Salary With A Masters Degree In Nursing

Nurses make good money and nurses with masters degrees command even higher salaries. These salaries are not always that much higher than the salaries of floor nurses but your salary with a masters in nursing will depend on your exact job and specialty. Take a look at the average salary with a masters degree in nursing as well as some factors that will influence your salary.

Average Salaries

Again, the average salary for a nurse with a masters is not necessarily indicative of what you will make with your masters in nursing. The reasons for that will be discussed shortly but first know that most nurses with masters degrees make anywhere from $60,000 to $80,000 a year with some making much more. If you decide to use your masters in nursing to teach, however, then you could be making significantly less. It all depends on the place where you work and the institution that you teach at.

The Role Of Specialties

Your specialty will make a big difference in how much you make with your masters in nursing. Some specialties will have you making only a small amount more than floor nurses while other specialties will have you raking in astronomical amounts of dough. This is why you should take great care in choosing your specialty. Of course, you should select whatever area of medicine you are most passionate about and that you believe you will enjoy working in but you should also know how your choice of specialty will impact your salary. If you want to make as much money as possible then you will want to choose your specialty accordingly.

Do You Really Need A Masters?

You don’t need a masters to be a nurse and you don’t need a masters to have a successful career in the field of nursing. Registered nurse can make anywhere from $50,000 to $70,000 a year depending on how much experience they have in the field and on where they work. A masters degree only helps to take you to the next level of nursing. Whether or not this is important to you is up to you.

You salary with a masters degree in nursing will depend upon what your specialty is. This is the big deciding factor. But whatever specialty you choose know that you will still be working to help people when they need you most and you will be making plenty of money doing it.

Most Popular RN-MSN Degree Programs

Registered nurses looking for career advancement and higher salaries would do well to look into earning a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. An RN to MSN specifically is a degree designed for registered nurses who may or may not have already completed a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN). Upon completion of an RN-MSN degree program, one can become a clinical nurse specialist or nurse practitioner. Below are the top online schools offering masters in nursing degrees.

