NURSE CRISIS Become A Nurse Practitioner Tip! Over the past few years, registered nurse salaries have increased a great deal. The largest increases are for experienced nurses. Is it possible to earn a six figure income in the medical field without having to endure four years of medical school and four years of medical residency? Ask a nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners are seeing salaries in the six figure range in many parts of the United States. What is a Nurse Practitioner? Nurse practitioners are registered nurses that have received specialized training and are permitted to diagnose and treat certain illnesses, and, in many states, are permitted to write prescriptions. Nurse Practitioners play an important role by providing basic preventive health care to patients. As a result of their specialized training, they often serve as primary and specialty care providers, particularly in medically underserved areas. Nurse practitioners can either work independently or under the supervision of a physician. To become a Nurse Practitioner requires a Master’s degree in nursing, training in an area of specialty, and certification by a state licensing board. The most common areas of specialty for nurse practitioners are family practice, adult practice, women’s health, pediatrics, acute care, and gerontology; however, there are many other specialties. Although the job may not require the rigorous schooling and residency of a medical doctor, nurse practitioners are often exposed to the same liabilities. As a result, nurse practitioners require additional professional insurance, however, most hospitals and medical settings cover this expense. In major metropolitan areas such as San Francisco, Boston and New York, salaries range from a low of 85K to a high of 104K. These figures do not include the overtime pay that most nurses earn due to the nationwide shortage of nursing professionals, which can easily place many nurse practitioners at the six figure level. Tip! Many organizations require college degree (Associate or Bachelors degree) from an accredited institution for a registered nurse. Required classes to for this degree include chemistry, physiology, anatomy, behavioral science classes, and nutrition. L. Charles Fernandez is the creator of the Six Figure Jobs Blog, a guide to finding six figure jobs in unlikely fields.   Back To Top