Psychiatric nurse practitioner pay

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I'm curious how much psychiatric nurse practitioners actually get paid. Obviously in places like California jobs will pay more due to the high cost of living, but I've just been seeing an extremely wide range of salaries online. When I do a quick Google search sources show as little as $110k and as much as $140k for the average salary. However, I looked on YouTube and found this video. This PMHNP was given offers in Maryland right out of school at 150-160k, and people he knew that had a few years of experience that were making anywhere from 150k-225k (in outpatient settings). I understand the cost of living is higher in Maryland compared to the rest of the United States, but it is nowhere near the cost of living in places like california where (according to online sources such as indeed and Glassdoor) the average PMHNP salary isn't even close to 150k-225k. Does anyone know what a more realistic salary would be both right out of grad school, and after a few years of experience?

 

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

Pay is what people are willing to accept.

 

I am a PMHNP. When I was looking for jobs (with experience, not my first job) I had a private practice offer me $45 an hour with no benefits (1099). I literally laughed and walked out. I've had job offers for every from $85K annually to $170K+ annually. This is NOT unique to psych though. I have plenty of FNP colleagues making $150-180K in dermatology, urgent care, orthopedics, etc. As long as you know your worth and don't accept low pay/low benefits you can always get a pretty high salary if you fight for it.

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).

There are several variables affecting PMHNP pay:

1.  Location and cost of living - Areas with a high cost of living will generally pay more for all professions.  That may or may not be enough to cover the high cost of living (think San Francisco Bay Area or Los Angeles).  The major expense for most people is their residence - rent or mortgage.

2.  Supply and demand - Areas with a shortage of mental health providers will generally pay more.

3.  Individual negotiating ability.

Ideally, you want to find a location that provides good pay relative to the cost of living.

As for Maryland, since I went to school in Baltimore, it is a VERY affordable city, at least by California standards, so making $150K a year there will allow a nice standard of living.

So, do your research.  There are plenty of online resources for pay by area.  Look at rental and home sale listings to get an idea of prices versus projected income.

Due to COVID, more and more mental health care will be delivered via telehealth.  So you don't have to live where you work.

I am currently working on my PMHNP and live in California.  I am already working as a Behavioral Health NP, making $150k per year.  I moved to Bakersfield, which is very affordable, and bought an extremely nice, large home for $399K.  If this same house were in Carlsbad, which is where I am from, it would sell for $1 million to 1.2 million.  That's why I left Carlsbad.  My employer is physically located in the Sacramento area.

Once I have my PMHNP, I will demand a minimum salary of $170K per year to start, as California has an acute shortage of all mental health professionals.

Best wishes.

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Specializes in APRN, FNP-BC, Neuro, ICU, ER, Admin.
On 3/16/2021 at 5:41 PM, FullGlass said:

There are several variables affecting PMHNP pay:

1.  Location and cost of living - Areas with a high cost of living will generally pay more for all professions.  That may or may not be enough to cover the high cost of living (think San Francisco Bay Area or Los Angeles).  The major expense for most people is their residence - rent or mortgage.

2.  Supply and demand - Areas with a shortage of mental health providers will generally pay more.

3.  Individual negotiating ability.

Ideally, you want to find a location that provides good pay relative to the cost of living.

As for Maryland, since I went to school in Baltimore, it is a VERY affordable city, at least by California standards, so making $150K a year there will allow a nice standard of living.

So, do your research.  There are plenty of online resources for pay by area.  Look at rental and home sale listings to get an idea of prices versus projected income.

Due to COVID, more and more mental health care will be delivered via telehealth.  So you don't have to live where you work.

I am currently working on my PMHNP and live in California.  I am already working as a Behavioral Health NP, making $150k per year.  I moved to Bakersfield, which is very affordable, and bought an extremely nice, large home for $399K.  If this same house were in Carlsbad, which is where I am from, it would sell for $1 million to 1.2 million.  That's why I left Carlsbad.  My employer is physically located in the Sacramento area.

Once I have my PMHNP, I will demand a minimum salary of $170K per year to start, as California has an acute shortage of all mental health professionals.

Best wishes.

Well-written. Thanks for sharing your wisdom. 

 

On 3/14/2021 at 10:48 PM, MentalKlarity said:

Pay is what people are willing to accept.

 

I am a PMHNP. When I was looking for jobs (with experience, not my first job) I had a private practice offer me $45 an hour with no benefits (1099). I literally laughed and walked out. I've had job offers for every from $85K annually to $170K+ annually. This is NOT unique to psych though. I have plenty of FNP colleagues making $150-180K in dermatology, urgent care, orthopedics, etc. As long as you know your worth and don't accept low pay/low benefits you can always get a pretty high salary if you fight for it.

