Nurse practitioners play an integral role in providing healthcare and work in various settings, including hospitals, physician offices and clinics.
Below are six stats about the U.S. nurse practitioner workforce.
1. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners estimates there were more than 325,000 licensed nurse practitioners in the U.S. as of December 2020.
2. Overall employment of nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners is projected to grow 45 percent by 2030, significantly faster than the average for all occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
3. Based on national bureau data as of May 2020, the mean annual wage for nurse practitioners was $114,510, with California offering the highest mean annual wage — $145,970.
4. There are 24 states — including New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, Minnesota, Hawaii and Connecticut — that offer patients full and direct access to nurse practitioners, according to the AANP.
5. An AANP survey found that 61 percent of nurse practitioners had treated or were treating COVID-19 patients in June 2020, and 58 percent reported they were testing patients for the coronavirus at their practices.
6. Nurse practitioners replaced physicians at the top of Merritt Hawkins' list of most recruited providers. The finding comes from the search and consulting firm's "2021 Review of Physician and Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives" report.