Kaplan University
RN to MSN
RN to MSN: Nurse Admin
RN to MSN: Nurse Education
Kaplan University - Kaplan University's RN to MSN program allows students to complete their bachelor's degrees and MSN together, with the MSN program in a condensed format. In addition to learning everything from basic to advanced nursing practices, students can opt to get MSNs in Nurse Administration or Nurse Education if they want to pursue management or teaching positions.
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University of Phoenix
RN to MSN
MBA/MSN Dual Degree
MHA/MSN Dual Degree
RN to MSN: Informatics
RN to MSN: Health Education
University of Phoenix - The University of Phoenix offers several RN to MSN degrees in addition to the general one, like an MBA/MSN dual degree, an MSN/MHA dual degree, or a RN to MSN degree in health care education or nursing informatics. The MBA/MSN blends advanced nursing and business management skills; the MSN/MHA combines nursing with health care related business and management skills; and the MSN/Health Care Education degree incorporates leadership skills into the Nursing program to prepare nurses to teach effectively.
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Loyola University of New Orleans
RN to MSN
RN to MSN: Health Mgmt
Loyola University of New Orleans - Offering both a general RN to MSN and specialized degree in healthcare systems management, Loyola University of New Orleans is becoming a leader in online nursing programs. The Health Care Systems Management (HCSM) specialization is designed to teach the knowledge surrounding the challenges faced by Nursing leaders in positions throughout the healthcare organization.
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Walden University
RN to MSN
RN to MSN: Informatics
RN to MSN: Education
RN to MSN: Leadership
Walden University - Walden University has specialized RN to MSN programs in Informatics, Education, and Leadership & Management. The RN to MSN in Informatics program combines nursing with computer science to help nurses use technology effectively to improve patient care. RN to MSN in Education incorporates teaching skills to the advanced nursing program. The RN to MSN in Leadership & Management prepares nurses for advanced careers and entry into management level positions.
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Capella University
MSN: Educator
MS: Educator Bridge
Capella University - Capella University offers two MSN programs: Nurse Educator, and Nurse Educator Bridge. Both programs are designed to teach registered nurses the skills they will need to take on roles as nursing faculty or clinical nurse mentors. The Nurse Educator Bridge specialization is especially good for nurses who wish to have careers teaching in higher education institutions, or even the military.
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American Sentinel University
RN to MSN
RN to MSN: Case Mgmt
RN to MSN: Nurse Informatics
RN to MSN: Nurse Leader
American Sentinel University - The RN to MSN degree programs from American Sentinel University teach advanced methods in nursing. An MSN in Informatics prepares students to manage healthcare information systems. The MSN in Case Management teaches patient care innovations, while the MSN in Leadership will help you develop leadership skills.
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Drexel University
RN to MSN: Adult Care
RN to MSN: Mental Health
RN to MSN: Nursing Faculty
RN to MSN: Entrepreneurship
RN to MSN: Management
Drexel University - Drexel University offers a wide variety of specialized MSN programs including adult acute care, adult psychiatric care, clinical trials, nurse management, entrepreneurship in advanced nursing practice, and contemporary nursing faculty. Courses are offered online, but the college is affiliated with the finest teaching hospitals in the U.S.
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Gonzaga University
RN to MSN
Gonzaga University - Gonzaga University's RN to MSN program teaches students to critically examine the latest research findings, communicate articulately to peers and patients, develop individualized holistic plans of health care, and assume leadership roles in health care – all while incorporating Jesuit values into their lives and practices.
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Post University
RN to BSN
Post University - For students looking to advance their career in Nursing, Post University has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing available online. The online course can cut many of the costs associated with campus programs, like commuting, and increased living expenses. This course can be completed at a relatively fast pace compared to its campus counterpart too.
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South University
RN to MSN
RN to MSN: Adult Health
RN to MSN: Nurse Education
South University - South University's RN to MSN nursing programs are intended to prepare students to use research, apply nursing theories, design teaching plans, implement teaching skills, and analyze how health care policy will impact clinical practice. Students will learn about caring for multicultural societies, financial management for nurses, legal and ethical issues, theoretical perspectives, nursing research methods, palliative care, and gerontological care. Specialized degrees are offered in adult health and nursing education.
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Chamberlain College of Nursing
RN to MSN
Chamberlain College of Nursing - Chamberlain College of Nursing makes the RN to MSN simple by offering two tracks: the Educator Track and the Executive Track. Courses are offered online and include classes on informatics, leadership, assessment and evaluation, managerial communication, as well as advanced nursing practices.
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University of Cincinnati
RN to MSN: Nurse Admin
RN to MSN: Nurse Educator
RN to MSN: Nurse Midwife
RN to MSN: Women's Health
University of Cincinnati - The MSN Programs at the University of Cincinnati's College of Nursing include perspectives from nursing sciences and holistic care to enhance the quality of health care its students can provide. Several MSN degrees are offered, including psychiatric NP or CNS, CNS/Nurse Education, Nursing Administration, Nurse Midwifery, and Women's Health.
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Sacred Heart University
RN to MSN: Clinical Nursing
RN to MSN: Nurse Education
RN to MSN: Patient Care
Sacred Heart University - Sacred Heart University offers numerous specialties in it's graduate nursing program. The MSNs in clinical nursing and patient care are designed to teach how to provide the most efficient and effective patient care. The MSN in nurse education is designed to complement your clinical skills in teaching future nurses with the best practices of nursing.
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Utica College
RN to BSN
Utica College - Utica College is an inexpensive alternative for students who want to further their careers in Nursing quickly. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing provides a more in-depth study and allows students to pursue higher level positions. Moreover, most masters programs required a Bachelor's degree making this a highly sought-after program and valuable addition to your education.
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Grand Canyon University
RN to MSN: Education
RN to MSN: Leadership
Grand Canyon University - Grand Canyon University offers an RN to MSN in Nursing Education and an RN to MSN in Leadership in Healthcare Systems. GCU has an exceptional record of students passing the NCLEX-RN examination, and graduates are frequently recruited by health care facilities. The RN to MSN in Leadership in Healthcare Systems uniquely combines graduate nursing core courses and courses taken with the MS in Leadership program, emphasizing communication skills.
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Benedictine University
RN to MSN
Benedictine University - The online Benedictine University RN to MS in nursing program focuses on the interrelated academic preparation in areas of leadership, education, administration, and global health care. The curriculum includes courses on the elderly population, those with chemical addictions, HIV/AIDS, the poor and those with catastrophic illnesses.
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