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Nurse Practitioner Salary by State (2026): BLS Data & Pay Calculator
The median nurse practitioner salary in the United States is $132,300 a year, about $63.61 an hour, and the mean is $137,300 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $117,990 to $156,700. By median, California pays the most ($168,520) and Alabama the least ($105,750). Sort every state below and compare your offer.
Prepared by Prospyr · Reviewed October 3, 2026 · Free, no sign-up, runs in your browser
BLS publishes this occupation for 51 of 51 areas (50 states and DC).
Optional. Pre-tax base pay.
Median annual wage, United States
$132,300a year
About $63.61 an hour. The middle 50% of nurse practitioners earn $117,990 to $156,700.
Enter an offer to see which percentile band it falls in.
Employment
323,040
BLS estimate, excludes self-employed
Mean annual wage
$137,300
United States: Nurse Practitioners pay, May 2025
- 10th percentile$101,340
- 25th percentile$117,990
- Median$132,300
- Mean (average)$137,300
- 75th percentile$156,700
- 90th percentile$174,420
Hatched bars are top-coded by BLS: the wage is $239,200 or more and the exact figure is not published. n/a means BLS has no estimate. Hourly figures use BLS's 2,080-hour year. Cost of living is not included.
nurse practitioner salary by state
Tap a column heading to sort. Tap a state to load its figures above. Add an offer above to compare it with each state's median.
| $168,520 | $120,340 | $240,830 | $176,760 | 25,120 | |
| $159,310 | $122,390 | $183,420 | $155,750 | 9,950 | |
| $156,100 | $122,420 | $187,240 | $152,180 | 6,700 | |
| $155,680 | $124,660 | $194,070 | $155,780 | 2,820 | |
| $155,170 | $95,570 | $207,490 | $149,120 | 710 | |
| $153,510 | $112,730 | $198,060 | $153,900 | 22,890 | |
| $142,440 | $111,950 | $207,710 | $152,320 | 8,070 | |
| $140,670 | $85,380 | $172,170 | $137,410 | 1,930 | |
| $138,470 | $109,930 | $173,810 | $142,340 | 3,750 | |
| $137,550 | $106,070 | $166,240 | $138,070 | 1,770 | |
| $137,520 | $106,320 | $175,020 | $143,510 | 1,770 | |
| $137,210 | $105,110 | $166,940 | $135,290 | 1,260 | |
| $135,970 | $111,420 | $176,410 | $143,150 | 1,180 | |
| $135,880 | $115,200 | $180,300 | $146,470 | 680 | |
| $135,570 | $106,450 | $174,350 | $142,910 | 550 | |
| $134,740 | $108,510 | $167,610 | $139,400 | 700 | |
| $134,420 | $104,400 | $173,270 | $140,600 | 7,220 | |
| $133,390 | $99,490 | $167,950 | $134,200 | 3,620 | |
| $133,260 | $98,950 | $170,140 | $135,890 | 7,780 | |
| $132,930 | $87,770 | $170,310 | $132,540 | 4,270 | |
| $132,540 | $100,480 | $169,710 | $133,420 | 1,750 | |
| $132,200 | $101,970 | $165,250 | $132,680 | 440 | |
| $132,130 | $103,820 | $161,990 | $131,710 | 2,340 | |
| $131,980 | $106,320 | $166,260 | $135,160 | 5,160 | |
| $131,670 | $96,880 | $161,980 | $131,420 | 25,970 | |
| $131,450 | $101,640 | $165,870 | $132,790 | 8,290 | |
| $131,110 | $99,920 | $169,330 | $133,360 | 6,710 | |
| $131,040 | $97,450 | $162,870 | $132,900 | 1,430 | |
| $130,920 | $102,980 | $175,220 | $137,060 | 2,740 | |
| $130,680 | $102,440 | $161,470 | $130,940 | 9,270 | |
| $130,260 | $107,820 | $166,740 | $134,210 | 1,650 | |
| $130,160 | $107,990 | $167,590 | $136,940 | 3,240 | |
| $130,140 | $102,940 | $163,720 | $132,070 | 10,670 | |
| $130,070 | $103,490 | $162,020 | $126,370 | 1,290 | |
| $129,930 | $100,650 | $162,060 | $130,970 | 7,710 | |
| $129,510 | $101,920 | $163,600 | $130,410 | 21,790 | |
| $129,430 | $99,160 | $166,060 | $128,800 | 10,460 | |
| $128,990 | $103,530 | $164,320 | $130,870 | 9,800 | |
| $128,840 | $103,080 | $156,000 | $125,160 | 1,020 | |
