25 Interesting Facts About Nurse Practitioners

A lot goes into being a nurse practitioner, and NPs put a lot of themselves into their work. So what makes NPs tick? We’ve assembled 25+ interesting facts about nurse practitioners, ranging from NP salaries to mental health and job satisfaction.

NP salary guide

General Nurse Practitioner Facts

These nurse practitioners facts cover general information about the NP population and practice.

 

 NP Scope of Practice Facts

What can a nurse practitioner do and where can they do it? These facts cover nurse practitioner scope of practice information in the US.

 

Nurse Practitioner Salary Facts

How much do nurse practitioners make? Which NP specialties make the most money? Explore these NP salary facts.

  • The average annual nurse practitioner salary is $121,610, according to the United States Bureau of Labor, when they last updated the figure in 2022.
  • Less than half (48%) of nurse practitioners feel fairly compensated for their work.
  • Over the last year, locum NPs across specialties made an average of $93 per hour. At 40 hours per week, the average locum salary comes out to $193,000.
  • Washington, Oregon, Nevada, California, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts are the highest paying states for nurse practitioners, with each state paying an average of at least $136,000 per year.
  • NPs working in surgery specialties make the most, earning an average make an average range of $90 to $150 per hour  

 

Nurse Practitioner Mental Health Facts

How do nurse practitioners feel about their jobs ,and how does being an NP impact their mental health?

  • 72% of nurse practitioners report being burnt out and/or depressed.
  • Locum NPs were 32% less likely to report either burnout or depression.
  • Half of NPs say the number one cause of burnout is too many bureaucratic tasks, like charting or paperwork
  • 43% of NPs say insufficient salary was a major factor for burnout
  • Half of NPS say increased compensation would be the best way to reduce burnout

Locum Nurse Practitioner Facts

Why do nurse practitioners choose locum work and what do they think about the locum life?

 

Nurse Practitioner Education Facts

What does it take to become a nurse practitioner? The NP schooling facts cover the long road NPs take in order to practice as a nurse practitioner.

  • The majority of NPs spent several years working as registered nurses before entering their NP programs.
  • An estimated 20,000 new NPs completed academic programs last year alone!
  • Becoming a certified NP requires completing 500 didactic hours and 500 to 700 clinical hours.
  • 20% of NPs have a Doctoral degree. 80% have a Master’s degree.

 


Looking for more educational nurse practitioner content? Check out our hub for nurse practitioner resources, or check out our popular guides on nurse practitioner licensing, NP scope of practice, independent practice, and nurse practitioner specialties. And be sure to explore our nurse practitioner salary guide.

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