Nurse Practitioners
Also called: ACNP (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), Gastroenterology Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Practitioner (NP)Diagnose and treat acute, episodic, or chronic illness, independently or as part of a healthcare team. May focus on health promotion and disease prevention. May order, perform, or interpret diagnostic tests such as lab work and x rays. May prescribe medication. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 15 of its 27 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 41.0% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 0.7% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 5.0 hires for every 10 job openings in health care and social assistance, which employs about 92% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.5.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $105,750 | $97,960 to $123,970 | 5,640 |
| Alaska | $155,170 | $126,080 to $172,000 | 710 |
| Arizona | $134,420 | $126,880 to $159,780 | 7,220 |
| Arkansas | $125,660 | $105,450 to $137,550 | 3,970 |
| California | $168,520 | $145,980 to $209,350 | 25,120 |
| Colorado | $132,930 | $118,410 to $150,990 | 4,270 |
| Connecticut | $138,470 | $124,870 to $160,700 | 3,750 |
| Delaware | $131,040 | $112,020 to $153,050 | 1,430 |
| District of Columbia | $135,880 | $125,490 to $160,950 | 680 |
| Florida | $129,510 | $112,380 to $137,610 | 21,790 |
| Georgia | $129,430 | $110,360 to $141,240 | 10,460 |
| Guam | $118,670 | $93,880 to $146,020 | 90 |
| Hawaii | $135,570 | $124,530 to $165,810 | 550 |
| Idaho | $132,540 | $123,920 to $151,600 | 1,750 |
| Illinois | $130,680 | $113,320 to $142,000 | 9,270 |
| Indiana | $128,830 | $111,310 to $135,990 | 7,450 |
| Iowa | $130,160 | $122,720 to $141,940 | 3,240 |
| Kansas | $126,650 | $108,460 to $133,940 | 3,780 |
| Kentucky | $122,870 | $106,240 to $132,720 | 4,770 |
| Louisiana | $125,600 | $109,850 to $135,610 | 5,380 |
| Maine | $130,260 | $120,830 to $141,440 | 1,650 |
| Maryland | $131,110 | $119,660 to $147,140 | 6,710 |
| Massachusetts | $142,440 | $132,460 to $168,100 | 8,070 |
| Michigan | $131,450 | $117,990 to $140,850 | 8,290 |
| Minnesota | $133,260 | $111,750 to $155,260 | 7,780 |
| Mississippi | $124,730 | $106,660 to $134,020 | 4,690 |
| Missouri | $129,930 | $119,910 to $144,640 | 7,710 |
| Montana | $137,210 | $123,260 to $151,860 | 1,260 |
| Nebraska | $132,130 | $118,440 to $140,900 | 2,340 |
| Nevada | $140,670 | $110,160 to $161,760 | 1,930 |
| New Hampshire | $137,550 | $125,030 to $155,620 | 1,770 |
| New Jersey | $159,310 | $136,740 to $170,530 | 9,950 |
| New Mexico | $137,520 | $124,740 to $160,950 | 1,770 |
| New York | $153,510 | $132,490 to $170,290 | 22,890 |
| North Carolina | $128,990 | $114,260 to $142,180 | 9,800 |
| North Dakota | $130,070 | $107,290 to $135,620 | 1,290 |
| Ohio | $124,870 | $106,670 to $134,750 | 15,400 |
| Oklahoma | $133,390 | $122,530 to $152,330 | 3,620 |
| Oregon | $155,680 | $134,840 to $168,700 | 2,820 |
| Pennsylvania | $130,140 | $110,960 to $142,720 | 10,670 |
| Rhode Island | $135,970 | $131,310 to $163,450 | 1,180 |
| South Carolina | $123,290 | $107,930 to $132,220 | 5,670 |
| South Dakota | $128,840 | $108,190 to $136,180 | 1,020 |
| Tennessee | $117,590 | $102,640 to $130,330 | 12,150 |
| Texas | $131,670 | $113,840 to $147,660 | 25,970 |
| Utah | $130,920 | $120,740 to $150,940 | 2,740 |
| Vermont | $134,740 | $127,340 to $157,000 | 700 |
| Virginia | $127,810 | $109,180 to $139,500 | 7,110 |
| Washington | $156,100 | $129,670 to $169,500 | 6,700 |
| West Virginia | $127,320 | $108,520 to $133,220 | 2,550 |
| Wisconsin | $131,980 | $123,410 to $147,970 | 5,160 |
| Wyoming | $132,200 | $116,430 to $143,420 | 440 |
Nationally: $132,300. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 15 of its 27 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Maintain complete and detailed records of patients' health care plans and prognoses. | Not published |
| AI + software | Develop treatment plans, based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and professional practice guidelines. | Not published |
| AI + software | Provide patients with information needed to promote health, reduce risk factors, or prevent disease or disability. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Analyze and interpret patients' histories, symptoms, physical findings, or diagnostic information to develop appropriate diagnoses. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Diagnose or treat complex, unstable, comorbid, episodic, or emergency conditions in collaboration with other health care providers as necessary. | Not published |
| Not much | Prescribe medication dosages, routes, and frequencies, based on such patient characteristics as age and gender. | Not published |
See all 27 tasks
| Not much | Diagnose or treat chronic health care problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. | Not published |
| Not much | Prescribe medications based on efficacy, safety, and cost as legally authorized. | Not published |
| AI + software | Recommend diagnostic or therapeutic interventions with attention to safety, cost, invasiveness, simplicity, acceptability, adherence, and efficacy. | Not published |
| Not much | Diagnose or treat acute health care problems, such as illnesses, infections, or injuries. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Counsel patients about drug regimens and possible side effects or interactions with other substances, such as food supplements, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, or herbal remedies. | 0.07% |
| AI + software | Order, perform, or interpret the results of diagnostic tests, such as complete blood counts (CBCs), electrocardiograms (EKGs), and radiographs (x-rays). | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain current knowledge of state legal regulations for nurse practitioner practice, including reimbursement of services. | Not published |
