Salary of a Nurse Practitioner

[Eeramsey, BSN, RN]

I am currently in nursing school. I have considered becoming a nurse practitioner for several years. I have heard mixed opinions about being a nurse practitioner. I live in rural, Southern Illinois. I have been told (by an actual FNP) that it can be hard to find jobs that pay that much more than nursing jobs that only require an associate's or bachelor's degree. I was told that the area I live in is overly saturated with physician's assistances that are willing to work for lower salaries than nurse practitioners.

I also am concerned about getting into tens of thousands of dollars in student loans for a master's degree that I won't even get paid enough for. I am unsure of how much more school I can mentally handle too.