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What is a certified nurse practitioner and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Donna Hallas PhD, RN, PPCNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP, FAAN
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There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a certified nurse practitioner. For example, did you know that they make an average of $49.2 an hour? That's $102,331 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 40% and produce 118,600 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a certified nurse practitioner?

Donna Hallas PhD, RN, PPCNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP, FAAN

Clinical Professor & Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program Director, New York University

The biggest change to the profession over the next five years will be to find safe and effective ways to implement Artificial Intelligence (AI) into our practices. While AI is a huge game-changer, Nurse Practitioners and all health care providers, must apply the principles of critical thinking for each particular care to assure that patients are receiving the best evidence-based care.
ScoreCertified Nurse PractitionerUS Average
Salary
7.7

Avg. Salary $102,331

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
10.0

Growth rate 40%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.32%

Asian 6.33%

Black or African American 4.66%

Hispanic or Latino 6.65%

Unknown 4.50%

White 77.54%

Gender

female 86.66%

male 13.34%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.4

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Certified nurse practitioner career paths

Key steps to become a certified nurse practitioner

  1. Explore certified nurse practitioner education requirements

    Most common certified nurse practitioner degrees

    Bachelor's

    31.0 %

    Master's

    26.2 %

    Associate

    15.1 %
  2. Start to develop specific certified nurse practitioner skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients39.84%
    Primary Care7.56%
    Vital Signs5.31%
    Diagnostic Tests4.01%
    Rehabilitation3.93%
  3. Complete relevant certified nurse practitioner training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New certified nurse practitioners learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a certified nurse practitioner based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real certified nurse practitioner resumes.
  4. Research certified nurse practitioner duties and responsibilities

    • Manage patients with multiple complex medical conditions while collaborating with multiple specialties and other members of the multidisciplinary team.
    • Provide total care of patients recovering from amputations, cerebral vascular accidents, spinal cord injury/surgery and joint replacements.
    • Position require assessment, diagnosis, work-up and interpretation of diagnostics, in addition to effectively communicating with all physicians.
    • Perform history and physical exam upon admission including dictation of findingsfollow by discharge summaries.
  5. Prepare your certified nurse practitioner resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your certified nurse practitioner resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a certified nurse practitioner resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable certified nurse practitioner resume templates

    Build a professional certified nurse practitioner resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your certified nurse practitioner resume.
    Certified Nurse Practitioner Resume
    Certified Nurse Practitioner Resume
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    Certified Nurse Practitioner Resume
    Certified Nurse Practitioner Resume
    Certified Nurse Practitioner Resume
    Certified Nurse Practitioner Resume
  6. Apply for certified nurse practitioner jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a certified nurse practitioner job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first certified nurse practitioner job

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Average certified nurse practitioner salary

The average certified nurse practitioner salary in the United States is $102,331 per year or $49 per hour. Certified nurse practitioner salaries range between $59,000 and $176,000 per year.

Average certified nurse practitioner salary
$102,331 Yearly
$49.20 hourly

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How do certified nurse practitioners rate their job?

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Certified nurse practitioner reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

Helping others

Cons

Lack of pay, paperwork, seeing the same patients and doing the same as a physician but getting paid alot less!


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A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros

I like the autonomy and the fulfillment of helping others.

Cons

I dislike the variations in the pay rates between NPs and PAs.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

patient interaction, discussion of anything encouraging as they deal with longterm chronic illnesses. Empowering the patient to be part of the solution, and also to find ways to focus outside of their illness. And I love discussing research with patients when it relates .

Cons

#1 Administration does not value you as a health professional. They are stuck in the image of the nurse meaning we follow. They don't see us as clinicians that make a difference not just by caring, but by evaluating organ systems, medication regimens, finding the answer by communicating and getting a great history in regards to chief complaints, evaluating labs and staying up to date with research. I and other NP's before me laid the groundwork for our profession y working hard and being smart and educated. I have seen how companies want to get rid of the experienced NP to fill the role with two entry level NP's. There is age discrimination on top of it, it's not just the pay. #2 Arrogant doctors who push most of the work onto you in regards to documentation and also patient's medical management. Then act like they are "so busy". We know the good doctors from the ones who are their own fan club.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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