15 Highest-Paying States For FNP Graduates – 2024

Written By: Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH

Geography is a major factor in shaping compensation, so it’s unsurprising that family nurse practitioner salaries across the 50 states show a considerable range. What are the highest-paying states for FNP graduates? Variations in economic factors like the cost of living and regional demand play a prominent role in determining FNP earning capacity. Additionally, family nurse practitioners earn more in densely populated urban cities than in rural communities where turnover is far higher. Finally, factors like the strength of nurse labor unions or statewide healthcare delivery models that rely heavily on family nurse practitioners will influence the wage equation. This article offers an in-depth look at the 15 highest-paying states for FNP graduates in 2024.

WHAT IS THE AVERAGE SALARY FOR FNP GRADUATES IN THE UNITED STATES?

The average salary for family nurse practitioner graduates across all parts of the U.S. was $61.05 an hour, $2,442 a week, $10,580 a month, or $126,990 a year.

Hourly	$61.05
Weekly	$2,442
Monthly	$10,580
Annual	$126,990
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

WHAT ARE THE HIGHEST-PAYING STATES FOR FNP GRADUATES?

(Based on the latest average salary data from NursingProcess.org, the following are the 15 highest-paying states for FNP graduates in 2024.)

STATE #1: California

California is not only the highest-paying state for FNP graduates but also one of the highest-paying states in the nation for practically all healthcare providers. In the Golden State, family nurse practitioners can expect to earn $77.43 an hour, $3,097 a week, $13,420 a month, or $161,060 a year.

What factors are behind California NPs’ earning capacity? California is a full-practice state for experienced nurse practitioners, so nurse practitioners can function as less highly paid substitutes for physicians, which increases demand for their services. The California Nurses Association, the labor union to which the Golden State’s RNs and NPs belong, is powerful. Finally, prospective employers in California must offer salaries that can offset the high cost of living in the state, which is nearly 50 percent higher than the national average.

Hourly	$77.43
Weekly	$3,097
Monthly	$13,420
Annual	$161,060

STATE #2: New Jersey

New Jersey family nurse practitioners make $70.14 an hour, $2,806 a week, $12,160 a month, or $145,900 annually. Large swaths of northern and central New Jersey are technically part of the Greater New York City Metropolitan Area, where the employment market for FNPs is fiercely competitive, and high salaries are one of the incentives employers utilize to attract FNPs. Additionally, the Garden State’s cost of living is 20 percent higher than the national average, and salaries must be higher so FNPs can afford to live there.

Hourly	$70.14
Weekly	$2,806
Monthly	$12,160
Annual	$145,900

STATE #3: New York

Family nurse practitioners in New York State bring in $69.27 hourly, $2,771 weekly, $12,010 monthly, or $144,090 annually. The Greater New York Metropolitan Region has one of the highest concentrations of NP jobs in the U.S., so it’s not surprising that FNP salaries are much higher here than they are upstate. FNP salary growth in the Empire State is fueled mainly by the greying of the state’s population: By 2030, people over 60 will comprise 25 percent of the state’s population; senior citizens consume more primary healthcare services, hence the demand for primary healthcare providers may soon outstrip supply in New York State.

Hourly	$69.27
Weekly	$2,771
Monthly	$12,010
Annual	$144,090

STATE #4: Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, family nurse practitioners command salaries of $67.92 an hour, $2,717 per week, $11,770 per month, or $141,270 a year. FNPs make the most in Boston, which is partly due to the metro’s high cost of living and partly due to the high concentration of world-renowned medical systems within the Greater Boston Metropolitan Area since these facilities see a high volume of patients and volume-based compensation is the most common pay model for primary healthcare providers. The Bay State is facing a shortage of primary healthcare providers in more rural parts of the state, too, which drives up FNP salaries in those regions as well.

Hourly	$67.92
Weekly	$2,717
Monthly	$11,770
Annual	$141,270

STATE #5: Oregon

Oregon’s family nurse practitioners can count on wages of $66.72 an hour, $2,669 a week, $11,560 a month, or $138,770 a year, 9 percent higher than the average FNP salary nationally. Oregon is a full-practice state for family nurse practitioners. In more rural areas, where primary healthcare providers may be scarce, Beaver State FNPs make comparatively high salaries because they can work autonomously, and the demand for primary healthcare providers is so high. In cities like Portland and Salem, where FNPs work in conjunction with physicians in medical systems, FNPs make comparatively high salaries because these practice settings typically pay higher wages.

Hourly	$66.72
Weekly	$2,669
Monthly	$11,560
Annual	$138,770

STATE #6: Nevada

Family nurse practitioners in Nevada make $66.71 an hour, $2,668 a week, $11,560 a month, or $138,650 a year. The primary reason the Silver State is among the highest-paying states for FNP graduates is that Nevada has one of the nation’s most severe shortages of primary care physicians. Most states average 272 doctors per 10,000 residents, but Nevada averages 198 doctors per 10,000 residents, and most of those physicians reside in the Greater Las Vegas or Greater Reno Metropolitan Areas. Family nurse practitioners are utilized to fill in the physician gap and are compensated commensurately.

Hourly	$66.71
Weekly	$2,668
Monthly	$11,560
Annual	$138,750

STATE #7: Washington

Washington State’s FNP workforce can look forward to paychecks equaling $66.39 an hour, $2,656 a week, $11,510 a month, or $138,100 annually. The Evergreen State’s cost of living is 22 percent more than the national average; if FNPs are to live comfortably in Washington, they must command high salaries. FNP salaries in Washington State also reflect the fact that family nurse practitioners can practice without physician supervision to the full extent of their training and authority, which means FNPs can function as lower-cost substitutes for primary healthcare physicians where demand for primary healthcare is high.

