Career profile · SOC 29-1171

Nurse Practitioners

Diagnose and treat acute, episodic, or chronic illness, independently or as part of a healthcare team. May focus on health promotion and disease prevention. May order, perform, or interpret diagnostic tests.

Median salary
$129,210
per year
Growth outlook
Much Faster Than Average
BLS 10-yr
Education
Master's degree
AI exposure
2.9/10
automation risk

Salary distribution (US)

Real salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The p10–p90 spread tells you more than the median alone.

Bottom 10%
$90,610
25th %ile
$107,800
Median
$129,210
75th %ile
$147,380
Top 10%
$168,200

Top skills

Active Listening Critical Thinking Speaking Social Perceptiveness Reading Comprehension Complex Problem Solving Judgment and Decision Making Service Orientation Science Monitoring

Knowledge you'll build

  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Biology
  • Psychology
  • English Language
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Therapy and Counseling
  • Chemistry
  • Education and Training

A day in the life

You walk into the clinic and your schedule is already full—fifteen patients ranging from a toddler with an ear infection to an elderly man managing heart failure. You conduct exams, order blood work and X-rays, prescribe medications, and spend real time talking with each patient about their concerns. Between appointments you review test results, call in prescriptions, and consult with a collaborating physician about a complex case. The role gives you the autonomy to diagnose and treat while keeping the holistic, patient-centered philosophy that drew you to nursing in the first place.

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