BLS nurse practitioner pay at every level and in every state, salaried vs hourly rules, and take-home after 2026 tax
Nurse practitioners earned a median salary of $132,300 in May 2025 ($63.61 an hour), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which counted 323,040 NPs. Pay is tightly grouped for a six-figure job: even the bottom tenth earned more than $101,340, and the top tenth over $174,420.
This is the BLS line for nurse practitioners alone (SOC 29-1171). Nurse anesthetists and nurse midwives, which the Occupational Outlook Handbook groups with NPs, have their own BLS lines, so the OOH's combined industry table isn't shown here. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $48.72 | $101,340 | $8,445 | $80,123 |
| 25th percentile | $56.73 | $117,990 | $9,833 | $91,836 |
| Median | $63.61 | $132,300 | $11,025 | $101,693 |
| 75th percentile | $75.34 | $156,700 | $13,058 | $118,370 |
| 90th percentile | $83.86 | $174,420 | $14,535 | $130,482 |
California NPs have the highest median, $168,520, then New Jersey ($159,310) and Washington ($156,100); Alabama is lowest at $105,750. Texas employs the most nurse practitioners, 25,970, slightly more than California, at a median of $131,670. New York ($153,510) and Florida ($129,510) are the next-largest.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $81.02 | $168,520 | 25,120 |
| New Jersey | $76.59 | $159,310 | 9,950 |
| Washington | $75.05 | $156,100 | 6,700 |
| Oregon | $74.85 | $155,680 | 2,820 |
| Alaska | $74.60 | $155,170 | 710 |
| New York | $73.80 | $153,510 | 22,890 |
| Massachusetts | $68.48 | $142,440 | 8,070 |
| Nevada | $67.63 | $140,670 | 1,930 |
| Connecticut | $66.57 | $138,470 | 3,750 |
| New Hampshire | $66.13 | $137,550 | 1,770 |
| New Mexico | $66.11 | $137,520 | 1,770 |
| Montana | $65.97 | $137,210 | 1,260 |
| Rhode Island | $65.37 | $135,970 | 1,180 |
| District of Columbia | $65.33 | $135,880 | 680 |
| Hawaii | $65.18 | $135,570 | 550 |
| Vermont | $64.78 | $134,740 | 700 |
| Arizona | $64.63 | $134,420 | 7,220 |
| Oklahoma | $64.13 | $133,390 | 3,620 |
| Minnesota | $64.07 | $133,260 | 7,780 |
| Colorado | $63.91 | $132,930 | 4,270 |
| Idaho | $63.72 | $132,540 | 1,750 |
| Wyoming | $63.56 | $132,200 | 440 |
| Nebraska | $63.52 | $132,130 | 2,340 |
| Wisconsin | $63.45 | $131,980 | 5,160 |
| Texas | $63.31 | $131,670 | 25,970 |
| Michigan | $63.20 | $131,450 | 8,290 |
| Maryland | $63.03 | $131,110 | 6,710 |
| Delaware | $63.00 | $131,040 | 1,430 |
| Utah | $62.94 | $130,920 | 2,740 |
| Illinois | $62.83 | $130,680 | 9,270 |
| Maine | $62.62 | $130,260 | 1,650 |
| Iowa | $62.58 | $130,160 | 3,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $62.57 | $130,140 | 10,670 |
| North Dakota | $62.53 | $130,070 | 1,290 |
| Missouri | $62.47 | $129,930 | 7,710 |
| Florida | $62.26 | $129,510 | 21,790 |
| Georgia | $62.22 | $129,430 | 10,460 |
| North Carolina | $62.01 | $128,990 | 9,800 |
| Indiana | $61.94 | $128,830 | 7,450 |
| South Dakota | $61.94 | $128,840 | 1,020 |
| Virginia | $61.45 | $127,810 | 7,110 |
| West Virginia | $61.21 | $127,320 | 2,550 |
| Kansas | $60.89 | $126,650 | 3,780 |
| Arkansas | $60.41 | $125,660 | 3,970 |
| Louisiana | $60.38 | $125,600 | 5,380 |
| Ohio | $60.03 | $124,870 | 15,400 |
| Mississippi | $59.96 | $124,730 | 4,690 |
| South Carolina | $59.28 | $123,290 | 5,670 |
| Kentucky | $59.07 | $122,870 | 4,770 |
| Tennessee | $56.54 | $117,590 | 12,150 |
| Alabama | $50.84 | $105,750 | 5,640 |
Most advanced practice registered nurses work full time. In physicians' offices — the biggest employer, with 46% of APRNs — they typically keep business hours; in hospitals they may work shifts that include nights, weekends and holidays, and some, especially in critical care, are on call (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
An NP is a registered nurse, and a registered nurse paid a salary of at least $684 a week generally qualifies as an exempt learned professional with no overtime owed. NPs paid by the hour aren't exempt and get time and a half after 40 hours (DOL Fact Sheet #17N). The calculator defaults to no overtime; if you're hourly, tick the box and add your extra hours.
Nurse practitioners must already be licensed RNs, then earn at least a master's degree in an advanced practice role, pass a national certification exam and hold a state APRN license; some go on to a Doctor of Nursing Practice. Jobs may also require CPR, BLS or ACLS certification (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Compare the RN page linked below to see what the extra degree is worth in BLS's figures.
More ways to work with your nurse practitioner pay:
$132,300 a year ($63.61 an hour) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $117,990 to $156,700.
California ($81.02 an hour, $168,520 a year), then New Jersey and Washington; Alabama pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
Compare the medians: this page's NP figure against the registered nurse calculator linked on this page, both BLS May 2025. Both lines exclude overtime and shift differentials.
Salaried NPs paid at least $684 a week generally aren't; hourly NPs are owed time and a half after 40 hours (DOL Fact Sheet #17N).
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.