How to hire a certified nurse practitioner

How to hire a certified nurse practitioner, step by step

Here's a step-by-step certified nurse practitioner hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a certified nurse practitioner job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new certified nurse practitioner
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a certified nurse practitioner, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect certified nurse practitioner also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of certified nurse practitioner salaries for various roles:

   Type of Certified Nurse Practitioner	Description	Hourly rate
   Certified Nurse Practitioner	Nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners, also referred to as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), coordinate patient care and may provide primary and specialty healthcare. The scope of practice varies from state to state.	$28-84
   Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist	A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist administers anesthesia to patients. They work in various healthcare settings, such as operating rooms, dentists and podiatrists offices, birthing centers, and plastic surgery centers.	$37-140
   Practitioner	The duties of a practitioner depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In the medical field, a practitioner is a doctor who provides medical services to patients according to their health issues or concerns, primarily by diagnosing and treating illnesses and injuries... Show more	$24-66

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Primary Care
   • Vital Signs
   • Diagnostic Tests
   • Rehabilitation
   • Direct Patient Care
   • Crnp
   • Physical Exams
   • Home Health
   • Blood Pressure
   • Quality Care
   • Infection Control
   • Medical Care
   • IV

   Check all skills

   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.

   More certified nurse practitioner duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your certified nurse practitioner job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A certified nurse practitioner salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a certified nurse practitioner in Kansas may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level certified nurse practitioner usually earns less than a senior-level certified nurse practitioner. Additionally, a certified nurse practitioner with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average certified nurse practitioner salary

   $102,331yearly

   $49.20 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level certified nurse practitioner salary

   $59,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average certified nurse practitioner salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$140,587	$68
   2	New York	$132,540	$64
   3	Ohio	$128,379	$62
   4	Oregon	$115,889	$56
   5	Pennsylvania	$109,670	$53
   6	Michigan	$106,180	$51
   7	Maryland	$104,948	$50
   8	Indiana	$100,939	$49
   9	Minnesota	$99,276	$48
   10	Virginia	$98,207	$47
   11	Illinois	$97,077	$47
   12	Texas	$95,248	$46
   13	North Carolina	$89,397	$43
   14	Louisiana	$86,383	$42
   15	Florida	$80,939	$39
   16	South Dakota	$80,791	$39
   17	Tennessee	$78,751	$38
   18	Alabama	$78,474	$38

   Average certified nurse practitioner salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Alameda Health System	$155,591	$74.80	15
   2	West Tennessee Healthcare	$145,094	$69.76
   3	University of Maryland, Baltimore	$138,902	$66.78	2
   4	Methodist Hospital Of Henderson, Kentucky	$137,922	$66.31	14
   5	Heart of Ohio Family Health	$128,911	$61.98	2
   6	St Catherine Hospital	$127,916	$61.50
   7	Ciena Healthcare	$123,766	$59.50
   8	Neighborhood Health	$122,580	$58.93	11
   9	SIU Medicine	$120,852	$58.10
   10	Mount Nittany Medical Center	$117,880	$56.67	1
   11	Yukon Kuskokwim Health	$115,558	$55.56	3
   12	Community Health Systems	$114,802	$55.19	42
   13	Winona Health	$113,887	$54.75	2
   14	Aultman Hospital	$113,507	$54.57
   15	Student Conservation Association	$112,825	$54.24
   16	Symbria	$112,139	$53.91
   17	Allegheny Health Network	$112,114	$53.90
   18	Community Treatment Alternatives, a program of Journey Mental Health Center	$110,307	$53.03
   19	NantHealth	$110,046	$52.91
   20	Detroit Medical Center	$107,990	$51.92

4. Writing a certified nurse practitioner job description

   A job description for a certified nurse practitioner role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a certified nurse practitioner job description:

   Certified nurse practitioner job description example

   Job Schedule: Full Time
   Standard Hours: 40
   Job Shift: Shift 1
   Shift Details:
   
   

   Work where every moment matters.
   
   Every day, over 30,000 Hartford HealthCare colleagues come to work with one thing in common: Pride in what we do, knowing every moment matters here. We invite you to become part of Connecticut's most comprehensive healthcare network as a Visiting Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).

   Hartford HealthCare at Home, the largest provider of homecare services in Connecticut, has been fulfilling our mission for more than 115 years. Our Person-Centered Care Model allows our employees to learn and grow within our organization, all while providing integrated support to the patient. As part of Hartford HealthCare, we leverage cutting edge technology to provide quality care in our client's home. Most importantly, our employees are appreciated for the real differences they make in both the lives of their clients and their clients' families.

   Our Revisit LPNs utilize their extensive education and training to provide personalized care to our patients in a rewarding environment that promotes autonomy.

   Job Description

   · Facilitate communication between the patient and the interdisciplinary team.

   · Develop and maintain a therapeutic relationship by providing education and promoting self-advocacy and independence.

   · Utilize state-of-the-art technology to document skilled services provided.

   
   

   Qualifications

   · Licensed Practical Nurse with Valid CT LPN license

   · One year of LPN experience; Homecare experience preferred.

   · Valid driver's license and reliable transportation required.

   · Computer proficiency required.

   We take great care of careers.

   With locations around the state, Hartford HealthCare offers exciting opportunities for career development and growth. Here, you are part of an organization on the cutting edge - helping to bring new technologies, breakthrough treatments and community education to countless men, women and children. We know that a thriving organization starts with thriving employees-- we provide a competitive benefits program designed to ensure work/life balance. Every moment matters. And this is your moment .

   
   
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right certified nurse practitioner for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with certified nurse practitioners they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit certified nurse practitioners who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your certified nurse practitioner job on Zippia to find and recruit certified nurse practitioner candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting certified nurse practitioners requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new certified nurse practitioner

   Once you have selected a candidate for the certified nurse practitioner position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new certified nurse practitioner first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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