Thanks for sharing this current information.  The more we share the better for those coming behind you.   

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Specializes in Psych/Med Surg/Ortho/Tele/Peds.

A friend of mine started recently in the LA area and is making close to $300k.  He also speaks Armenian and Farsi ~ so he is really in demand.  

I agree with all other posters, the amount is contingent on a multitude of factors. I hope you secure the salary you are looking for. 

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Specializes in Psych, Geriatrics.

Wow I would love to know where everyone gets these salaries that isn't coastal California.  I'm pmhnp who was in psych 6 years before going to grad school.  I'm in the deep south,  and suburban to the largest city in the south.  After 9 years of NP,  I  make a piddling 110 a year with no paid CE, no licensing/certification pay, and 2 weeks vacation.     And before someone starts in about well, your house cost....nope.  Houses in real school districts are now 400-700 thousand and that's for 30 to 40 year old garbage with leaking polybutene pipes.    New build is already presold for 350 studio to 950 thousands family house. But hey,  I guess we have reasonable taxes and you can own whatever guns you want pretty much. We also don't have ice or snow to deal with.  And the movie industry is here now too if you want to get into that life. 

This state flooded the market with lazy, dumb, shiftless NP grads and they have depressed the salaries to nothing.  ?  I wish I were kidding but we just hired someone I KNOW failed anatomy 3x back in pre-nursing classes.  And it's not just online programs.  The state U chooses poorly too. 

 As soon as my spouse finally retires in six,  we're leaving!! 

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
5 hours ago, NPvampire said:

Wow I would love to know where everyone gets these salaries that isn't coastal California.  I'm pmhnp who was in psych 6 years before going to grad school.  I'm in the deep south,  and suburban to the largest city in the south.  After 9 years of NP,  I  make a piddling 110 a year with no paid CE, no licensing/certification pay, and 2 weeks vacation.     And before someone starts in about well, your house cost....nope.  Houses in real school districts are now 400-700 thousand and that's for 30 to 40 year old garbage with leaking polybutene pipes.    New build is already presold for 350 studio to 950 thousands family house. But hey,  I guess we have reasonable taxes and you can own whatever guns you want pretty much. We also don't have ice or snow to deal with.  And the movie industry is here now too if you want to get into that life. 

This state flooded the market with lazy, dumb, shiftless NP grads and they have depressed the salaries to nothing.  ?  I wish I were kidding but we just hired someone I KNOW failed anatomy 3x back in pre-nursing classes.  And it's not just online programs.  The state U chooses poorly too. 

 As soon as my spouse finally retires in six,  we're leaving!! 

That's very bad, especially the 2 weeks vacation a year. You work 50 weeks per year? Ugh.

 

Your employer is taking such advantage of you.

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On 5/29/2021 at 3:54 PM, NPvampire said:

I'm pmhnp who was in psych 6 years before going to grad school.  I'm in the deep south,  and suburban to the largest city in the south.  After 9 years of NP,  I  make a piddling 110 a year with no paid CE, no licensing/certification pay, and 2 weeks vacation.     

This is Atlanta, isn't it? I'm from there originally and my family want me to move back from the west coast as a pmhnp so badly. There's no way it makes financial sense. I'm sorry they don't seem to value you.

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I am here in ATL (suburban) and see the flooding of NP's coming out of school with NO RN EXPERIENCE and a *** work ethic.  Its not like we have an abundance of good healthcare here with all the "education" being given and I am a little worried about where I am going to fit in with a PMHNP here...

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
On 6/25/2021 at 8:58 PM, Jtmbrome7700 said:

This is Atlanta, isn't it? I'm from there originally and my family want me to move back from the west coast as a pmhnp so badly. There's no way it makes financial sense. I'm sorry they don't seem to value you.

Largest city in the South + movie industry = yes poster is talking about Atlanta 

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Could be Miami too…? Don’t be mean

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Specializes in Psych, Geriatrics.

Chuckle yes I’m metro Atlanta.  I wish it were Miami!  We have had literally ten people quit in the past year, and countless clerical, nursing, counseling, and other positions quit.  Admin doesn’t care.  Our nps went to travel RN, do Botox or mlm stuff, retire forever, or leave the profession…they’re not even staying nps.  An extremely nasty entitled student I had last year was the final straw.  I’m really tired.  At this point I’m eyeballing remote work for another state.    And yes, for some reason Georgia lets everyone into psych specialty programs with zero psych experience.  I mean zero.  Sometimes not even any real RN nursing experience.  Can you imagine a cardiac program accepting like that?!   It doesn’t produce good results and it’s not helping patient outcomes.  And most hate psych and leave anyway.  I try to stay positive but it’s been a really rough year.   ?

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