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The differences between family nurse practitioners and public health nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a family nurse practitioner and a public health nurse. Additionally, a family nurse practitioner has an average salary of $100,541, which is higher than the $60,319 average annual salary of a public health nurse.
The top three skills for a family nurse practitioner include patients, diagnosis and EMR. The most important skills for a public health nurse are community health, patients, and health education.
| Family Nurse Practitioner | Public Health Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $100,541 | $60,319 |
| Hourly rate | $48.34 | $29.00 |
| Growth rate | 40% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 41,710 | 310,843 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A family nurse practitioner is a registered nurse with advanced practice in family-focused care. Nurse practitioners can provide patient care to both children and adults. They have a higher degree in training than registered nurses; thus, they are qualified to diagnose and provide treatment to complex body conditions. Their duties include developing treatment plans, performing diagnostic tests, screening evaluations, and prescribing medications. Also, they educate and guide patients on disease prevention and healthy lifestyle habits. Their advanced education and training allowed them to practice as a clinic and hospital administrators as well as policy-makers. Family nurse practitioners have to get a bachelor's degree in nursing, then take and passed NCLEX-RN to become a registered nurse then proceed to take a Master's degree to get a job as a family nurse practitioner.
A Public Health Nurse maintains the public's health through providing health services and information. They promote a healthy lifestyle, take part in health campaigns, and educate and inform the public about issues, such as preventing disease.
Family nurse practitioners and public health nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Family Nurse Practitioner | Public Health Nurse | |
| Average salary | $100,541 | $60,319 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $161,000 | Between $42,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Fairview Health Services | Dignity Health |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Government |
There are a few differences between a family nurse practitioner and a public health nurse in terms of educational background:
| Family Nurse Practitioner | Public Health Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between family nurse practitioners' and public health nurses' demographics:
| Family Nurse Practitioner | Public Health Nurse | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.6% Female, 87.4% | Male, 7.5% Female, 92.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 77.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 9% |