Primary factors influencing nurse practitioner pay are experience, where you work, degree level, and the state in which you practice. Your specialty, and the demand for those services in your area, can also potentially impact how much you can make.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the highest paid nurse practitioners work in Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services industry, indicating nurse practitioners working in emergency care may demand the highest salaries on average. However, specialty is just one of many factors influencing pay, and it’s still possible to make a competitive salary in primary care, acute care, family practice, mental health or any other NP focus.

The highest degree you've earned can also make an impact. Earning a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) may increase your salary potential as a nurse practitioner. Medscape’s 2021 APRN Compensation Report states nurse practitioners with a doctorate make about 5% more than those with a master’s degree.¹

The BLS reports nurse practitioners across all specialties earn an average annual salary of $132,000 per year ($63.46 per hour).* No matter the specialty, nurse practitioner represents a potentially lucrative career path with an average salary well above the national average across all occupations.

1. Hurt, A. (2021, December 3). Average income for advanced practice nurses continued to increase during pandemic: Survey. Medscape. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/964081

Daily life as a medical assistant can vary quite a bit based on the exact roles and responsibilities associated with the job.

Some medical assistants work at a front desk and primarily answer phones, speak with patients, scheduling appointments and greet patients as they enter the office.

Other medical assistants may work in the back office in a clinical role, taking patients’ vital signs or obtaining their medical history. Some may even be responsible for in-house laboratory procedures, like drawing blood, drug screens or EKGs.

You can learn more about the typical day in the life of a medical assistant from someone who’s done it for over 20 years.

In rare circumstances it’s possible for current bachelor’s degree holders in unrelated fields to find work as a medical assistant without earning a medical assisting-specific education.

You will be better prepared to compete for jobs after you complete courses specific to medical assisting, earn a diploma or degree, and get certified. You may be able to transfer credit from prior college learning into our program—please contact our admissions department for more information.

In order to teach medical assisting, you’ll first need plenty of experience working as a medical assistant. Additional requirements will vary by the teaching position and school, including certification, an associate degree in medical assisting, or an advanced degree.