The top 4 highest paying nursing jobs
1. Certified registered nurse anesthetist
Average: $195,610/year
Nurse anesthetists are in one of the most well-respected fields in nursing, and it requires years of education, training, and experience to become one. These nurses provide anesthesia to patients, typically in a surgical, dental, or ER/OR scenario.
2. Dean of nursing
Average: $188,778/year
Love nursing? Love teaching? This could be the perfect fit for you. Nurses in this role are working in a university setting executing the planning and leadership to keep the school's nursing program running smoothly. They're responsible for keeping up with advances and research in the medical field as well as implementing curriculum to best prepare nursing students for the workplace.
3. General nurse practitioner
Average: $120,680/year
A general nurse practitioner role offers nurses a variety of options. They can work in a variety of primary care setting like hospitals or clinics, or open an independent practice on their own. This is a growing field that typically requires a Master of Science in Nursing, plus a Nurse Practitioner license.
4. Certified nurse midwife
Average: $116,253/year
This is a unique nursing position, but if you have the experience, time, and care to give to expectant mothers, this can be a truly rewarding nursing career path. Oftentimes the role as nurse midwife doesn't end after the delivery, as many midwives continue a working relationship with the mother and newborn with follow-up care. Midwives can work independently or under the direction of a physician.
18 additional nursing jobs worth exploring
5. Gerontological nurse practitioner
A high percentage of patients in clinical settings are older, creating more demand for gerontological nurses who specialize in working with elderly patients. Registered nurses (RNs) must become a Certified Gerontological Nurse Practitioner in order to practice this specialty, but you get high earning potential and job security in return.
6. Family nurse practitioner
This type of nursing career is similar to the primary care physician that you and your family have been seeing growing up. A Family Nurse Practitioner works inside a medical office, hospital, clinic, or their own practice offering consultations, physicals, prescribing medications, and general treatments to the local community.
7. School nurse
If you love being a nurse but can't picture yourself enjoying a long-term career inside a clinical setting, consider becoming a school nurse. You get to work with children of various ages and administer care as needed, as well as tackling the important role of health education, dispensing medication, and providing preventative screening exams. A big-time benefit here is the traditional work hours (and summer vacations!). You'll need to earn your BSN and be a registered nurse in order to practice inside a school.
8. Nurse educator
As the demand for nurses continues to increase, so does the need for qualified educators. It can be a nice change of pace for nurses to work in colleges and universities teaching clinical and classroom knowledge to students. Off campus, nurse educators could work in medical device manufacturing companies, textbook publishing companies, research facilities, and more.
9. Nurse life-care planner
Life-care planners work with doctors and nurse practitioners to develop long-term care plans for patients with terminal illnesses or long-term medical needs. After two years of long-term care experience, nurses have the option to become a certified nurse life-care planner. Once certified, life-care planners coordinate with families, insurance companies, lawyers, and anyone else involved in the decision making and payment plans of the patient.
10. Home health nurse
As technology continues to fuel the medical industry and the COVID-19 pandemic shifted the way care is delivered, patient care has become increasingly mobile, leading to a rise in home health nurses assisting patients in their home after leaving a clinical setting. This could be short-term or long-term care, and daily responsibilities are similar to those of a nurse in a hospital setting.
11. Telemedicine nurse
The telemedicine nursing field is growing, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Telemedicine nurses use video technology to connect with patients regardless of location for monitoring, check-ups, consultations, and more. With the increased use of telemedicine tools among healthcare providers to connect with patients, nurses with a passion for technology could find a niche they love.
12. Nursing informatics
Nursing informatics is really the future of nursing, and allow nurses to use health information systems to collaborate and analyze patient data. Nurses interested in the IT/analytics side of nursing should get their BSN and a few years of field experience under their belts before receiving their informatics nursing certification. Advances in this field lead to more streamlined processes and provide nurses with more time with their patients.
13. Clinical social worker
Working inside schools, mental health clinics, or government agencies can be a smooth transition for a career-nurse looking for a new path. With a master's degree and clinical experience in your arsenal, you could help diagnose and treat people while having a more personal and impactful experience.
14. Nurse health coach
This is a really cool nursing position offering a variety of opportunities. Once you're a registered nurse, you can “coach" others and offer health services within your knowledge base and expertise. You could collaborate with insurance companies who offer health incentives, go the corporate route and work within large businesses coaching employees, or start your own businesses.
15. Legal nurse consultant
This position may require you to relocate to bigger cities with a higher demand for nurse consultants regarding legal matters, but attorneys hire legal nurses all the time to help interpret medical records and be questioned as experts on a subject. You'll need to receive certification through the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, but if you like the idea of being in a courtroom and establishing yourself as an expert on a subject, this could be a good way of putting your skills to use.
16. Forensic nurse consultant
Similar to a Legal Nurse Consultant, a Forensic Nurse Consultant works with law enforcement agencies, attorneys, and prosecutors as experts in the nursing field. This is a really unique way to put your nursing education and experience to use, and can often include traveling for cases. On top of RN requirements, you'll need certification through the International Association of Forensic Nurses to be a credible Forensic Nurse.
17. Public health nurse
Public Health Nurses work in a county or state health department, correctional facility, or businesses to help ensure health and safety measures are met. Their focus is on the health of the larger communities in schools, organizations, and community clinics to educate around topics of health and well-being. Education requirements vary for Public Health Nurses, but a Nursing Diploma or BSN is a great start.
18. Occupational nurse
This type of opportunity can be a component of a few nursing jobs listed here, but a true occupational nurse works inside a business promoting healthy living to employees. This is often done within larger corporations with health and wellness programs and work incentives for participation in workplace activities and healthy eating.
19. Medical writer
This one can be tough for entry level nurses, but for those looking for a career change might find Medical Writing a good fit. If you enjoy writing and have a deep understanding of medical subject matter, there's a growing industry of medical writers and bloggers creating articles medical outlets on a variety of topics. This nursing career choice is right up there with the average, with most writers making somewhere around $70,000 per year.
20. Physical therapist
Being a physical therapist requires a similar skillset to that of a practicing nurse. With average earning potential of around $91,000 per year, physical therapists work with patients who've suffered injury or illness to improve overall health and mobility, depending on each patient. This is a great way to continue “being a nurse" with direct contact with patients, outside the normal surroundings of a hospital setting.
21. Psychiatric nurse practitioner
Working as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner can be both challenging and rewarding for those with a passion for mental health. In most cases, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners work with physicians and help patients understand and deal with mental health disorders. This is often a highly paid position, and as mental health receives more attention and funding, demand for qualified nurses increases, too. Nurses in this field need tend to specialize in mental healthcare earning a Master's Degree with a focus on psychiatric nursing.
22. Medical or pharmaceutical sales
You wouldn't typically associate nurses and salespeople, but nurses often make a great fit for making connections with potential customers and answering questions about products and uses in the workplace. It's important for companies to have salespeople with clinical experience to effectively sell their products. This role also has one of the lower barriers to entry as far as education goes, with most technical sales roles requiring a bachelor's degree to get started.
