Salary

Depends a great deal on your specific location and specialty. You will likely earn higher salaries in the piedmont, triangle, and urban areas. The rural areas seem to pay less. The new graduate NPs I know in the NC area have typically started in the 80s. I know several NPs that were given raises after some months on the job due to demonstrated performance. Experienced NPs seem to be earning 90s-100s. I have known new graduates that have been offered 70s in NC, but I would discourage this as I think it overall undervalues you and all the other new graduate NPs.

New grads are getting $85 to $90k to start in Oklahoma. $40 to $45 an hour for PRN part time non urgent care. Urgent care $65.

Wow! Maybe the AACN should start pushing for higher pay instead of trying to push everyone to NP/DNP school.

Most seasoned RNs make close/more than wages I see on here?

Wow! Maybe the AACN should start pushing for higher pay instead of trying to push everyone to NP/DNP school.

Most seasoned RNs make close/more than wages I see on here?

Really? I keep hearing of RN salaries that are comparable to NPs but have never experienced this. Every thing I know about the NC market suggests it would be extremely rare for an RN to work a 40 hour week and make >100K. Where do you live?

I live in the Midwest; in a state with a very strong nurses union. Experienced RNs make 6 figures here easily; with full benefits .

My state is not very big on NPs; I think PAs are preferred. I do not know why. On another thread, Entry level NPs that make decent wages do so without benefits.Unbelievably so.

Really? I keep hearing of RN salaries that are comparable to NPs but have never experienced this. Every thing I know about the NC market suggests it would be extremely rare for an RN to work a 40 hour week and make >100K. Where do you live?

You've hit it, here.

We don't have unions or anything of that nature in NC, which is why our wages are so low. I don't know any nurses who have cracked $30/hr base pay. I know plenty who have made above that number working PRN, weekend option, float pool, etc. but not anyone with a regular full time job working in just one unit. I hear people who make more than $30/hr exist but I have yet to find them, and I bet they have been in the work force for 30 years.

You've hit it, here.

We don't have unions or anything of that nature in NC, which is why our wages are so low. I don't know any nurses who have cracked $30/hr base pay. I know plenty who have made above that number working PRN, weekend option, float pool, etc. but not anyone with a regular full time job working in just one unit. I hear people who make more than $30/hr exist but I have yet to find them, and I bet they have been in the work force for 30 years.

Pls tell me you are kidding. New grads start at 33/hr here. All these wages are published online. Google couple of state with nurses union and look over their salary scale. Change must come to NC. Soon

In the OKlahoma area my experience has been around $30 / hr too for full time with benefits. I know two PAs who get job offers all the time for $150k now that they have some experience. That works out to about $75 an hour full time with benefits and being paid for malpractice, etc. The potential for a six figure salary is much higher with advanced practice. The other thing to consider is job satisfaction.

Great conversation.

I was curious what the BLS data was for RN vs NP salaries. Unfortunately, the BLS does not seem to discriminate from the two and I am assuming that NPs are lumped into the RN category. So instead I compared RN to PA salaries, which likely offers a fair representation. PA salaries tend to be a bit higher on national salary polls, but I think this is given a predilection for specialties that pay more. I think an NP and PA working in primary care would likely average about the same salary.

Here are the RN and NP salary means for NC and other states (hourly salary are in parentheses):

NC Mean

RN 60,960 (29.31)

PA – 86,460 (41.62/hr)

MI

RN 65,430 (31.46)

PA – 86,780 (41.48)

OH

RN – 57,750 (22.76)

PA – 85,830 (41.02)

MN

RN – 74,250 (34.70)

PA – 90,890 (43.70)

WI

RN – 64,800 (30.22)

PA – 96,800 (43.67)

IN

RN – 58,410 (28.08)

PA – 86,970 (41.17)

IL

RN – 67,190 (32.31)

PA – 76,680 (36.87)

The following are the top paying states for RNs per the BLS:

[TABLE]

[TR]

[TH=align: center]State[/TH]

[TH=align: center]Employment (1)[/TH]

[TH=width: 100, align: center]Employment per thousand jobs[/TH]

[TH=width: 100, align: center]Location quotient (9)[/TH]

