# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/nurse-practitioners
- SOC code: 29-1171.00
- Career family: Healthcare practitioners
- Median annual pay: $132,300 (10th percentile $101,340, 90th percentile $174,420)
- Projected growth: Much faster than average, +41.0%
- Openings a year: 29,400
- Typical entry education: Master's degree
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code ISC)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 43 |
| Investigative (I) | 76 |
| Artistic (A) | 6 |
| Social (S) | 75 |
| Enterprising (E) | 18 |
| Conventional (C) | 51 |

## What you'd do

- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 94/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 91/100)
- Getting Information (importance 89/100)
- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 88/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 86/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 84/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 82/100)
- Analyzing Data or Information (importance 82/100)
- Processing Information (importance 81/100)
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others (importance 81/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Learning, Judgment and Decision Making, Monitoring, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Writing

## Knowledge

Medicine and Dentistry, English Language, Biology, Psychology, Customer and Personal Service, Therapy and Counseling, Education and Training, Sociology and Anthropology, Mathematics, Chemistry

## Also called

ACNP (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner), Adult Nurse Practitioner, Advanced Practice Nurse (APN), Advanced Practice Provider, Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), ARNP Specialist (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner Specialist), Cardiology Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse Practitioner, Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner, CPNP (Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner)

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5138) (CIP 5138, 1,954 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [California State University-East Bay](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-east-bay-368) | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $139,123 | $150,921 | $18,751 |
| [San Francisco State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/san-francisco-state-university-2349) | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $145,008 | $150,102 | $13,331 |
| [Dominican University of California](https://www.collegesref.com/college/dominican-university-of-california-828) | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $128,516 | $149,622 | $26,243 |
| [Sonoma State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/sonoma-state-university-2438) | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $134,423 | $143,886 | $12,500 |
| [University of San Francisco USF](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-san-francisco-usf-3034) | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $120,438 | $143,356 | $25,000 |
| [Pacific Union College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/pacific-union-college-2063) | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $126,952 | $140,542 | $29,584 |
| [California State University-Monterey Bay](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-monterey-bay-373) | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $127,203 | $134,489 | $6,375 |
| [Pacific College-California](https://www.collegesref.com/college/pacific-college-california-2055) | Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | not reported | $132,148 | $32,611 |

## Related careers

- [Registered Nurses](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/registered-nurses): $97,550 median pay
- [Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/advanced-practice-psychiatric-nurses): $97,550 median pay
- [Clinical Nurse Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/clinical-nurse-specialists): $97,550 median pay
- [Family Medicine Physicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/family-medicine-physicians): $244,180 median pay
- [Acute Care Nurses](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/acute-care-nurses): $97,550 median pay
- [Emergency Medicine Physicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/emergency-medicine-physicians): $335,550 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

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.