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Average FNP Salary:
How Much Can I Make?

Becoming a family nurse practitioner (FNP) is a great way to boost your earning potential as a nurse. Across various specialties, nurse practitioners earned an average salary of $118,040 per year ($56.75 per hour) in the US, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The job outlook for nurse practitioners is also very positive. The BLS projects 52 percent employment growth for nurse practitioners from 2020 through 2030, well above the national average across all occupations.

If you’re interested in advancing your nursing career and expanding your scope of practice—and considering an RN vs. Nurse Practitioner (NP) career path—then becoming an NP might be a good track for you.

Registered Nurse and Nurse Practitioner at Nurse's Station

Family nurse practitioner average salary by state

One of the most important determining factors in how much you can make is the state of employment. Find the average annual salary for a nurse practitioner by state:

StatePer hourPer year
Alabama$47.98$99,790
Alaska$53.01$110,270
Arizona$56.48$117,480
Arkansas$51.06$106,210
California$70.18$145,970
Colorado$52.77$109,760
Connecticut$56.15$116,780
Delaware$53.96$112,230
District of Columbia$55.84$116,150
Florida$48.58$101,060
Georgia$51.07$106,220
Hawaii$57.11$118,780
Idaho$54.76$113,890
Illinois$53.87$112,060
Indiana$52.86$109,940
Iowa$51.88$107,910
Kansas$50.25$104,530
Kentucky$49.26$102,460
Louisiana$53.79$111,880
Maine$53.64$111,580
Maryland$55.40$115,240
Massachusetts$60.60$126,050
Michigan$52.48$109,150
Minnesota$57.16$118,900
Mississippi$52.67$109,550
Missouri$51.38$106,870
StatePer hourPer year
Montana$54.99$114,370
Nebraska$51.60$107,330
Nevada$57.64$119,890
New Hampshire$54.07$112,460
New Jersey$62.93$130,890
New Mexico$56.28$117,050
New York$60.79$126,440
North Carolina$52.10$108,370
North Dakota$53.40$111,070
Ohio$50.78$105,630
Oklahoma$54.21$112,750
Oregon$57.02$118,600
Pennsylvania$53.64$111,560
Rhode Island$56.39$117,300
South Carolina$48.65$101,190
South Dakota$49.56$103,080
Tennessee$47.78$99,370
Texas$56.11$116,700
Utah$54.59$113,550
Vermont$52.06$108,280
Virginia$52.72$109,660
Washington$60.81$126,480
West Virginia$50.59$105,220
Wisconsin$54.34$113,030
Wyoming$57.12$118,810

All salary data courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Where do family nurse practitioners work?

NPs can practice in all kinds of different settings, such as outpatient clinics, hospitals, emergency departments, private physician or NP offices, nursing homes, schools and colleges, and public health departments.

Salary for a FNP depends largely on the state where you’re employed and what kind of medical institution you’re working in (physician’s office, private practice, hospital, clinic, urgent care center, etc.). Find out where nurse practitioners most often work and the average salary estimates for each type of healthcare facility.

What kind of nurse practitioners get paid the most? It’s highly variable depending on where you work. According to the BLS, the highest paid nurse practitioners work in the community food and housing/emergency and other relief services industry, averaging $143,480 per year ($68.98 per hour). The top 10 percentile of nurse practitioners overall earn more than $150,000 per year.

Industries with the highest level of nurse practitioner employment
IndustryEmploymentPer yearPer hour
Offices of physicians110,490$114,870$55.23
General medical and surgical hospitals52,790$122,960$59.12
Outpatient care centers22,630$129,190$62.11
Offices of other health practitioners9,360$108,890$52.35
Home health care services6,630$133,170$64.03

Employment and wage data courtesy 2021 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Increase your earning potential with a DNP

You can potentially earn a higher salary as an FNP by enrolling in a post master’s DNP program and expanding on your graduate-level nursing education.

Medscape’s 2021 APRN Compensation Report states nurse practitioners with a doctorate make about 5% more than those with a master’s degree.1

What is a family nurse practitioner and what do they do?

A family nurse practitioner (FNP) specializes in family practice and sees patients of all ages. Their role includes health promotion, wellness and disease management, and also treating chronic, episodic illnesses.

Due to demand for medical care and a relative shortage of doctors, nurse practitioners are more and more acting independently in primary care, especially in rural locations. FNP’s have much more autonomy over patient care than most other types of nurses.

The difference between FNP and NP

The difference between general nurse practitioners and family nurse practitioners is:

  • Nurse practitioners may specialize in psychiatric, pediatric, geriatric, women’s health, or dermatologic care, among many other possibilities. As an alternative, we offer online NP programs with multiple different concentrations.
  • A family nurse practitioner specializes in family practice, which can cover one or many of these specialties.

Rather than focusing on a particular age group or medical area, an FNP’s responsibilities include primary and comprehensive care through the patient’s lifespan. A career as an FNP could be right for you if you are interested in providing a higher level of care for a diverse patient population and in a variety of healthcare settings. Learn more about the skills needed to succeed as a nurse practitioner.

How do you become a family nurse practitioner?

You won’t find an entry level job as a nurse practitioner starting at the range of salaries listed above. This represents one of the highest heights in the nursing profession, and you’ll need years of schooling to reach this level. Going from non-nurse to nurse practitioner represents a long journey, but can also open doors to all sorts of different opportunities.

Herzing University offers several online FNP programs, including an FNP program for BSN nurses and an accelerated RN to FNP program for ADN/ASN holders looking to reach the next level of education and advance their career. With Herzing, you can complete your MSN-FNP in as little as 20-24 months. Not including the clinical component, you can complete your nurse practitioner degree 100% online.

Nursing Student

Take the next step.

We’ve put together a 7-step guide on how to become a family nurse practitioner:

  1. Understand the role
  2. Become an RN-BSN
  3. Earn your master's degree
  4. Complete your clinicals and graduate
  5. Pass the certification exam
  6. Earn licensure in your state
  7. Start your career as a nurse practitioner

Board certification is required for NPs in most states after completing the program of study. The two main board certifying bodies are the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

Both certifications enable FNPs to work in any clinical setting in any state. The ANCC certification is also designed to certify nurses for educator roles in an academic setting.

Learn more about our nursing degree pathways and get started on your journey today!

Learn more about pursuing a career as an FNP

CTA Bg

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


* Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2021. 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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