[TH=width: 100, align: center]Hourly mean wage[/TH]

[TH=width: 100, align: center]Annual mean wage (2)[/TH]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=width: 200, align: center]California [/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]250,230[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]17.82[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]0.84[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$43.68[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$90,860[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=width: 200, align: center]Massachusetts [/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]87,040[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]27.57[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]1.30[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$41.74[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$86,810[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=width: 200, align: center]Hawaii [/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]10,210[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]17.69[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]0.83[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$40.36[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$83,950[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=width: 200, align: center]Alaska [/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]5,460[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]17.44[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]0.82[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$39.46[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$82,080[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=width: 200, align: center]Nevada [/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]16,470[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]14.80[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]0.70[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$37.42[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$77,840

[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

Here are the top paying metro areas:

[TABLE]

[TR]

[TD]Metropolitan area[/TD]

[TD]Employment (1)[/TD]

[TD]Employment per thousand jobs[/TD]

[TD]Location quotient (9)[/TD]

[TD]Hourly mean wage[/TD]

[TD]Annual mean wage (2)[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Vallejo-Fairfield, CA[/TD]

[TD]3,370[/TD]

[TD]28.72[/TD]

[TD]1.35[/TD]

[TD]$57.95[/TD]

[TD]$120,540[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA[/TD]

[TD]12,120[/TD]

[TD]13.82[/TD]

[TD]0.65[/TD]

[TD]$56.53[/TD]

[TD]$117,590[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division[/TD]

[TD]20,090[/TD]

[TD]21.10[/TD]

[TD]0.99[/TD]

[TD]$51.31[/TD]

[TD]$106,730[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division[/TD]

[TD]18,400[/TD]

[TD]19.17[/TD]

[TD]0.90[/TD]

[TD]$50.80[/TD]

[TD]$105,670[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Salinas, CA[/TD]

[TD]2,670[/TD]

[TD]17.57[/TD]

[TD]0.83[/TD]

[TD]$49.67[/TD]

[TD]$103,310[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA[/TD]

[TD]14,850[/TD]

[TD]18.44[/TD]

[TD]0.87[/TD]

[TD]$47.71[/TD]

[TD]$99,230[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Napa, CA[/TD]

[TD]1,370[/TD]

[TD]22.16[/TD]

[TD]1.04[/TD]

[TD]$47.53[/TD]

[TD]$98,870[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Hanford-Corcoran, CA[/TD]

[TD]970[/TD]

[TD]26.65[/TD]

[TD]1.25[/TD]

[TD]$46.61[/TD]

[TD]$96,950[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA[/TD]

[TD]1,690[/TD]

[TD]20.35[/TD]

[TD]0.96[/TD]

[TD]$46.52[/TD]

[TD]$96,760[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Modesto, CA[/TD]

[TD]3,300[/TD]

[TD]22.04[/TD]

[TD]1.04[/TD]

[TD]$45.93[/TD]

[TD]$95,530[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

Here are the top paying non metro areas:

[TABLE]

[TR]

[TH=align: center]Nonmetropolitan area[/TH]

[TH=align: center]Employment (1)[/TH]

[TH=width: 100, align: center]Employment per thousand jobs[/TH]

[TH=width: 100, align: center]Location quotient (9)[/TH]

[TH=width: 100, align: center]Hourly mean wage[/TH]

[TH=width: 100, align: center]Annual mean wage (2)[/TH]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=width: 200, align: center]Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area [/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]1,020[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]16.80[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]0.79[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$45.16[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$93,930[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=width: 200, align: center]Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area [/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]900[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]22.55[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]1.06[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$43.50[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$90,490[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=width: 200, align: center]North Valley Region of California nonmetropolitan area [/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]250[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]8.91[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]0.42[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$42.39[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$88,170[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=width: 200, align: center]Eastern Sierra Region of California nonmetropolitan area [/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]210[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]15.17[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]0.71[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$42.17[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$87,710[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=width: 200, align: center]Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area [/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]200[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]14.19[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]0.67[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$39.27[/TD]

[TD=width: 100, align: center]$81,690[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

It looks like cost of living would be a huge factor for higher salaries with most of this data.