Which Msn Job Pays The Most
A Master of Science in Nursing degree is just thata Master of Science in Nursing degree. That means that no matter what specialty track you pursue, with an MSN, you will receive the same foundation of advanced nursing education that will include community and public health, ethics, research, clinical skills, and leadership.
However, despite the fact that all MSN programs will include the same basic foundation of knowledge, the specialty track you choose for your degree will dictate the specifics that you will learn in your program.
Choosing an administrative degree will lead to a curriculum centered more on leading a team, while a specialty track will focus more on the clinical skills you will need in your role.
Here are the most popular types of MSN degrees available ranked in order of expected salary.
Health Policy Nurse Salary
ZipRecruiter.com states the average national salary for health policy nurses is $79,429 as of June 2022. Nurses that work in this field often work as consultants, which makes the salary potential endless. Individuals will have the ability to work as much or as little as they wish. Health policy nurses typically work 40 hours per week, making their average hourly wage approximately $38.19, but this can vary widely.
Joint Masters Degrees: Are They Worth It
If your goal is to qualify for an executive leadership position at the strategic business, operational, or policy level, consider a dual masters degree. They are often listed as a preferred credential for these senior positions and are designed to give RNs the additional perspective and education necessary to succeed. The three most common dual masters degree programs are:
- Joint MSN/MPH : A plus for positions such as director of public health, public health educator, and epidemiologist
- Joint MSN/MBA : Useful in positions such as chief nursing officer, chief nurse executive, and director of nursing roles
- Joint MSN/MHA : Good preparation for nurses seeking positions as hospital administrators, healthcare executives, or department heads
These programs are usually designed for completion in three years, so they take less time and cost less than earning two masters degrees. Having a dual masters may appeal to prospective employers and help you get jobs at more senior levels and earn a higher income.
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Benefits Of A Masters Degree In Nursing
Job opportunities are currently on the rise for those with a masters level nursing education.
Though you may enjoy a perfectly fulfilling degree with an associates degree, masters degree holders will experience more responsibility on the job and earn more money than those without the same level of education.
An MSN program will also introduce you to high-level career opportunities. The list of positions may fall under the umbrella of health education, health services, healthcare administration, health informatics, healthcare management, pharmacology, communications or elsewhere.
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Skills Youll Acquire By Getting Your Msn
An MSN degree will help you master important nursing practices needed for a successful career as a registered nurse. It will also give you the hands-on nursing experience needed to prepare you for work in the field. Beyond this, a nursing degree will provide you with certain skills sure to help you excel in the field.
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Popular Careers For Msn Degree Graduates
Advanced nurse practitioners who have earned an MSN commonly pursue the following positions. However, it is important to note that the complexity of advanced nursing practice occupations often demands that applicants meet other criteria before they can qualify for certain positions.
In many instances, it may be necessary that aspiring nurses concentrate their studies on a particular field of nursing or receive certifications beyond a masters degree before applying. It is important to research what professional criteria must be met before pursuing an advanced nursing position.
Please note that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has found the nurse practitioner roles listed below to offer a median annual salary of $115,800. Also, because of the high demand for nursing talent, the number of positions available for nurse practitioners is expected to grow by 45 percent through 2029.
Icu Nurse: Annual $120243 Or $5781/hr*
ICU nurses require a specialized set of skills since they literally deal with life-and-death matters on a daily basis. They often work in hospital ICUs but also can work in other areas of nursing. Becoming a critical care nurse is seen as one of the most coveted positions in nursing, as these nurses possess a very high level of critical thinking and nursing skills.
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Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
A condition that impacts a persons mental health, such as depression or anxiety, can significantly impact the quality of the persons everyday life. Like the family nurse practitioner, a PMHNP can work with patients of all ages. The PMHNP is usually tasked with using psychotherapy strategies to assess the mental state of patients and applying clinical expertise to treat any mental illness the PMHNP encounters. The prescribed treatments that a mental health nurse practitioner may administer can be some form of conversational therapy or, in some instances, medications to counter the symptoms of a mental illness.
Qualified mental health nurse practitioners may find work in mental health clinics, providing support to other mental health professionals. They can also be hired to work in rehabilitation centers, where they will help treat conditions such as psychosomatic disorders, sexual disorders, and substance abuse problems. They are also highly sought in prisons, correctional facilities, and veteran support groups, as prisoners and veterans are known to have excessively high rates of mental illness.
Skills Recommended to Succeed:
- Interpersonal communication
Possible Careers With An Msn Degree
There are a lot of opportunities and possible careers with an MSN degree. Jobs that require an MSN degree are likely leadership roles or positions that require more advanced patient care.
Through this graduate nursing program, MSN students are likely to increase their clinical knowledge and develop important skills like close attention to detail, critical thinking, problem-solving and communication.
By earning their degrees from accredited on-campus or online MSN programs, nursing professionals can open the door to a variety of MSN careers in clinical and administrative roles. These roles are referred to as advanced nursing careers, and they include nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists and nurse midwives.
