How Much Do Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Make?

Pediatric nurse practitioners are in high demand to fulfill the need for both primary and acute care. The typical pediatric nurse practitioner salary is in the low six figures but can grow considerably higher based on education, experience, and work setting.

This guide offers an overview of salaries, lists the highest-paying locations, and explains how to maximize your salary prospects.

The median pediatric nurse practitioner salary for primary care specialists is $108,500 or $61.50 an hour. This salary is slightly less than the median salary of $110,000 among all full-time NPs.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not provide city and state data for pediatric NPs specifically. However, salaries across all NP specialties can still indicate the highest-paying regions and what your pediatric nurse practitioner salary might be.

According to the BLS, California has the highest average annual wage for NPs, $151,830. New Jersey is next, at $137,010, followed by New York ($ 133,940), Washington ($130,840), and Massachusetts ($129,540). These states also have a considerably higher cost of living, so be sure to consider that when contemplating where to practice.

The five highest-paying cities are all in California. The highest average NP wage, $197,870, is inSan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara. Napa is next, at $184,700. SVallejo-Fairfield pays their NPs an annual average of $180,380, followed by San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward ($177,160) and Yuba City ($159,260).

Compared to other nurse practitioner salaries, primary care pediatric NPs can expect to earn similar wages to those of family NPs and women’s health NPs, but less than acute care NPs and psychiatric mental health NPs.

These specialties generally report higher earnings across nursing roles and levels. Nurse practitioners who enjoy working with a focus in the pediatric population may consider becoming pediatric acute care nurse practitioners. This sub-specialty reports a median salary of $112,000 a year, according to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).

You have several options to increase your pediatric nurse practitioner salary, depending on your flexibility and interests. Some options call for lifestyle changes, either for the short term (such as additional education and certification) or the long term, such as travel nursing or moving into administration.

Demand is high for all NPs, with 52% job growth projected between 2020 and 2030, making it one of the fastest-growing jobs in the country. The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) notes the shortage is especially acute in rural and other underserved areas, where millions of children do not have access to a primary care provider. This unmet demand may lead to an increase in pediatric nurse practitioner salaries.

The highest-paying NP specialty is adult psychiatric mental health care, at $125,000, according to the AANP. The median mental health primary care pediatric nurse practitioner salary is close behind, at $124,000.

Nurse practitioners working in emergency departments earn the highest salaries, according to the AANP, with a median annual salary of $135,000. Behavioral health/addiction NPs earn a median $125,000, as do NPs working in home healthcare settings. NPs working in college student health earn the least, a median $96,000.

According to Payscale, pediatric nurse practitioner salaries are highest for those with skills in pain management, oncology, electronic medical records (EMR), intensive care units (ICU), emergency/trauma, orthopedics, and acute care. Each of these increases pediatric nurse practitioner salaries by at least 5%.