing this route. I personally enjoy the increased autonomy and the skill-set that I learn as an NP which you will not have as an RN. Salary-wise, I'm OK with what I get and have had salary increases since I began NP practice so I am not complaining.
By the way, what type of NP are you interested in? The type of NP program you train in can also affect your prospect for a job since some NP specializations have more demand than others.