It may be a great time to consider this career. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 40% job growth rate for nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and nurse anesthetists between 2021 and 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations.
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What Can You Do With An Msn: Careers In Healthcare Technology Simulation And Informatics
Technology is rapidly transforming how nurses learn about, track and adapt to the needs of their patients. This specialization allows MSN students to focus their attention on the systems and skills needed to further the nursing profession with emerging technologies like virtual simulations, healthcare informatics systems and more.
This specialization track includes the following courses:
- Healthcare Technology
- Informatics in Advanced Nursing Practice
- Integrating Technology
This technology-focused specialization path can help prepare you for roles like:
With An Ms In Nursing Degree You Can Pursue Careers Such As:
Family Nurse Practitioner
Median wage: $96,281**
Work to provide patient care across all life stages as you collaborate with other health care professionals. FNPs conduct health assessments and tests while providing preventive care and disease management and treating chronic and acute illnesses. Most can prescribe medications.
Employers often include:
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Clinical Nurse Specialist: Annual $112267 Or $5400/hr*
Those who wish to work in a specialized unit or clinic should consider the Clinical Nurse Specialist path. In addition to diagnosing and treating various conditions, youll be looked upon as an expert within your healthcare team. Clinical Nurse Specialists focus on improving the status of nursing at the hospital. They are involved in research and bettering the care provided in the healthcare setting.
Take Control Over Your Nursing Career
The COVID-19 pandemic changed life as we know it, and few felt its impact more than nurses and their fellow healthcare professionals. Facing great adversity, nurses have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to providing the best possible care for their patients by finding innovative solutions to unprecedented challenges.
Today, that spirit of resiliency continues, as more and more nurses strive to create a better quality of life in their communities while empowering their own careers.
Earning an MSN can help you accomplish both goals. As a masters degree-holding nurse, youll be able to work with greater autonomy, develop new skills, and deliver a more advanced level of care.
Moreover, this degree can qualify you for a wide range of new roles, increase your earning potential, and enhance your value in the workforce.
Continue reading to learn more about how an online MSN from OHIO can boost your career, as well as the many opportunities you can pursue after you earn your degree.
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Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
Advanced practice registered nurses include nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives, according to the American Nurses Association . and are at the forefront of providing preventive care for patients. In some rural hospitals and in remotes areas, doctors may not be available, and the only medical provider onsite may be an APRN.
Youll find them in all healthcare settings from trauma centers, teaching hospitals, and long-term care facilities to rural hospitals, private practice, public health clinics, and outpatient surgery centers.
In many states, according to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners , MSNs with practitioner certification are permitted to operate autonomously and:
- Evaluate and diagnose patients
- Order and interpret diagnostic tests
- Begin and manage treatments
- Prescribe medications, including controlled substances
In these states, APRNs work under the exclusive licensing authority of the state board of nursing. In others, MSN nurses with practitioner certification may be permitted to perform similar duties under a collaborative agreement with a doctor or under the supervision of a doctor.
The APRN specialty roles are:
Emergency Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Median Salary: $108,630****
Emergency psychiatric nurse practitioners work in mental health emergency departments. They perform intake evaluations, help determine patients risk and harm levels, and initiate treatment. Other responsibilities may include ordering tests, interpreting results, and prescribing medications.
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Nurse Administrator Or Executive
This trackalso known as Nurse Leadershipprepares a nurse to manage a team of other nurses and/or healthcare members. A Nurse Administrator, sometimes referred to as a nurse manager or executive, may serve as a unit manager, for instance, or in even more expanded leadership roles. Additional advanced certifications for Nurse Administrators and Executives are available as well.
Salary: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , the median annual salary for medical and health services managers is $119,840 as of May 2022.
Prepare To Pursue Higher Salaries With An Msn
Earning an MSN can allow nurses to not only advance their careers but also earn a lucrative wage. The compensation website PayScale reports the median annual salary for nurses with an MSN degree to be roughly $96,300 as of July 2021.
Numerous factors can influence the precise amount a nurse may receive after obtaining the MSN degree. One of these is job location, as an individual working in an area with a higher cost of living may earn more than an individual working in an area with a lower cost of living. Another prime factor may be the position itself. According to the BLS, the median annual salary for NPs was $117,670 in 2020.
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Why Study Nursing With Jcu
No two nursing careers are the same, which is why JCUs Master of Nursing offers you three areas of specialisation. You can choose to focus on Leadership and Management, Education or Advanced Practice.
You can even take your qualification one step further and combine two specialisations into a double major.
Our course, with its three majors, are designed to provide nurses and midwives with authentic and relevant education that matters today and equips them with academic skills that prepare them for lifelong learning, explains Dr Biedermann.
Our three majors target the essential trilogy of healthcare: leading and managing in a complex healthcare world, the art and science of educating people, and the provision of advanced clinical practice.
