Career comparison
Registered nurse vs. Nurse practitioner
Nurse practitioners earn more: a median of $132,300, $34,750 (36%) above registered nurses at $97,550.
Nurse practitioners have the stronger outlook: +41% projected growth through 2035, vs. +6%.
Getting in is faster for registered nurses: about 1.5 years vs. 5.9 years for someone with a bachelor's in another field.
At a glance
| Registered nurse | Nurse practitioner | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $97,550 | $132,300 |
| Top 10% earn over | $137,470 | $174,420 |
| Growth to 2035 | +6% | +41% |
| Openings per year | 180,800 | 29,400 |
| Jobs today | 3,465,400 | 336,300 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Master's degree |
| Time to qualify* | 1.5 years | 5.9 years |
| Training cost* | $41K–$92K | $76K–$212K |
* Starting from a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35.
Pay
Registered nurse
Nurse practitioner
Switching from one to the other
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Getting in
Registered nurse
- Entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
Required: NCLEX-RN exam · State RN license
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
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
Registered nurse: 25% usually work over 40 hours a weekNurse practitioner: 52% usually work over 40 hours a week
Registered nurse: core tasks
- Record patients' medical information and vital signs.
- Administer medications to patients and monitor patients for reactions or side effects.
- Maintain accurate, detailed reports and records.
- Monitor, record, and report symptoms or changes in patients' conditions.
- Provide health care, first aid, immunizations, or assistance in convalescence or rehabilitation in locations such as schools, hospitals, or industry.
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.
Skills: what carries over
Both rely on: Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Judgment and Decision Making.
New for a registered nurse moving to nurse practitioner: Complex Problem Solving, Active Learning.
New for a nurse practitioner moving to registered nurse: Coordination, Service Orientation.
Interests (Holland codes): Registered nurse: Social, Conventional, Investigative. Nurse practitioner: Investigative, Social, Conventional.
Outlook to 2035, and AI
Registered nurse
+6%
about as fast as average · 180,800 openings a year
BLS lists no specific factors, including AI, changing demand for this job.
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.
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 registered nurse or a nurse practitioner?
Nurse practitioners earn more: a median of $132,300, $34,750 (36%) above registered nurses at $97,550.
Which has the better job outlook?
Nurse practitioners have the stronger outlook: +41% projected growth through 2035, vs. +6%.
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.
How long does it take to become a registered nurse?
For someone with a bachelor's degree in another field, about 1.5 years, with tuition of roughly $40,500 to $91,500. Required: NCLEX-RN exam, State RN license.
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