Nurse practitioner demographics and statistics in the US
Nurse practitioner demographics research summary. Zippia estimates nurse practitioner demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our nurse practitioner estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about nurse practitioners after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 213,512 nurse practitioners currently employed in the United States.
- 86.9% of all nurse practitioners are women, while 13.1% are men.
- The average nurse practitioner age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of nurse practitioners is White (77.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (6.7%), Asian (6.3%) and Black or African American (4.7%).
- In 2022, women earned 92% of what men earned.
- 12% of all nurse practitioners are LGBT.
- Nurse practitioners are 76% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Nurse practitioner demographics by:
Nurse practitioner gender statistics
86.9% of nurse practitioners are women and 13.1% of nurse practitioners are men.
- Female, 86.9%
- Male, 13.1%
Nurse practitioner gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 86.9% |
| Male | 13.1% |
Nurse practitioner gender pay gap
Women earn 92¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$106,064
Female income
$97,723
Nurse practitioner gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in nurse practitioner positions over time. Currently, 86.9% of nurse practitioners are female.
Nurse practitioner gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 9.11% | 90.89% |
| 2011 | 8.10% | 91.90% |
| 2012 | 6.93% | 93.07% |
| 2013 | 7.65% | 92.35% |
| 2014 | 9.43% | 90.57% |
| 2015 | 8.99% | 91.01% |
| 2016 | 9.21% | 90.79% |
| 2017 | 10.93% | 89.07% |
| 2018 | 8.99% | 91.01% |
| 2019 | 11.68% | 88.32% |
| 2020 | 10.90% | 89.10% |
| 2021 | 13.12% | 86.88% |
Nurse practitioner related jobs gender ratio
We compared nurse practitioners with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, flight surgeon and optometrist, owner have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Staff Nurse Midwife | 2% | 98% |
| Perinatal Nurse | 3% | 97% |
| Therapeutic Dietitian | 3% | 97% |
| Nurse Practitioner | 13% | 87% |
| Radiology Resident | 75% | 25% |
| Optometrist, Owner | 76% | 24% |
| Flight Surgeon | 82% | 18% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Nurse practitioner demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among nurse practitioners is White, which makes up 77.5% of all nurse practitioners. Comparatively, 6.7% of nurse practitioners are Hispanic or Latino and 6.3% of nurse practitioners are Asian.
- White, 77.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 6.7%
- Asian, 6.3%
- Black or African American, 4.7%
- Unknown, 4.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Nurse practitioner race
| Nurse practitioner race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 77.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.7% |
| Asian | 6.3% |
| Black or African American | 4.7% |
| Unknown | 4.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Nurse practitioner race and ethnicity over time
See how nurse practitioner racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Nurse practitioner race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 87.08% | 3.93% | 3.93% | 3.75% |
| 2011 | 87.92% | 2.95% | 3.04% | 4.38% |
| 2012 | 87.03% | 4.60% | 3.43% | 3.68% |
| 2013 | 85.58% | 5.64% | 3.00% | 4.39% |
| 2014 | 84.63% | 4.15% | 5.31% | 4.42% |
| 2015 | 84.74% | 6.01% | 4.16% | 3.63% |
| 2016 | 84.05% | 5.39% | 5.39% | 3.73% |
| 2017 | 83.90% | 5.07% | 5.39% | 4.02% |
| 2018 | 81.44% | 5.24% | 6.72% | 4.59% |
| 2019 | 81.77% | 5.23% | 6.31% | 4.88% |
| 2020 | 80.53% | 4.73% | 5.65% | 5.38% |
| 2021 | 77.54% | 4.66% | 6.33% | 6.65% |
Nurse practitioner wage gap by race
According to our data, asian nurse practitioners have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White nurse practitioners have the lowest average salary at $102,653.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $107,599 |
| White | $102,653 |
| Black or African American | $103,190 |
| Asian | $110,719 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $106,363 |
Average nurse practitioner age
See how the average age of nurse practitioners varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Nurse practitioner age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 43 | |
| White | 41 | 41 |
| Black or African American | 44.5 | 43 |
| Asian | 38 | 40 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 45 | 37.5 |
Nurse practitioner age breakdown
The average age of nurse practitioners is 40+ years years old, representing 56% of the nurse practitioner population.
Nurse practitioner age breakdown
| Nurse Practitioner Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 56% |
| 30-40 years | 40% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Nurse practitioner educational attainment
The most common degree for nurse practitioners is master's degree, with 47% of nurse practitioners earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 37% and bachelor's degree degree at 10%.
- Master's, 47%
- Bachelor's, 37%
- Associate, 10%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Nurse practitioners by degree level
| Nurse practitioner degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Master's | 47% |
| Bachelor's | 37% |
| Associate | 10% |
| Doctorate | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Nurse practitioner jobs you might like
Nurse practitioner wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $110,875 |
| Doctorate Degree | $110,237 |
Nurse practitioner employment statistics
Most nurse practitioners work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where nurse practitioners work
Below, you can see the size of companies where nurse practitioners work.
Nurse practitioner jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 18% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 31% |
| > 10,000 employees | 22% |
Nurse practitioner jobs by company type
Employees with the nurse practitioner job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most nurse practitioners prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Nurse practitioner jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 13% |
| Public | 5% |
| Private | 76% |
| Government | 5% |
Nurse practitioner jobs by industry
The most common industries for nurse practitioners are health care, education and professional.
Nurse practitioner industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 67% |
| Education | 10% |
| Professional | 5% |
| Government | 3% |
| Fortune 500 | 3% |
| Insurance | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
Nurse practitioner turnover and employment statistics
Nurse practitioner unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for nurse practitioners between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Nurse practitioner unemployment rate by year
| Year | Nurse practitioner unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 1.16% |
| 2011 | 0.85% |
| 2012 | 1.16% |
| 2013 | 1.12% |
| 2014 | 0.79% |
| 2015 | 0.77% |
| 2016 | 1.21% |
| 2017 | 0.59% |
| 2018 | 0.61% |
| 2019 | 0.63% |
| 2020 | 1.15% |
| 2021 | 0.91% |
Average nurse practitioner tenure
The average nurse practitioner stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 28,261 nurse practitioners resumes in Zippia's database.
Nurse practitioner tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 21% |
| 1-2 years | 28% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 20% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 10% |
Nurse practitioner LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of nurse practitioners that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Pediatrician, Managing Partner | 9.88% | 29,264 |
| Physician Assistant | 11.62% | 39,752 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 11.81% | - |
| Developmental Therapist | 13.00% | 34,724 |
| Pulmonologist/Intensivist | 13.05% | 438 |
| Optometrist/Practice Owner | 17.57% | 59,755 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 31.64% | 62,419 |
Similar nurse practitioner jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Pediatrician, Managing Partner | 9.88% | 29,264 |
| Physician Assistant | 11.62% | 39,752 |
| Developmental Therapist | 13.00% | 34,724 |
| Pulmonologist/Intensivist | 13.05% | 438 |
| Optometrist/Practice Owner | 17.57% | 59,755 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 31.64% | 62,419 |
Foreign languages spoken by nurse practitioners
The most common foreign language among nurse practitioners is Spanish at 62.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 6.4% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 3.3%.
- Spanish, 62.4%
- French, 6.4%
- Chinese, 3.3%
- Mandarin, 3.1%
- Russian, 2.9%
- Other, 21.9%
Nurse practitioner languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 62.4% |
| French | 6.4% |
| Chinese | 3.3% |
| Mandarin | 3.1% |
| Russian | 2.9% |
| Other | 21.9% |