| $128,830 | $101,790 | $155,260 | $126,600 | 7,450 | |
| $127,810 | $99,990 | $161,470 | $129,060 | 7,110 | |
| $127,320 | $100,220 | $155,500 | $126,780 | 2,550 | |
| $126,650 | $98,330 | $158,080 | $127,940 | 3,780 | |
| $125,660 | $99,420 | $205,810 | $130,260 | 3,970 | |
| $125,600 | $99,050 | $159,570 | $126,630 | 5,380 | |
| $124,870 | $100,780 | $154,680 | $122,910 | 15,400 | |
| $124,730 | $98,780 | $156,830 | $125,340 | 4,690 | |
| $123,290 | $97,080 | $160,170 | $124,170 | 5,670 | |
| $122,870 | $95,710 | $162,960 | $125,010 | 4,770 | |
| $117,590 | $82,790 | $137,880 | $115,510 | 12,150 | |
| $105,750 | $86,300 | $134,650 | $110,970 | 5,640 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (cross-industry, all ownerships). 51 of 51 areas (50 states and DC) have a published estimate for this occupation. Territories are not shown.
Reference data, not a pay recommendation. BLS wages cover all employers and settings, not med spas or aesthetic practices specifically. They include incentive pay and tips but not overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses or benefits, and they are not adjusted for cost of living.
Nurse practitioner salary by state: highest and lowest paying states
51 of 51 areas (50 states and DC) have a published nurse practitioner estimate in the BLS May 2025 data. Ranked by median annual wage, the top five are California ($168,520), New Jersey ($159,310), Washington ($156,100), Oregon ($155,680), Alaska ($155,170). The bottom five are Alabama ($105,750), Tennessee ($117,590), Kentucky ($122,870), South Carolina ($123,290), Mississippi ($124,730).
Highest paying states
| State | Median annual wage | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| California | $168,520 | 25,120 |
| New Jersey | $159,310 | 9,950 |
| Washington | $156,100 | 6,700 |
| Oregon | $155,680 | 2,820 |
| Alaska | $155,170 | 710 |
Lowest paying states
| State | Median annual wage | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $105,750 | 5,640 |
| Tennessee | $117,590 | 12,150 |
| Kentucky | $122,870 | 4,770 |
| South Carolina | $123,290 | 5,670 |
| Mississippi | $124,730 | 4,690 |
The gap between the top and bottom state medians is $62,770 a year. These figures are not adjusted for cost of living, which is why a high-paying state is not automatically a better offer. The full sortable table is in the tool above.
How to read nurse practitioner salary percentiles and compare an offer
BLS publishes wages at five points. The 10th percentile is the wage that 10% of nurse practitioners earn less than. The median is the middle wage: half earn less and half earn more. The 90th percentile is the wage that 90% earn less than. The mean is the average and is pulled up by high earners. Nationally for this occupation, those wages are $101,340 (10th), $117,990 (25th), $132,300 (median), $156,700 (75th) and $174,420 (90th).
Worked example. Say a practice offers $125,000 a year. At BLS's 2,080-hour work year, that is $60.10 an hour ($60.10 × 2,080 = $125,000). The offer is at least the 25th percentile wage of $117,990 and below the median (50th) wage of $132,300.
Enter your own number in the tool, as an annual salary or an hourly rate. It places the offer in a band and does not guess a single percentile, because BLS does not publish the wage at every point.
Nurse practitioner pay data: what BLS counts as this occupation
BLS reports this occupation as Nurse Practitioners (SOC 29-1171). Its Occupational Outlook Handbook describes them as health care providers who deliver advanced nursing services as primary or specialty care providers to patients and families.
