Taking the First Steps Toward a Nurse Practitioner Salary

Anyone interested in the field of nursing will be happy to know that the number of jobs for registered nurses is expected to grow much faster than the average job through the year 2018. The field of nursing is projected to†have one of the most new job openings of all jobs in the coming years. Many studying nursing might be interested in the Nurse Practitioner Salary. The median annual salary for nurses for 2008 was a little over $62,000. Many companies also offer other benefits such as child care or bonuses for their employees.

Nurses make good money with good benefits, but there are other good things to know besides the Nurse Practitioner Salary. Anyone interested in this field will need to know what they have to do for education and/or certification. There are three ways to receive a nursing degree. You can get an†associate degree, you can get a bachelor's degree, or you can receive a diploma from an approved nursing program. Depending on how much education you have, you might be able to receive higher pay or a better job based on your education, training and experience.

Those nurses who actually want to specialize in a particular field may need to receive additional education or training for certification. For instance, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners both need to have their master's degree. The nurse practitioner salary for these advanced positions have a higher payout than the nurses who are trained in a general field. All nurses, once they graduate from an approved nursing program, will have to pass a national licensing exam in order to obtain their nursing license.

Because the Nurse Practitioner Salary is already considered fairly good, the career opportunities are also good. Most nurses start out in doctor's offices or hospitals, but can then move up to better positions with more pay. Besides working in offices or hospitals, some of the other more common workplaces for nurses are nursing facilities and home health care. The job outlook for all nurses is excellent, but those that have a 4 year degree is expected to have a better outlook than those with only a 2 year degree.