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Nurse Practitioners

Typical education: Master's degreeHigh pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $132,300 Median per year · $63.61/hr Most earn $101,340–$174,420

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Prescribe medication dosages, routes, and frequencies, based on such patient characteristics as age and gender.
  • 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.
  • Perform primary care procedures such as suturing, splinting, administering immunizations, taking cultures, and debriding wounds.
  • Order, perform, or interpret the results of diagnostic tests, such as complete blood counts (CBCs), electrocardiograms (EKGs), and radiographs (x-rays).
  • Diagnose or treat complex, unstable, comorbid, episodic, or emergency conditions in collaboration with other health care providers as necessary.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
41% more jobs by 2035, much faster than average · about 29,400 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Offices of physicians45.3%
  • General medical and surgical hospitals22.1%
  • Home healthcare services3.5%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools2.9%
  • Offices of all other health practitioners2.9%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

On-siteExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Master's degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Nurse practitioner is not an entry-level job. Most people earn a nursing bachelor's degree, work as a registered nurse for about 1 to 2 years, and then complete a master's-level nurse practitioner program, so the full path usually takes roughly 7 to 9 years from starting college.

  1. Bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN)

    4 years

    You learn anatomy, pharmacology, and patient care, and you complete supervised clinical rotations, which prepare you to pass the national RN licensing exam.

  2. Registered Nurse

    1-2 years

    Working at a hospital or clinic gives you real patient experience, sharpens your clinical judgment, and is usually required before you can enter an advanced practice program.

  3. Master's degree in nursing as a nurse practitioner (graduate NP program)

    2-3 years

    You take advanced courses in diagnosis, treatment, and prescribing, plus supervised clinical hours, and you choose a patient population focus such as family or adult care.

  4. Nurse Practitioner

    Career

    After passing your national NP certification exam and getting state licensure, you diagnose and treat patients, order and read tests, and prescribe medication.

Where it can lead

  1. Clinical Nurse Specialist

    2-4 years of experience first

    This advanced practice role focuses on improving nursing care across a unit or organization, and it usually needs a master's degree and several years of clinical experience.

  2. Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse

    1-2 years of experience first

    You narrow your focus to mental health, which requires psychiatric-specific training and certification on top of your nurse practitioner experience.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, chemistry, and health science classesThese classes build the science foundation you will use in nursing and in any BSN program.
  • Get CPR and first aid certificationMany schools and community groups offer these courses, and they show you can respond calmly in an emergency.
  • Volunteer at a hospital, clinic, or nursing homeVolunteering lets you see health care teams at work and helps you decide whether patient care feels right for you.
  • Join a health or science clubClubs like a health occupations group or science club build teamwork and communication skills that nurses use every day.
  • Look for a starter job helping othersBabysitting, tutoring, or caring for a family member builds patience and responsibility that matter in nursing.

In college

  • Major in nursing or take pre-nursing requirementsA BSN is the usual first step, and taking anatomy, microbiology, chemistry, and statistics now keeps your options open.
  • Work as a certified nursing assistant or patient care technicianThis paid patient-care experience is valuable on applications and gives you a head start in clinical settings.
  • Get BLS certificationBasic Life Support certification is commonly required for clinical placements and shows you are ready for hands-on care.
  • Join a nursing student association or pre-health clubThese groups connect you with peers, guest speakers, and events where you can learn about nursing and NP careers.
  • Seek shadowing or research with a health professionalWorking alongside a clinician or faculty member on a project shows graduate programs that you understand the work and can think scientifically.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask to shadow a nurse practitioner or RN at a clinic, or talk with one for 20 minutes, to see what the daily work is really like before you commit.
  • Keep your grades strong in science and math, since nursing and graduate programs look closely at your transcript.
  • Get hands-on patient care experience early, such as working as a certified nursing assistant, because many NP programs prefer applicants who have worked as RNs first.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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