The handbook lists a master's degree as the typical entry-level education, with a state APRN license and a national certification exam required.
The figures cover NP employees in every setting. They do not separate aesthetic, dermatology or med spa practices, and they leave out self-employed NPs and practice owners.
People also search for this as “NP salary”, “nurse practitioner salary by state”. All of them point to the same BLS occupation data shown here.
What the BLS wage figures include and leave out
The figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 estimates, across all industries and employers. BLS publishes new estimates each spring, so check the BLS OEWS site for newer figures.
- Included: base rate, cost-of-living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and production bonuses) and tips.
- Left out: overtime, severance, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer-paid benefits and tuition reimbursement.
- Not covered: the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms.
- Hourly to annual: BLS converts an hourly wage to an annual one with a 2,080-hour year.
- Top-coded: where BLS marks a wage of $115.00 an hour or $239,200 a year or more with a “#”, it publishes no exact figure. That mostly affects state-level physician estimates. This site shows those as $239,200+.
BLS does not report med spa or aesthetic practice wages as a separate group, and the data does not adjust for cost of living. When you compare an offer, weigh local living costs, benefits and the pay plan, not only the base wage.
Budgeting for the hire
Salary is not the full cost of an employee. Payroll taxes, benefits and workers' compensation add to it; the employee cost calculator turns a wage into a total cost to the practice. If you pay an injector by commission or per unit instead of a salary, the nurse injector pay calculator models hourly, commission, per-unit and hybrid plans side by side.
Once a hire is on the team, Prospyr analytics shows revenue per provider so you can see whether the pay plan fits what the schedule produces. For practices still building the team, see Prospyr for med spas.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average nurse practitioner salary?
The median salary in the United States is $132,300 a year and the mean is $137,300, per BLS OEWS May 2025. BLS estimates 323,040 people work in this occupation. The middle half earn $117,990 to $156,700.
What is the nurse practitioner salary by state?
It ranges from $105,750 in Alabama to $168,520 in California by median annual wage, per BLS OEWS May 2025. 51 of 51 areas (50 states and DC) have a published estimate. The sortable table in the tool lists the median, 10th and 90th percentiles, mean and employment for each.
Which state pays nurse practitioners the most?
California has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $168,520, followed by New Jersey ($159,310). These wages are not adjusted for cost of living, so compare them with local expenses before treating a high-paying state as a better offer.
What is the hourly pay for a nurse practitioner?
The national median hourly wage is $63.61, per BLS OEWS May 2025. BLS converts hourly pay to annual pay with a 2,080-hour year, so $132,300 a year is about $63.61 an hour. Enter an hourly offer in the tool and it does the conversion.
How much do the top-paid nurse practitioners make?
The 90th percentile wage is $174,420, meaning 10% of nurse practitioners earn that much or more, per BLS OEWS May 2025. The 75th percentile is $156,700. These cover employees only and leave out owners and the self-employed.
Does the BLS nurse practitioner salary include bonuses, tips or benefits?
It includes incentive pay such as commissions and production bonuses, and tips. It leaves out overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and employer-paid benefits. It also does not cover the self-employed, so owners and contractors are outside the figures.
Do nurse practitioners who inject at a med spa earn the BLS figure?
Not necessarily. BLS has no med spa category, and its figures leave out self-employed NPs and practice owners. Injector pay is often a mix of hourly, commission and per-unit pay, which the nurse injector pay calculator can model.
Sources and scope
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025: national and state data tables
Source of every wage and employment figure for Nurse Practitioners (SOC 29-1171) in the tool and tables. The “#” top-code note is in the data file.
- BLS OEWS May 2025 technical notes
What OEWS wages include and exclude, who the survey covers, and the 2,080-hour annual conversion.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners
Entry-level education (master's degree), state APRN license and national certification; job summary for nurse practitioners.
Reference data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, not a pay recommendation. Figures cover all employers and settings, not med spas specifically, and are not adjusted for cost of living.