Nursing Salaries by Job Title

In nursing, salaries vary greatly depending on job title, employment setting and other factors. The Nursing Salary by Job chart shown above gives us a glimpse of how different nursing salaries can be. From LPN salaries to nurse practitioner salaries, nursing is clearly a field with diverse employment opportunities and wide ranging salaries. For aspiring nurses, salary research can be especially helpful; with so many options to choose from, the more information you have about nursing salaries, the more prepared you'll be to make career decisions. Looking at the chart above, we can see that median LPN salaries are significantly lower than median RN salaries, but the highest nursing salaries go to nurse practitioners and nursing directors. A nursing director job carries a lot of responsibility and generally requires a higher degree in nursing as well as extensive experience. It's thus no surprise that directors earn a high nursing salary. View the Nursing Salary by Certification chart to see how different credentials can affect nursing salaries.

If you're just starting a career in nursing, you're probably making a wise choice; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses have a very positive job outlook, with rapid growth expected over the next several years. To expand your nursing salary research, and find out more about what it's really like to be a nurse, read "Nursing Careers: Become a Registered Nurse" over in the Salary Stories blog. Michele, a registered nurse and nurse coordinator, describes her nursing career and gives advice on how to succeed in this rewarding profession.