But what makes our world-class university stand out from our peers is our care and support for your studies. In addition to your tutors, youll have a Student Success Advisor who will motivate you and help you navigate the course through to graduation.
JCU surprised me with how much the teaching team was interested in my studies’ success! says Nursing graduate Bosco Ntuyenabo.
The team was so supportive, kind, respectful and directed me to study resources with frequent advice. This was something I didnt see in my previous education providers.
Womens Health Nurse Practitioner
Nurses who would like to focus exclusively on womens health may become a womens health nurse practitioner . A WHNP offers primary care for women in all stages of life, typically beginning in adolescence. Services may include gynecological, prenatal, postnatal and preventive care, along with diagnosis and management of acute or chronic illnesses.
WHNPs typically need a masters degree with a womens health specialization, and many states require these practitioners to work under physician supervision.
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Master Of Science In Nursing Careers
Careers in nursing are surging. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that overall employment of nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners is projected to grow 45% from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the 8% average for all occupations.* The latest BLS data show the median salary for nurse practitioners is $117,670.
Prepare now to meet the demand for experienced nurses who take the lead in working with patients and delivering exceptional care with an MS in Nursing degree. Masters prepared nurse practitioners are positioned to explore new professional benefits and higher salaries. NPs are often competitive job candidates for administrative or managerial positions.
Nurse Practitioner Specializing In Military And Veterans Affairs
Median Salary: $112,682****
These nurse practitioners specialize in working with military members or veterans who may be struggling with a range of issues including depression, traumatic stress, or substance abuse. They can work in local Veterans Affairs hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, or outpatient clinics.
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What Can You Do With A Masters Degree In Nursing
Graduate-level nursing degrees can open the door to quite a few career paths, depending on their focus areas. Some focus more on preparing nurses for advanced direct care roles with broadened scopes of practice, while others supplement nurses patient care abilities with specialized administrative and training skills.
The Rasmussen University Master of Science in Nursing program offers three MSN non-clinical specialization paths: Nursing Leadership and Administration, Nursing Education, and Healthcare Technology, Simulation and Informatics. Rasmussen Universitys MSN program also offers students the ability to specialize in one of four Nurse Practitioner tracks: Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and Family Nurse Practitioner.
Nursing Leadership and Administration students focus more on the business side of nursing and healthcare, developing the leadership, management and administration skills theyll need to transform healthcare in their workplace.
The Nursing Education track is for those who are passionate about educating the current and next generation of nurses. On top of the advanced knowledge of pharmacology, pathophysiology and patient assessment found in all MSN tracks, theyll gain knowledge of curriculum design and teaching strategies.
Become A Specialist In Advanced Practice
The combination of a postgraduate qualification and work experience can lead to highly specialist roles such as pain management nurse, mental health nurse or operating theatre nurse.
If you are seeking education to advance your clinical skills and deliver quality care, the Advanced Practice major is here for you, explains Dr Clare Fenwick, Manager of JCUs Master of Nursing Advanced Practice major.
Heres how you could apply your postgraduate nursing course with an Advanced Practice specialisation.
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Continue Your Education From An Msn To A Dnp
Going from an MSN to DNP may help you expand your knowledge and explore additional career options than what you may find with a masters degree. A Doctor of Nursing Practice or DNP degree is a terminal degree, the highest possible degree in the field of nursing. Earning a DNP may help prepare you for a wide range of advanced clinical nursing roles in clinical research trials as well as executive positions in patient care.
Highest Paid Nursing Jobs:
If you’re considering becoming a nurse, or looking to make a career change as a nurse, you’re likely wondering how much you can make and how you can earn the highest nurse salary. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , Registered nurses earn a median annual salary of $77,600 as of 2021. But that’s just an average across all specialties, with some of the highest paying nursing careers paying over $195K annually!
How much you get paid as a nurse will also depend on where you work, what degree you hold , and what industry you work in. Read on to learn about all the different types of nurses and salaries.
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Faqs About Msn Careers
Interested in learning more about MSN degrees? This may help answer some of your questions.
What careers can I pursue with an MSN degree?
There are a lot of career options available for nurses with an MSN degree. Some career paths may include nurse practitioner, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, certified registered nurse anesthetist and nurse administrator. Check the sections above for more information regarding career options with an MSN.
Can you become a nurse practitioner with an MSN?
Earning an MSN degree is one of the first steps to becoming a nurse practitioner . Additionally, youll need to acquire and maintain a license through an approved licensing body, such as a state licensing board or an approved national organization.
How long does it take to earn an MSN?
How long it takes to earn an MSN may vary depending on the school and program you choose. Most MSN programs last two years. However, you may choose an accelerated program that may take as little as 20 months.
What can you do with an MSN in nursing education?
An MSN in nursing education gives you the opportunity to pursue a career as a certified nurse educator in a classroom setting. You can also work at a hospital or university, typically in a research role.
