SOC 29-1141.02Bright outlook

    Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses

    Assess, diagnose, and treat individuals and families with mental health or substance use disorders or the potential for such disorders.

    Median pay
    $97,550
    Growth
    +5.6%
    Faster than average
    Openings a year
    180,800
    Typical education
    Bachelor's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections · figures for the broader BLS group "Registered nurses"

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $68,940
    Median
    $97,550
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $137,470
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    3,379,720 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Advanced practice psychiatric nurses assess, diagnose, and treat people experiencing mental health or substance use disorders. While specific pay for this specialty is not reported, professionals in the broader registered nurse group earn a median annual salary of $97,550.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What advanced practice psychiatric nurses do

    Job Zone 5: Extensive preparation

    Assess, diagnose, and treat individuals and families with mental health or substance use disorders or the potential for such disorders. Apply therapeutic activities, including the prescription of medication, per state regulations, and the administration of psychotherapy.

    Most need a graduate degree, such as a master's, PhD, MD or JD.

    What the work is like

    These professionals provide direct care to individuals and families dealing with mental health challenges or substance abuse. On a daily basis, they evaluate patients, make treatment decisions, and administer psychotherapy. Depending on state regulations, they may also prescribe medications. The job requires strong skills in active listening, social perceptiveness, critical thinking, and verbal communication to effectively understand and guide patients.

    To succeed in this role, workers rely on deep knowledge of psychology, therapy, counseling, medicine, and biology. They must document patient information accurately, solve complex health problems, and resolve conflicts. Because this is a highly social and supportive field, successful nurses demonstrate empathy, self-control, stress tolerance, and dependability. They must carefully plan their work while maintaining strong interpersonal relationships and adhering to strict legal and medical standards.

    How to get there

    Entering this career typically requires a bachelor's degree, though most practitioners need extensive preparation, including a graduate degree such as a master's degree or a PhD. Students generally major in registered nursing, nursing administration, or nursing research and clinical nursing.

    Licensing requirements vary, as some states list a license for this specific work. Professionals can also pursue voluntary credentials to demonstrate their expertise. Examples of these credentials include the Certification in Cognitive Therapy from the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and the Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality from the National Association for Healthcare Quality.

    Pay and outlook explained

    The federal government does not report separate pay data for advanced practice psychiatric nurses, but includes them in the broader category of registered nurses. For this overall group, the median annual pay is $97,550. The lowest 10% of earners make less than $68,940, while the highest 10% earn more than $137,470.

    There are 3,379,720 people employed in this broader nursing group. Employment is projected to grow by 5.6% from 2025 to 2035, which is faster than the average for all occupations. This growth, combined with normal turnover, is expected to result in 180,800 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    26 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    82 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    30 / 100
    Social (S) · strongest
    85 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    17 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    39 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code SIC. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Assisting and Caring for Others
    99
    Documenting/Recording Information
    95
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    94
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    93
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    91
    Getting Information
    89
    Processing Information
    89
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    83
    Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
    83
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    82
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Speaking
    • Critical Thinking
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Monitoring
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Time Management
    • Writing
    • Active Learning

    Knowledge

    • Psychology
    • Therapy and Counseling
    • English Language
    • Medicine and Dentistry
    • Biology
    • Sociology and Anthropology
    • Education and Training
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Law and Government
    • Chemistry

    Abilities

    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Written Comprehension
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Speech Clarity
    • Speech Recognition
    • Written Expression
    • Information Ordering

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Empathy
    • Dependability
    • Integrity
    • Self-Control
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Sincerity
    • Cooperation
    • Cautiousness
    • Social Orientation

    Also called

    Adult PMHNP (Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner) · Adult Psychiatric Mental Health APRN (Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) · Advanced Practice Provider (APP) · Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse · APN (Advanced Practice Nurse) · Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist (BC PMH-CNS) · Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Family Psychiatric Mental Health NP) · Mental Health Nurse · Mental Health Physician · Mental Health Provider

    Career pathway

    From your interests to advanced practice psychiatric nurses

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses$97,550 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1
      California State University-East Bay

      Hayward, CA · Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $139,123
      4 yrs after
      $150,921
      Median debt
      $18,751
    2. 2
      San Francisco State University

      San Francisco, CA · Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $145,008
      4 yrs after
      $150,102
      Median debt
      $13,331
    3. 3Dominican University of California logo
      Dominican University of California

      San Rafael, CA · Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $128,516
      4 yrs after
      $149,622
      Median debt
      $26,243
    4. 4Sonoma State University logo
      Sonoma State University

      Rohnert Park, CA · Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $134,423
      4 yrs after
      $143,886
      Median debt
      $12,500
    5. 5University of San Francisco USF logo
      University of San Francisco USF

      San Francisco, CA · Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $120,438
      4 yrs after
      $143,356
      Median debt
      $25,000
    6. 6Pacific Union College logo
      Pacific Union College

      Angwin, CA · Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $126,952
      4 yrs after
      $140,542
      Median debt
      $29,584
    7. 7California State University-Monterey Bay logo
      California State University-Monterey Bay

      Seaside, CA · Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $127,203
      4 yrs after
      $134,489
      Median debt
      $6,375
    8. 8Pacific College-California logo
      Pacific College-California

      Costa Mesa, CA · Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $132,148
      Median debt
      $32,611

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What advanced practice psychiatric nurses may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work. Showing 12 of 21.

    • Adult Health Nurse/Nursing
    • Clinical Nurse Leader
    • Clinical Nurse Specialist
    • Critical Care Nursing
    • Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing
    • Family Practice Nurse/Nursing
    • Forensic Nursing
    • Geriatric Nurse/Nursing
    • Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing
    • Nursing Administration
    • Nursing Practice
    • Nursing Science

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    40 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

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    Questions about advanced practice psychiatric nurses

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What college majors are recommended for this career?

    Students preparing for this field typically major in registered nursing, nursing administration, or nursing research and clinical nursing.

    What are some common alternative job titles for this role?

    This position is also known as an Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist, or simply a Mental Health Nurse.

    Are there professional certifications available for these nurses?

    Yes. Practitioners can earn credentials such as the Certification in Cognitive Therapy or the Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.