| AI + software | Consult with, or refer patients to, appropriate specialists when conditions exceed the scope of practice or expertise. | Not published |
| Not much | Detect and respond to adverse drug reactions, with special attention to vulnerable populations such as infants, children, pregnant and lactating women, or older adults. | Not published |
| AI + software | Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing. | Not published |
| Not much | Educate patients about self-management of acute or chronic illnesses, tailoring instructions to patients' individual circumstances. | Not published |
| Not much | Treat or refer patients for primary care conditions, such as headaches, hypertension, urinary tract infections, upper respiratory infections, and dermatological conditions. | Not published |
| AI + software | Schedule follow-up visits to monitor patients or evaluate health or illness care. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform routine or annual physical examinations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain departmental policies and procedures in areas such as safety and infection control. | Not published |
| Not much | Recommend interventions to modify behavior associated with health risks. | 0.02% |
| Not much | Advocate for accessible health care that minimizes environmental health risks. | Not published |
| AI + software | Keep abreast of regulatory processes and payer systems, such as Medicare, Medicaid, managed care, and private sources. | Not published |
| Not much | Supervise or coordinate patient care or support staff activities. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform primary care procedures such as suturing, splinting, administering immunizations, taking cultures, and debriding wounds. | Not published |
| AI alone | Provide patients or caregivers with assistance in locating health care resources. | 0.01% |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 6 of the 27 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 27 tasks fall under 22 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #24 Assist others to access additional services or resources
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treat injuries, illnesses, or diseases | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Advise patients or clients on medical issues | |||
| Diagnose health conditions or disorders | |||
| Prescribe medical treatments or devices | |||
| Assist others to access additional services or resources | |||
| Analyze health or medical data | |||
| Explain medical information to patients or family members |
Show all 22 activities
| Advocate for individual or community needs | |||
| Schedule appointments | |||
| Monitor health conditions of humans or animals | |||
| Administer basic health care or medical treatments | |||
| Develop patient or client care or treatment plans | |||
| Examine people or animals to assess health conditions or physical characteristics | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Train others on health or medical topics | |||
| Follow standard healthcare safety procedures to protect patient and staff members | |||
| Confer with healthcare or other professionals about patient care | |||
| Administer emergency medical treatment | |||
| Operate medical equipment | |||
| Order medical tests or procedures | |||
| Maintain health or medical records |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Advice or a recommendation47%
- An explanation or answer33%
- A document or report5%
- An analysis or summary4%
- A plan or strategy3%
How they worked with Claude
6% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for nurse practitioners specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 23,269 moves out
- 1 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 24%
- 2 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 10%
- 3 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 8%
- 4 Lawyers Very high +4.7% 6%
- 5 Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary Very high +17.9% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 44,634 moves in
- 1 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 30%
- 2 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 7%
- 3 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 5%
- 4 Nursing Assistants Low +2.6% 4%
- 5 Lawyers Very high +4.7% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 4% bachelor's
- 65% master's
- 26% research doctorate
- 4% post-doctoral training
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 23 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 1% high school
- 9% bachelor's
- 70% master's
- 10% professional degree
- 10% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 3,544 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
20 programs, such as Nursing Administration, Adult Health Nurse/Nursing and Family Practice Nurse/Nursing.
See all
- Nursing Administration
- Adult Health Nurse/Nursing
- Family Practice Nurse/Nursing
- Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing
- Nursing Science
- Pediatric Nurse/Nursing
- Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing
- Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing
- Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Critical Care Nursing
- Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing
- Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing
- Nursing Practice
- Palliative Care Nursing
- Clinical Nurse Leader
- Geriatric Nurse/Nursing
- Women's Health Nurse/Nursing
- Forensic Nursing
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
>95% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | not published | |
| a certification | not published | |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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