Pay, location & work-life context
Nurse Practitioner Salary Map by State (2026)
Median nurse practitioner pay across 48 states from real job listings — switch views to adjust for cost of living or overlay burnout scores. Medians blend permanent salaries with annualized locums/contract rates. National median: $145,600.
Highest median
Rhode Island
$241,500
Best real purchasing power
Rhode Island
$236,117 adjusted
Best lifestyle score
North Dakota
7.6/10 avg burnout score
Compare state markets
Choose a metric, then select a state to see its figures and available breakdown.
Tile positions are approximate, not geographic boundaries. Selection adds an outline without changing the metric color. Work-life scores describe listings, not surveyed clinician burnout.
Nurse Practitioner pay by state
Sorted by median advertised pay. On smaller screens, scroll the table sideways to compare all metrics.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Take-home, COL-adj. | Work-life score | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $241,500 | $236,117 | $221,973 | 5.7/10 | 27 |
| New Mexico | $175,000 | $189,780 | $178,583 | 6.9/10 | 58 |
| Maine | $175,000 | $180,319 | $167,427 | 7.0/10 | 67 |
| Louisiana | $175,000 | $198,397 | $192,445 | 6.7/10 | 23 |
| Indiana | $175,000 | $187,509 | $181,883 | 7.3/10 | 65 |
| California | $169,850 | $153,405 | $139,138 | 5.5/10 | 432 |
| Washington | $156,000 | $145,777 | $145,777 | 5.5/10 | 148 |
| New York | $155,550 | $144,133 | $134,260 | 5.6/10 | 478 |
| Connecticut | $155,000 | $149,599 | $139,142 | 6.4/10 | 69 |
| Massachusetts | $150,353 | $142,168 | $135,060 | 5.2/10 | 217 |
| Vermont | $150,000 | $153,127 | $139,728 | 5.9/10 | 15 |
| New Jersey | $147,500 | $135,564 | $126,928 | 5.9/10 | 153 |
| Alaska | $147,112 | $143,722 | $143,722 | 5.7/10 | 7 |
| Kentucky | $147,050 | $163,101 | $156,577 | 6.4/10 | 43 |
| Georgia | $145,000 | $150,582 | $142,466 | 6.4/10 | 108 |
| Minnesota | $143,520 | $145,527 | $131,192 | 5.9/10 | 65 |
| Oregon | $142,500 | $137,866 | $124,218 | 7.0/10 | 61 |
| Arizona | $141,440 | $140,489 | $136,977 | 5.8/10 | 96 |
| Montana | $140,000 | $147,921 | $139,194 | 6.6/10 | 7 |
| Idaho | $140,000 | $146,606 | $138,257 | 6.4/10 | 8 |
| Illinois | $139,100 | $139,158 | $132,270 | 5.7/10 | 208 |
| Nevada | $138,320 | $138,349 | $138,349 | 5.3/10 | 28 |
| Virginia | $137,500 | $135,999 | $128,179 | 6.4/10 | 153 |
| Pennsylvania | $136,750 | $140,153 | $135,850 | 6.1/10 | 227 |
| South Carolina | $136,750 | $145,868 | $136,824 | 6.2/10 | 93 |
| Ohio | $136,750 | $147,401 | $142,242 | 6.3/10 | 192 |
| Delaware | $136,750 | $137,013 | $127,970 | 7.2/10 | 20 |
| Texas | $135,000 | $139,094 | $139,094 | 6.2/10 | 202 |
| Wisconsin | $134,366 | $142,798 | $135,230 | 6.0/10 | 57 |
| Mississippi | $133,120 | $153,094 | $146,358 | 6.3/10 | 71 |
| Colorado | $131,000 | $127,120 | $121,527 | 5.5/10 | 131 |
| Kansas | $130,000 | $144,335 | $136,281 | 5.0/10 | 22 |
| Maryland | $130,000 | $123,858 | $116,736 | 5.3/10 | 119 |
| Wyoming | $130,000 | $140,251 | $140,251 | 7.1/10 | 7 |
| North Dakota | $129,520 | $145,595 | $141,955 | 7.6/10 | 9 |
| New Hampshire | $128,960 | $123,804 | $123,804 | 6.7/10 | 25 |
| Oklahoma | $127,500 | $145,145 | $138,251 | 5.0/10 | 34 |
| Missouri | $126,000 | $138,741 | $132,220 | 6.1/10 | 62 |
| Florida | $125,000 | $120,873 | $120,873 | 5.8/10 | 135 |
| Tennessee | $125,000 | $136,062 | $136,062 | 6.2/10 | 42 |
| West Virginia | $124,800 | $139,446 | $132,725 | 6.3/10 | 12 |
| North Carolina | $123,500 | $130,929 | $125,364 | 5.5/10 | 111 |
| Iowa | $115,500 | $131,606 | $126,605 | 6.1/10 | 41 |
| Alabama | $115,000 | $129,471 | $122,997 | 6.0/10 | 21 |
| Michigan | $114,042 | $118,526 | $113,488 | 6.8/10 | 76 |
| Utah | $108,000 | $109,241 | $104,271 | 6.3/10 | 25 |
| Arkansas | $100,000 | $115,026 | $110,540 | 5.9/10 | 62 |
| Nebraska | $100,000 | $110,984 | $105,213 | 6.8/10 | 12 |
Common questions
Which state pays nurse practitioners the most?
Rhode Island currently has the highest median nurse practitioner salary at $241,500, based on 27 real job listings.
Which state offers the best after-tax nurse practitioner pay?
Rhode Island currently leads the take-home view at $221,973 — the state median after its state income tax (Tax Foundation state income tax rates (2025)), divided by the local cost-of-living index. No-income-tax states like Texas, Florida and Tennessee often outrank nominally higher-paying states here.
Why adjust nurse practitioner salaries for cost of living?
Prices differ across states. The adjusted view divides each state's pay benchmark by its regional price index (U.S. average = 100). Source: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). This is a state-level comparison, not a personal budget or a city-level cost estimate. Missing price data is shown as unavailable.
Which state has the best nurse practitioner lifestyle scores?
North Dakota currently has the highest average WeekdayDoc burnout score (7.6/10, higher is better) for nurse practitioner listings — a measure of call burden, weekend requirements, and schedule flexibility across postings.
More salary maps
See the full percentile breakdown on the Nurse Practitioner salary page.