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Healthcare

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$132,300

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$101k – $174k

Job outlook

+40% (much faster than average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $93,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Nurse Practitioners

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Master's degree

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$64,200–$231,000

Time to qualify

6.2 yr

Renewal

$75/yr

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    Master's degree

    Degree

    Typically two years; average graduate tuition ≈ $20,000/yr at public universities (NCES).

    $24,000–$80,000 · 2 years source

  3. 3

    National & state licensure

    License

    A national board/registry exam plus a state license application (the NCLEX pattern). Exact exam and fees depend on the role and state.

    $200–$1,000 · 2 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Nurse Practitioners" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Nurse Practitioners

    Entry / Junior

    $101,340

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Nurse Practitioners

    Established

    $132,300

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Nurse Practitioners

    Senior

    $153,360

Key skills

A typical 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.
  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Healthcare

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.