Hourly	$66.39
Weekly	$2,656
Monthly	$11,510
Annual	$138,100

STATE #8: Connecticut

Connecticut’s family nurse practitioners earn $64.39 an hour, $2,576 a week, $11,160 a month, or $133,930 annually. Demand for the services of all nurse practitioners, including family nurse practitioners, is projected to increase by 48 percent through 2030. That kind of steep increase in demand usually signifies a current shortage. Shortages drive up salaries, making Connecticut one of the best-paying states for FNP graduates. However, while Nutmeg State FNPs who practice in the Long Island Sound communities— technically part of the New York City Metropolitan Region—make very high salaries, their counterparts in more rural parts of the state make significantly less.

Hourly	$64.39
Weekly	$2,576
Monthly	$11,160
Annual	$133,930

STATE #9: New Mexico

New Mexico’s position on the list of best-paying states for FNP graduates is due in part to its system of community primary healthcare centers in which family nurse practitioners play significant clinical and administrative roles. In the Land of Enchantment, FNPs earn $63.44 hourly, $2,638 weekly, $11,000 monthly, or $131,960 annually. Although this salary is only 4 percent higher than the average FNP salary across all parts of the U.S., it goes a lot farther than the higher FNP salaries in some of the states above because the cost of living in New Mexico is 12 percent less than the nation as a whole.

Hourly	$63.44
Weekly	$2,538
Monthly	$11,000
Annual	$131,960

STATE #10: Hawaii

Family nurse practitioners in Hawaii average $62.83 an hour, $2,513 a week, $10,890 a month, or $130,690 a year. FNPs in the Aloha State have to earn high salaries, or else they wouldn’t be able to afford to live there since Hawaii’s cost of living is a whopping 66 percent higher than the national average. Another factor pushing up FNP earnings? The size of the Aloha State’s aging population: Twenty percent are over 65, and that percentage is expected to increase to 27 percent by 2030. Senior citizens typically consume more primary healthcare services, pushing up the demand for those services.

Hourly	$62.83
Weekly	$2,513
Monthly	$10,890
Annual	$130,690

STATE #11: Iowa

Family nurse practitioners in Iowa average $62.76 an hour, $2,511 a week, $10,880 a month, or $130,550 a year. The purchasing power of FNP salaries in the Hawkeye State is even higher than these figures suggest since Iowa’s cost of living is 20 percent lower than the U.S. average. Iowa has one of the lowest healthcare-provider-to-patient ratios in the U.S., which also drives up the salaries of primary healthcare providers like family nurse practitioners.

Hourly	$62.76
Weekly	$2,511
Monthly	$10,880
Annual	$130,550

STATE #12: Minnesota

Minnesota’s family nurse practitioners can expect to earn $62.75 an hour, $2,510 a week, $10,880 a month, or $130,530 a year. Though this is just 3 percent above the national average for FNP salaries, the cost of living in the Land of Lakes is 3 percent lower than the nation’s as a whole, so Minnesota’s FNP buying power is strong. Even in the Twin Cities, where 55 percent of Minnesota’s population resides, there’s a shortage of primary healthcare physicians working with vulnerable groups like people with low incomes or the aging. In more rural parts of the state, the physician shortage is a crisis. FNPs make high salaries in Minnesota because they provide an effective substitute for primary healthcare physician services.

Hourly	$62.75
Weekly	$2,510
Monthly	$10,880
Annual	$130,530

STATE #13: New Hampshire

FNP annual earnings in New Hampshire average $61.59 an hour, $2,464 a week, $10,680 a month, or $128,110 annually. What makes the Granite State one of the highest-paying states for FNP graduates? Primarily, it’s that healthcare employers must offer family nurse practitioners financial incentives that will offset their cost of living, which is 6 percent higher than the U.S. average. Additionally, the New Hampshire Nurses Association, the Granite State’s nurses union, is exceptionally proactive and has gone to bat for FNP wages.

Hourly	$61.59
Weekly	$2,464
Monthly	$10,680
Annual	$128,110

STATE #14: Rhode Island

Rhode Island healthcare employers offer family nurse practitioners salaries of $61.33 hourly, $2,463 weekly, $10,630 monthly, or $127,570 yearly. The Ocean State is tiny, and the majority of its inhabitants live within the bounds of the Greater Metropolitan Providence Region. Urban areas typically offer significantly higher wages than more rural areas. Rhode Island’s cost of living is also 13 percent higher than the national average, and employers must pay salaries that will help mitigate that.

Hourly	$61.33
Weekly	$2,453
Monthly	$10,630
Annual	$127,570

STATE #15: Texas

Texas pays its nurse practitioners $61.04 an hour, $2,442 a week, $10,580 a month, or $126,970 a year, an amount that is fractionally less than the average U.S. FNP salary. The Lone Star State is geographically huge, and there’s considerable variation throughout the state, with FNP salaries in metros like Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth edging significantly higher than the Texas average but FNP salaries in rural areas dipping lower.

Hourly	$61.04
Weekly	$2,442
Monthly	$10,580
Annual	$126,970

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

What are the highest-paying states for FNP graduates? This piece has given you a comprehensive answer to that question. If you’re already a family nurse practitioner looking at ways to boost your earning potential, relocating to a higher-paying state is a move that deserves your consideration. If you’re just starting on your APRN journey, however, you might consider applying to family nurse practice programs that are located in one of the 15 highest-paying states for FNP graduates in 2024.