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 such as lab work and x rays. May prescribe medication. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.
Nurse Practitioners earn a median of $63.61/hr — about $132,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $48.72/hr; the top 10% earn $83.86/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Maintain complete and detailed records of patients' health care plans and prognoses.
- Develop treatment plans, based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and professional practice guidelines.
- Provide patients with information needed to promote health, reduce risk factors, or prevent disease or disability.
- Analyze and interpret patients' histories, symptoms, physical findings, or diagnostic information to develop appropriate diagnoses.
- Diagnose or treat complex, unstable, comorbid, episodic, or emergency conditions in collaboration with other health care providers as necessary.
- Prescribe medication dosages, routes, and frequencies, based on such patient characteristics as age and gender.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Master's degree. Overall preparation: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work splits time indoors and out; you're around people constantly; time pressure is a real part of the job; it rewards working independently; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 1% of nurse practitioners are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are analytical, people-focused and organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
Quick questions
- How much does a nurse practitioner make?
- The median pay is $63.61 per hour — roughly $132,500 a year, with the real range running from about $48.72/hr (10th percentile) to $83.86/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a nurse practitioner?
- The typical entry-level education is: Master's degree. Overall preparation level: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).
- What does a nurse practitioner actually do all day?
- Maintain complete and detailed records of patients' health care plans and prognoses. Develop treatment plans, based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and professional practice guidelines. Provide patients with information needed to promote health, reduce risk factors, or prevent disease or disability.
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