Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Salary Report 2025

If you’re an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, you’ve probably noticed that the job market still feels strong but salary growth isn’t moving quite as fast as it was a few years ago. The latest APRN salary data for 2025, based on Medscape’s annual report, reflects exactly that. While APRNs are still earning competitive pay across the board, this year’s numbers show a slower pace of growth and in some cases, even slight declines depending on the specialty. Compared to our APRN salary 2023 report, where compensation saw stronger post-pandemic growth, the 2025 data reflects a clear shift toward more stable, moderate increases. Medscape’s methodology included a 10-minute online survey for U.S. practicing nurses. This survey resulted in 2,453 APRNs (1,543 Nurse Practitioners, 302 Certified Nurse Specialists, 345 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, and 263 Nurse Midwives). So what does this actually mean for your career, and where are the best opportunities right now? Let’s take a closer look.

APRN Salary Report 2025

APRN Specialty Compensation:

Below is the breakdown by specialty from Medscape, before and after taxes.

• Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Salary Compensation:
  • APN, Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
    • Base: $237,000
    • Total Compensation: $265,000
  • APN, Nurse Practitioner (NP)
    • Base: $123,000
    • Total Compensation: $133,000
  • APN, Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
    • Base: $122,000
    • Total Compensation: $133,000
  • APN, Nurse Midwife (NM)
    • Base: $124,000
    • Total Compensation: $134,000

CRNAs continue to lead by a wide margin, which isn’t surprising given the level of specialization involved. With the 2025 survey results, we can conclude that the highest average salary (before taxes) is for CRNAs with an average of $265,000 per year and after taxes an average of $237,000 per year. Since the 2024 survey, NPs had the toughest time with seeing a dip in average pay by 1.5%. However, we did see a raise in all other specialties with NMs seeing a 4.7% increase, a 3.9% increase for CNSs, and a 3.5% raise in NAs.

What Is the Average APRN Salary in 2025?

Based on responses from more than 2,400 APRNs across the U.S., the numbers for 2025 tell a fairly consistent story:

• Salary vs Hourly Pay:
  • All APRN
    • Salary: $149,000
    • Hourly: $168,000

Overall, APRN salaries increased by just 1.3% this year, which is noticeably lower than previous reports. According to Medscape’s survey results, hourly APRNS make $19,000 more per year. This is due to hourly nurses having more opportunities by being able to work overtime, earn overtime pay, and track their hours. This year’s compensation report shows that the wage gap between hourly vs salary APRNs has decreased from a $26,000 difference to a $19,000 difference. After several years of steady growth, compensation may be starting to level out, at least for now.

APRN Income by Region:

• APRN income by region
  • West: $164,000
  • North: $152,000
  • South: $151,000
  • Midwest: $146,000

The West consistently ranks at the top, and that trend hasn’t changed. Higher pay in this region is often tied to a combination of cost of living, aging population, demand for providers, and more states offering expanded practice authority. In all the surveys Medscape has completed, they have consistently seen those who work in the Far West have ranked at or near the top of the country in average pay.

APRN Income by Work Setting:

• Hospital – inpatient care: $189,000
• Hospital-based outpatient setting or clinic: $149,000
• Non-hospital based medical office/urgent care clinic: $132,000
• Public health setting/community health setting: $124,000
• Other: $143,000

Your work environment can have just as much impact on your salary as your specialty. Inpatient hospital roles continue to offer the highest pay by a wide margin. Compared to public health positions, the difference can be as much as $65,000 per year, which is a major factor for many APRNs when considering career moves.

APRN Income by Years of Practice:

• 6 – 10 years: $142,000
• 11 – 20 years: $154,000
• More than 21 years: $155,000

There’s a clear jump in earnings once APRNs move into the 10+ year range. After that, salaries tend to level off, which suggests that long-term growth may depend more on specialization, leadership roles, or changing settings rather than just years worked.

APRN Pay by Type of Employer:

• Independent Contractor: $185,000
• Hospital System: $155,000
• Medical Group: $145,000
• Private NP Practice: $131,000

A new category in this years survey is the pay by type of employer. From these results we can come to the conclusion that working for an independent contractor results in a higher salary. However, the higher compensation is usually due to the lack of employer benefits such as health insurance, PTO, and retirement. The pay gap between types of employers from an independent contractor to a private NP practice is $54,000. 

Final Thoughts

Even though salary growth has slowed, APRNs are still in a strong position overall. There’s steady demand across the country, and plenty of opportunities to increase earnings depending on where and how you choose to work. Whether that means moving into a hospital setting, picking up hourly shifts, or exploring a different region, small changes can make a big difference in compensation.

If you’re looking for a APRN job in New York or New Jersey, we are always posting open positions! Apply online with us and one of our dedicated recruiters will reach out to you to get you started!