Your salary vs. salary.com

[ixchel]

Another thread got me thinking about this, and for fear of my question in it getting buried, I wanted to start a new thread. I'm curious about NP salaries, as I am just starting to do some major soul searching about my goals and the most responsible path for me to take might be. If you don't mind sharing, I was wondering if any of you might be willing to go to salary.com and search for your specialty, and share here if your salary is at, above, or below their projections. Can you also indicate your specialty?

Here, for NPs, the reported salaries are $82-$109k, and the median is $95k. The 25% number is $88k and the 75% number is $102k. This is under the category of Nurse Practitioners, Primary Care.

I'm not even finished my BSN, so I can't honestly say if this is accurate or not. I did see in the other thread that this is considerably higher than what others were saying, which is why I'm asking. I can actually believe those numbers might be fairly accurate here. We're a smaller area with a shortage of physicians. This area isn't exactly the most wonderful place in the world to relocate as a physician, so I'm thinking they are trying to become more appealing to NPs by offering higher pay. That's just a theory though.

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

I'm not in primary care. I am an ACNP working in critical care.

Salary.com quotes the salary for NP's in specialty care in San Francisco, CA as:

10% - 93,893

24% - 103,228

Median - 113,481

75% - 124,233

90% - 134,022

With 20 years of total nursing experience (8 as NP), I am roughly 20K above the 90% quote for base salary alone (does not include benefits, OT, holiday, shift diff).

I'd say salary.com is not completely off base with the caveat that San Francisco pays RN's the highest in the country. There are RN's making the same as I do as an NP. It is also one of the most expensive cities to live in (maybe next to NYC).

[mammac5]

For my geographical area, Salary.com indicates

10% $70,109

25% 77,079

Median 84,735

75% 92,763

90% 100,072

I graduated in August last year, passed ANCC in September, and started this job in October. I work inpatient specialty care. I am just shy of the 25% mark. Considering I'm inexperienced, I am okay with this for now. I also have wonderful benefits and, since I work 12-hour shifts, I have a LOT of time off. In fact, trying to find a part-time job to fill some time and to keep my primary care skills from getting rusty.

[zoidberg, BSN, RN]

i live in a coastal southeastern city, and the main teaching hospital system has a range for PA's and NPs in the system that begins in the 70's for the most part, and can reach 105 i believe, though i know an NP who makes in the 60's (ouch). here is the salary.com breakdown:

10: 75K

25: 81k

median is at 87k

75: 93k

90: 100k

The numbers they give seem correct. however, many NP's and PA's are making a good bit more in specialty offices and independent ER's. A free standing ER i know of pays about 20k more than the main system. I would note that i do not live in a state that is especially good or bad for NP's, and it is not a terribly high cost of living here either.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I'm in specialty care in the midwest - fairly rural:

10% 71,000

25% 78,000

Median 85,000

75% 93,000

90% 101,000

I'm an APN with almost 6 years experience as an APN, total of 20 as an RN and I make in the approx. 85% range for my base salary. I also get free healthcare, 100% employer paid retirement, and other very excellent benefits which must also be factored into this.