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Career Development Denise Alexander
A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is a graduate degree that helps nurses qualify for advanced positions. It is a common choice for nurses looking to progress in their careers and pursue roles in specialized clinical practices, administration and education.
At Herzing University, you could advance your nursing career with one of our several MSN degree tracks:
Not all positions require you to earn your MSN, but as more new nurses join the workforce, experienced nurses will have the opportunity to move into specialized roles and leadership positions with their MSN degree.
There has never been a better time to advance your nursing career by earning your MSN. The nationwide nursing shortage, fueled by an aging baby boomer population and growing demand for medical care, is expected to increase as 500,000 nurses reach retirement age by 2022, according to the American Nurses Association.
Nurse practitioners are one of the fastest-growing careers according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Nurse practitioners are expected to see 45% growth from 2022-2032, which is far above the national average.*
Nurse educators are as equally in demand. According to a report from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), U.S. nursing schools turned away 80,407 qualified applications in 2019 due to an insufficient number of faculty. In October 2019 there were 1,637 faculty vacancies reported across the country.
According to Nurse Journal, the average annual salary for a nurse with a BSN is between $42,343 and $81,768 whereas a nurse with an MSN has average earnings between $62,281 and $195,743. MSNs will generally earn more annually than a BSN although this varies by position, experience and location.
Nurses who hold an MSN work in a variety of environments, dependent on specialization. While nurse educators usually work in schools and colleges, nurse practitioners and nurse administrators will more commonly work in hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities. Work locations will vary by specialization and demand.
Time to complete your degree depends on which MSN program and pathway you select. While many nurses will earn their BSN before their MSN, those with their Associate in Nursing (ASN) can enroll in Herzing’s accelerated RN to MSN program. RN to MSN programs vary depending on your concentration. If you are an RN without a BSN, it’s a good idea to research whether an RN to MSN or RN to BSN to MSN would work best for you.
Herzing’s traditional MSN programs also vary in length depending on transfer credit and specialization:
If you’re still in the early stages of determining your nursing future, you could take our quiz to find out what kind of nurse you should be. Based on your responses to questions about your background, professional strengths, tendencies and preferences, we’ll give you a starting point to identifying an educational pathway that’s right for you.
No matter which pathway you choose, earning your MSN will help you unlock valuable opportunities for career advancement. With your MSN, you’ll also have an opportunity to play a pivotal role in defining the future of healthcare.
Do you want to explore your quiz results more? Here are some additional resources about the value of earning your MSN:
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics 2023 / Occupational Outlook Handbook 2022. BLS estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geography market in which you want to work and degree field, will affect career outcomes and earnings. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the average salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, salary increase or other career growth.
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