Salary Outlook for Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners
A psychiatric nurse practitioner is an advanced practice nurse who provides for the mental health needs of individual patients, families, and groups. Psychiatric nurse practitioners assess and diagnose their patients’ mental health issues, offer psychotherapy services, and prescribe medication.
They also treat patients with diagnosed psychiatric disorders and people with family histories that make them more likely to have a mental illness. These nurse practitioners also educate their patients and families about mental health problems and steps they can take to improve their care.
Typical duties for psychiatric nurse practitioners are:
- Assessing and diagnosing mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, dementia, and substance abuse
- Record patient’s verbal history
- Do a physical examination
- Order diagnostic tests
- Develop and manage treatment plan
- Prescribe medication and psychotherapy as needed
Psychiatric nurse practitioners can work in private practice, behavioral treatment facilities, companies, residential treatment facilities, and public health agencies.
Are you interested in working as a psychiatric nurse practitioner? You need to earn your Master of Science in Nursing with a specialty in psychiatric medicine. Before you obtain your MSN degree, it is essential to know the salary potential in the field. Below is detailed information.
Salary Outlook for Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tracks detailed salary data for nurse practitioners, including for workplaces related specifically to psychiatry.
It reports the national salary breakdown for general nurse practitioners is:
- Bottom 25% salary – $106,960 and below
- Median salary – $126,260
- Average salary – $128,490
- Top 25% salary – $140,610 and above
- Top 10% salary – $168,030 and above
The BLS details average nurse practitioner salaries with the following sectors that are relevant for psychiatric nurse practitioners:
- Residential intellectual and developmental disability, mental health, and substance abuse facilities – $158,140
- Privately owned psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals – $143,980
- Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals, publicly and privately owned – $141,260
- Outpatient care centers – $139,860
- State-owned psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals – $137,850
- Individual and family services – $137,210
- Specialty hospitals – $135,760
- Hospitals – $135,610
- State government, including schools and hospitals – $133,420
- Local government, including schools and hospitals – $132,060
- Community food and housing, and emergency and other relief services – $131,420
- Physician offices – $122,780
The BLS also tracks average nurse practitioner salaries by state:
| Hourly | Annual | |
| California | $77.66 | $161,540 |
| Nevada | $71.48 | $148,670 |
| Washington | $69.90 | $145,400 |
| New Jersey | $69.73 | $145,030 |
| Oregon | $69.69 | $144,950 |
| Massachusetts | $69.24 | $144,010 |
| New York | $68.67 | $142,830 |
| Connecticut | $65.86 | $136,980 |
| New Mexico | $65.76 | $136,770 |
| Minnesota | $64.91 | $135,010 |
| District of Columbia | $64.83 | $134,850 |
| Rhode Island | $64.16 | $133,460 |
| Hawaii | $63.76 | $132,610 |
| Arizona | $63.73 | $132,560 |
| Delaware | $63.03 | $131,110 |
| Iowa | $62.89 | $130,820 |
| New Hampshire | $62.86 | $130,740 |
| Texas | $62.51 | $130,010 |
| Wisconsin | $61.70 | $128,330 |
| Maryland | $61.54 | $127,990 |
| Utah | $61.45 | $127,820 |
| North Dakota | $61.42 | $127,760 |
| Pennsylvania | $61.27 | $127,450 |
| Illinois | $61.01 | $126,900 |
| Alaska | $60.66 | $126,170 |
| Vermont | $60.62 | $126,100 |
| Montana | $59.92 | $124,640 |
| Idaho | $59.88 | $124,550 |
| Oklahoma | $59.77 | $124,330 |
| Wyoming | $59.40 | $123,560 |
| Indiana | $59.29 | $123,320 |
| Maine | $59.11 | $122,940 |
| Ohio | $59.07 | $122,870 |
| Colorado | $58.65 | $121,990 |
| Nebraska | $58.50 | $121,680 |
| North Carolina | $58.46 | $121,590 |
| Georgia | $58.25 | $121,150 |
| South Dakota | $58.17 | $120,980 |
| Virginia | $58.11 | $120,870 |
| Michigan | $58.02 | $120,680 |
| Florida | $57.55 | $119,710 |
| Kansas | $57.34 | $119,270 |
| Louisiana | $57.06 | $118,670 |
| Mississippi | $56.49 | $117,490 |
| South Carolina | $56.22 | $116,940 |
| Missouri | $56.10 | $116,680 |
| West Virginia | $54.54 | $113,450 |
| Arkansas | $54.53 | $113,410 |
| Kentucky | $53.06 | $110,370 |
| Alabama | $52.89 | $110,020 |
| Tennessee | $49.86 | $103,720 |
Job Outlook for Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners
The BLS projects that the number of nurse practitioner jobs will increase by 46.3% between 2023 and 2033. That’s a stunning rate of increase compared to the average national rate for all jobs of 4%.
At the state level, nurse practitioner jobs are anticipated to increase at the following rates, 2022-2032:
| Arizona | 71.3% |
| New Mexico | 64.8% |
| Arkansas | 61.3% |
| South Carolina | 60.7% |
| Utah | 60.3% |
| Idaho | 60% |
| Texas | 60% |
| California | 58.6% |
| Florida | 58.5% |
| Georgia | 58.2% |
| Tennessee | 57.9% |
| Guam | 57.1% |
| Colorado | 56.2% |
| South Dakota | 56.1% |
| Virginia | 55.6% |
| North Carolina | 55.5% |
| Delaware | 55% |
| Iowa | 52.9% |
| Oregon | 52.7% |
| West Virginia | 52.3% |
| Montana | 51.1% |
| Nevada | 51.1% |
| Wisconsin | 51.1% |
| New Hampshire | 50.7% |
| New Jersey | 50.7% |
| Alabama | 50% |
| North Dakota | 48.3% |
| Wyoming | 47.9% |
| Massachusetts | 46.9% |
| Indiana | 45.8% |
| Kentucky | 45.2% |
| Rhode Island | 45.1% |
| Washington | 45.1% |
| Connecticut | 44.8% |
| Minnesota | 43.8% |
| Louisiana | 43.6% |
| Kansas | 42.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 42.7% |
| Mississippi | 42.6% |
| Ohio | 42.6% |
| Maryland | 42.2% |
| Missouri | 41.9% |
| District of Columbia | 41.7% |
| Michigan | 41.2% |
| Illinois | 41.1% |
| Oklahoma | 38.6% |
| Nebraska | 35.8% |
| Vermont | 35.8% |
| Maine | 35.3% |
| New York | 26.3% |
| Alaska | 10% |
Growth is accelerating quickly because of the higher demand for healthcare services in an aging population. Baby boomers are entering retirement, and they want to have long, productive years ahead of them, so they want to have more healthcare services.
There is also more need for preventative medicine so people can prevent illness instead of treating it.
Nurse practitioners are popular for health systems to hire because they cost a fraction of a doctor’s salary and offer a similar level of care. States are changing laws regarding what nurse practitioners can do, and NPs will be able to provide more services in the future with less physician supervision. This fact should increase the demand for all nurse practitioners.
Summary
There is an extraordinarily high demand for nurse practitioners across the country, which is unlikely to change soon. Plus, the salaries for this profession usually exceed $100,000. Professionals in this field often have their choice of jobs and can negotiate for the best salary and benefits. It is a worthwhile field to work in if you want to practice medicine without going through eight to 10 years of medical school.
May 2023 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics salary for Nurse Practitioners. National labor market information and state labor market information also sourced from the U.S. Department of Labor. Information based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed February 2025.