Earlier this summer the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that more than 211,000 nurse practitioners (NPs) were employed in the United States as of May 2020. The twelve-state U.S. Southeast accounted for 63,000 NP jobs in May 2020. The U.S. Southeast region is the weakest in the nation for nurse practitioner pay. The average NP annual mean wage in every state in the region is below the national average, and the region is home to seven of the ten worst states in the nation for nurse practitioner annual mean wages. A further examination of BLS data from May 2020 shows the following about nurse practitioner pay in the U.S. Southeast:
Nurse Practitioner Pay in the U.S. Southeast |
State | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | Wage Rank* |
AL | 3,930 | $99,790 | 50th |
AR | 2,730 | $106,210 | 42nd |
FL | 13,010 | $101,060 | 49th |
GA | 8,120 | $106,220 | 41st |
KY | 4,250 | $102,460 | 47th |
LA | 3,170 | $111,880 | 26th |
MS | 3,640 | $109,550 | 34th |
NC | 6,040 | $108,370 | 36th |
SC | 2,820 | $101,190 | 48th |
TN | 8,300 | $99,370 | 51st |
VA | 5,790 | $109,660 | 33rd |
WV | 1,200 | $105,220 | 44th |
U.S. | 211,280 | $114,510 | ------- |
(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on May 17, 2021