Whether you’re tackling the idea of becoming a nurse or are already a medical school student deciding what is the right career path, one of the things you might want to know is which is the highest paying nursing career.
To shed some light on the matter, the highest nursing profession is a certified registered nurse anesthetist.
However, this profession might not be right for everyone. That’s why we decided to put together this article. Below, the 10 highest paying nursing careers so that you can decide which is the most suitable for you.
1. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
As we already disclosed, the CRNAs have the highest wages among nurses. In detail, they earn about $174,790 on average, with a median hourly wage of $84.03. However, this highly skilled profession involves a great deal of theoretical and practical education, as well as years of experience in a fast-past environment.
If you have what it takes to get there, you’ll work in collaboration with surgeons, anesthesiologists. And other qualified healthcare professionals.
From an educational standpoint, you need at least a master’s degree or a Ph.D. in nurse anesthesia, but the profession is in high demand.
2. Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Not as high-paying as the CRNA but still on the wave, as a psychiatric nurse practitioner, you can expect to earn about $125,366 a year on average. To earn this amount, you’ll have to care for patients with mental health problems or providing counseling to patients with mental health disorders and their families.
This role is really sought-after, but due to its complexity, you’ll have to earn at least a master’s in a related field.
3. General Nurse Practitioner
Becoming a nurse practitioner is still a lengthy path, but slightly easier than becoming a CRNA. You won’t earn as much but can still expect your annual wage to be around $110,030. That’s quite a cut compared to the CRNAs, but you’ll be able to open an independent practice if you don’t feel like working in primary care settings.
There is also an extremely high demand for these roles, and the demand is expected to grow to 34% by 2022.
Perhaps the option to work independently is the most attractive, but you’ll need an MSN as the minimum degree to achieve your goal.
4. Clinical Nurse Specialist
This umbrella term comprises a variety of specialized nursing professions and refers to nurses working in clinical units where they provide specialized patient care. We can talk of cardiology nurses, respiratory disease nurses, dermatology nurses, and the list could go on and on.
The wage may vary based on the chosen profession, but on average, clinical specialist nurses earn around $107,955 a year. A bit less than the GNP and only slightly more than the gerontological nurse practitioners.
5. Nursing Administrator
If you like both nursing and accounting, perhaps the role of a nursing administrator could be right for you. Some of the role’s duties comprise HR, hospital liaison, budgeting, and staff management, to name just a few.
In this role, you can expect to earn as much as a clinical nurse specialist on average, which is $107,955, but the responsibilities could be overwhelming.
6. Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
Gerontological nurses take care of older patients, providing specialized care tailored to the needs of the elderly. With an ever-growing population and longer lifespans, it’s safe to say the demand for this profession will be on constant rising.
In terms of salary, you can expect a mean annual wage of $107,480; that’s only slightly lower than a general nurse practitioner, but this profession will give you the opportunity to specialize in a specific field.
To practice this specialty, you must become a Certified Gerontological Nurse Practitioner.
7. Certified Nurse Midwife
If you like working with upcoming parents and new moms, becoming a certified nurse-midwife could be the best approach. You’re looking at a median annual salary of $106,910 and can expect your job to be pretty exciting and rewarding.
The job outlook is expected to grow by 29% to 2022, but you need a passion for obstetrics and gynecology to be successful.
To practice, you have to go through a specific educational course and get certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board.
8. Family Nurse Practitioner
Earning a salary of about $105,920, family nurse practitioners have a more complex role than the midwives. They assist the general population and provide general healthcare together with the GPs.
You’ll perform most of the functions of an MD, and this professional path is by far one of the most rewarding for those who can’t afford to become an MD but dream to be one.
Typically, you’ll need at least a master’s degree and to earn the Family Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified designation.
9. Pain Management Nurse
With an estimated annual wage of $104,371, pain management nurses top the charts in terms of the highest paying nurses career. As the name suggests, they provide post-surgery pain management care or work with patients with chronic pain issues.
The role involves the identification of the cause of the pain and the establishment of a proper course of treatment.
As a pain management nurse, your role will also be that of educating the patients about non-medical ways to manage pain to avoid addiction on prescribed medications.
To work in this profession, you need to be certified as a pain specialist.
10. Informatics Nurse
Half-way between nursing and computer science, an informatics nurse, is expected to promote public health through the use of technology. The role is complex, and getting here is daunting to say the least.
You’ll need a master’s degree in both nursing and computer science and the ability to work in the management of information and communication industries.
However, you’re looking at a salary of $102,195 on average, so the career path can be rewarding.
And now that you know which are the 10 highest paying nursing careers, what do you say? Which one would you go for?
Share your thoughts in a comment below, and also share this article with your friends.