Sort by any column. Employment is the number of nurse practitioners OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Nurse Practitioner Salary by State (2026)
Nurse Practitioners earn the most in California at $168,520 a year and the least in Alabama at $105,750 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $132,300. All 52 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $168,520
- National median
- $132,300
- Lowest median
- $105,750
- States reporting
- 52
California
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Alabama
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Nurse Practitioners
- 1. California$168,520 median · $152,204 adjusted · 25,120 employed
- 2. New Jersey$159,310 median · $146,418 adjusted · 9,950 employed
- 3. Washington$156,100 median · $145,870 adjusted · 6,700 employed
- 4. Oregon$155,680 median · $150,618 adjusted · 2,820 employed
- 5. Alaska$155,170 median · $151,594 adjusted · 710 employed
Lowest-paying states for Nurse Practitioners
- 52. Alabama$105,750 median · $119,057 adjusted · 5,640 employed
- 51. Tennessee$117,590 median · $127,996 adjusted · 12,150 employed
- 50. Guam$118,670 median · no price parity · 90 employed
- 49. Kentucky$122,870 median · $136,281 adjusted · 4,770 employed
- 48. South Carolina$123,290 median · $131,511 adjusted · 5,670 employed
Nurse Practitioner salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $168,520 | $145,980 | $209,350 | 25,120 | $152,204 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $159,310 | $136,740 | $170,530 | 9,950 | $146,418 |
| 3 | Washington | $156,100 | $129,670 | $169,500 | 6,700 | $145,870 |
| 4 | Oregon | $155,680 | $134,840 | $168,700 | 2,820 | $150,618 |
| 5 | Alaska | $155,170 | $126,080 | $172,000 | 710 | $151,594 |
| 6 | New York | $153,510 | $132,490 | $170,290 | 22,890 | $142,243 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $142,440 | $132,460 | $168,100 | 8,070 | $134,686 |
| 8 | Nevada | $140,670 | $110,160 | $161,760 | 1,930 | $140,700 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $138,470 | $124,870 | $160,700 | 3,750 | $133,645 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $137,550 | $125,030 | $155,620 | 1,770 | $132,050 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $137,520 | $124,740 | $160,950 | 1,770 | $149,135 |
| 12 | Montana | $137,210 | $123,260 | $151,860 | 1,260 | $144,973 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $135,970 | $131,310 | $163,450 | 1,180 | $132,939 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $135,880 | $125,490 | $160,950 | 680 | $123,639 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $135,570 | $124,530 | $165,810 | 550 | $123,300 |
| 16 | Vermont | $134,740 | $127,340 | $157,000 | 700 | $137,549 |
| 17 | Arizona | $134,420 | $126,880 | $159,780 | 7,220 | $133,516 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $133,390 | $122,530 | $152,330 | 3,620 | $151,850 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $133,260 | $111,750 | $155,260 | 7,780 | $135,123 |
| 20 | Colorado | $132,930 | $118,410 | $150,990 | 4,270 | $128,993 |
| 21 | Idaho | $132,540 | $123,920 | $151,600 | 1,750 | $138,794 |
| 22 | Wyoming | $132,200 | $116,430 | $143,420 | 440 | $142,624 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $132,130 | $118,440 | $140,900 | 2,340 | $146,643 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $131,980 | $123,410 | $147,970 | 5,160 | $140,263 |
| 25 | Texas | $131,670 | $113,840 | $147,660 | 25,970 | $135,663 |
| 26 | Michigan | $131,450 | $117,990 | $140,850 | 8,290 | $136,618 |
| 27 | Maryland | $131,110 | $119,660 | $147,140 | 6,710 | $124,915 |
| 28 | Delaware | $131,040 | $112,020 | $153,050 | 1,430 | $131,292 |
| 29 | Utah | $130,920 | $120,740 | $150,940 | 2,740 | $132,424 |
| 30 | Illinois | $130,680 | $113,320 | $142,000 | 9,270 | $130,735 |
| 31 | Maine | $130,260 | $120,830 | $141,440 | 1,650 | $134,219 |
| 32 | Iowa | $130,160 | $122,720 | $141,940 | 3,240 | $148,310 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $130,140 | $110,960 | $142,720 | 10,670 | $133,378 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $130,070 | $107,290 | $135,620 | 1,290 | $146,213 |
| 35 | Missouri | $129,930 | $119,910 | $144,640 | 7,710 | $143,068 |
| 36 | Florida | $129,510 | $112,380 | $137,610 | 21,790 | $125,234 |
| 37 | Georgia | $129,430 | $110,360 | $141,240 | 10,460 | $134,413 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $128,990 | $114,260 | $142,180 | 9,800 | $136,749 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $128,840 | $108,190 | $136,180 | 1,020 | $145,441 |
| 40 | Indiana | $128,830 | $111,310 | $135,990 | 7,450 | $138,039 |
| 41 | Virginia | $127,810 | $109,180 | $139,500 | 7,110 | $126,414 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $127,320 | $108,520 | $133,220 | 2,550 | $142,262 |
| 43 | Kansas | $126,650 | $108,460 | $133,940 | 3,780 | $140,616 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $125,660 | $105,450 | $137,550 | 3,970 | $144,541 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $125,600 | $109,850 | $135,610 | 5,380 | $142,392 |
| 46 | Ohio | $124,870 | $106,670 | $134,750 | 15,400 | $134,596 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $124,730 | $106,660 | $134,020 | 4,690 | $143,445 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $123,290 | $107,930 | $132,220 | 5,670 | $131,511 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $122,870 | $106,240 | $132,720 | 4,770 | $136,281 |
| 50 | Guam | $118,670 | $93,880 | $146,020 | 90 | N/A |
| 51 | Tennessee | $117,590 | $102,640 | $130,330 | 12,150 | $127,996 |
| 52 | Alabama | $105,750 | $97,960 | $123,970 | 5,640 | $119,057 |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Nurse Practitioners, that changes the ranking: California leads on raw pay at $168,520, while California leads once prices are taken into account at $152,204.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Nurse Practitioner pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Nurse Practitioners the most?
California reports the highest median wage for Nurse Practitioners at $168,520 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by New Jersey ($159,310) and Washington ($156,100).
Which state pays Nurse Practitioners the least?
Alabama reports the lowest median for Nurse Practitioners at $105,750 a year, $62,770 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Nurse Practitioners earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts California first at $152,204 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $168,520. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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