Career comparison
Nurse practitioner vs. Family doctor
Family doctors earn more: a median of $244,180, $111,880 (85%) above nurse practitioners at $132,300.
Nurse practitioners have the stronger outlook: +41% projected growth through 2035, vs. +3%.
Getting in is faster for nurse practitioners: about 5.9 years vs. 8.5 years for someone with a bachelor's in another field.
At a glance
| Nurse practitioner | Family doctor | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $132,300 | $244,180 |
| Top 10% earn over | $174,420 | $428,550 |
| Growth to 2035 | +41% | +3% |
| Openings per year | 29,400 | 2,900 |
| Jobs today | 336,300 | 114,300 |
| Typical entry education | Master's degree | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Time to qualify* | 5.9 years | 8.5 years |
| Training cost* | $76K–$212K | $260K–$460K |
* Starting from a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35.
Pay
Nurse practitioner
Family doctor
Switching from one to the other
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Getting in
Nurse practitioner
- Entry education
- Master's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
Required: NCLEX-RN exam · NP board certification (AANP or ANCC) · State APRN license
Family doctor
- Entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- On-the-job training
- Internship/residency
- Prior experience
- None
Required: MCAT · USMLE Steps 1–3 · State medical license · Board certification
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Hazardous conditions
Exposure to disease
Nurse practitioner: 52% usually work over 40 hours a weekFamily doctor: 42% usually work over 40 hours a week
Nurse practitioner: core tasks
- Maintain complete and detailed records of patients' health care plans and prognoses.
- Develop treatment plans, based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and professional practice guidelines.
- Provide patients with information needed to promote health, reduce risk factors, or prevent disease or disability.
- Analyze and interpret patients' histories, symptoms, physical findings, or diagnostic information to develop appropriate diagnoses.
- Diagnose or treat complex, unstable, comorbid, episodic, or emergency conditions in collaboration with other health care providers as necessary.
Family doctor: core tasks
- Prescribe or administer treatment, therapy, medication, vaccination, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury.
- Order, perform, and interpret tests and analyze records, reports, and examination information to diagnose patients' condition.
- Collect, record, and maintain patient information, such as medical history, reports, or examination results.
- Monitor patients' conditions and progress and reevaluate treatments as necessary.
- Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients.
Skills: what carries over
Both rely on: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Writing, Speaking.
New for a nurse practitioner moving to family doctor: Time Management.
New for a family doctor moving to nurse practitioner: Social Perceptiveness.
Interests (Holland codes): Nurse practitioner: Investigative, Social, Conventional. Family doctor: Social, Investigative, Conventional.
Outlook to 2035, and AI
Nurse practitioner
+41%
much faster than average · 29,400 openings a year
Occupational substitution, demand change - share increases as nurse practitioners are increasingly employed in team-based models of care, taking on tasks previously performed by physicians. Expanding practice authority is expected to support employment demand further.
Family doctor
+3%
about as fast as average · 2,900 openings a year
BLS lists no specific factors, including AI, changing demand for this job.
Quoted notes: BLS Employment Projections, factors affecting occupational utilization (Table 1.12). Average growth across all jobs: +3.5%.
Questions people ask
Who makes more, a nurse practitioner or a family doctor?
Family doctors earn more: a median of $244,180, $111,880 (85%) above nurse practitioners at $132,300.
Which has the better job outlook?
Nurse practitioners have the stronger outlook: +41% projected growth through 2035, vs. +3%.
How long does it take to become a family doctor?
For someone with a bachelor's degree in another field, about 8.5 years, with tuition of roughly $260,000 to $460,000. Required: MCAT, USMLE Steps 1–3, State medical license, Board certification.
How long does it take to become a nurse practitioner?
For someone with a bachelor's degree in another field, about 5.9 years, with tuition of roughly $75,500 to $211,500. Required: NCLEX-RN exam, NP board certification (AANP or ANCC), State APRN license.