A person who wants to earn a degree as an advanced practice nurse, professor of nursing, nursing instructor or nurse educator may want to know what the salary potential is of a nurse educator. A nurse educator’s salary potential varies somewhat by their place of employment, geographic location, educational level, the specialty of nursing and years of experience. Knowing the general earning potential of a nurse educator could help a person make an informed decision about their career.
Current Salary Information for Nurse Educators
As of May 2017, an estimated 55,580 people were employed as nurse educators in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics collects employment and wage information from all of them. Their annual mean wage was $77,360 in May 2017. This was a less than one percent increase compared to the previous quarter of employment data. The 10th percentile of nurse educators earned a mean annual wage of $40,630. The 25th percentile of nurse educators had a mean annual salary of $55,080. The 75th percentile of nurse educators earned a mean annual salary of $93,830, and the 90th percentile earned a mean annual wage of $124,090.
Salary By Industry of Employment
Another way to look at the salary potential of a nurse educator is by the industry of employment. Specialty hospitals pay the highest median wages for nurse educators, averaging $96,170 per year. The other top-paying industries of employment for nurse educators include psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals, with a median annual wage of $89,750; general medical and surgical hospitals, with a median annual wage of $89,390; colleges, universities, and professional schools, with a median annual wage of $79,640; and technical and trade schools, with a median annual wage of $73,070.
Salary By Location of Employment
Salaries for nurse educators vary considerably based on the state, city or metropolitan area or another location type of where they work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the states with the highest pay for nurse educators as of May 2017 include District of Columbia, New York, Connecticut, California and New Jersey. The highest-paying metropolitan areas for nurse educators include Washington, D.C. and Arlington, Virginia; Camden, New Jersey; New York, New York; San Francisco, California; and Atlantic City, New Jersey. The highest-paying non-metropolitan areas for nurse educators include North Texas, Central Kentucky, Northeast Mississippi, East Georgia and Southeast Iowa.
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Expected Salary Growth for Nurse Educators
Between 2017 and 2027, the estimated salary growth for nurse educators is 11 percent. A nurse educator could get a boost in their salary by earning additional credentials or certifications in specialty nursing or healthcare services. Earning a related degree, such as a Master’s of Public Health degree, could also increase a nurse educator’s potential. Nurse educator salaries also increase with increasing years of experience and by taking on a management or leadership role within an organization.
Understanding the potential salary of a nurse educator could help a person decide if this is the career path that they want to take with their master’s or doctorate degree in nursing. A person earning one of these types of degrees has a lot of options for career paths, and salary potential may be an important consideration when making a decision. Knowing what the salary potential is of a nurse educator facilitates the career planning process.