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It has never been easier for nurses to get an MSN degree and generate higher salaries in Pennsylvania. According to the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the state is home to over two-dozen nationally accredited MSN programs.
Pennsylvania also employs MSN-educated nurse in such great numbers and pays them so well that even the United States Department of Labor took notice in 2014:
- Pennsylvania held the fourth highest employment level for postsecondary nursing instructors and teachers in the country. The 3,210 postsecondary nursing instructors and teachers working in the state earned $66,170 annually.
- Nurse anesthetists were among Pennsylvania’s top 15 highest paying occupations in 2014. That year, nurse anesthetists earned $172,890 annually.
- Pennsylvania held the fifth highest employment level for nurse anesthetists in the country. At that time, there were 2,050 nurse anesthetists working statewide.
- Nursing practitioners are among Pennsylvania’s top 35 fastest growing occupations from 2012 through 2022. In 2014, there were 3,910 nurse practitioners employed here.
Experience Equals Higher Salaries for MSN-Educated Nurses in Pennsylvania
The number of years of experience a nurse acquires coincides with rising salaries and the potential for promotions. In 2014, the United States Department of Labor illustrated this interrelated relationship by releasing the following salary sets for MSN-educated nurses in Pennsylvania:
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
- Entry-level: $41,400
- Mid-career: $67,000
- Experience: $96,700
Nurse Anesthetists
- Entry-level: $127,500
- Mid-career: $159,400
- Experience: $187,200+
Nurse Midwives
- Entry-level: $55,300
- Mid-career: $87,300
- Experience: $112,500
Nurse Practitioners
- Entry-level: $45,100
- Mid-career: $90,200
- Experience: $119,700
Salaries for Pennsylvania’s Nurse Anesthetists
Philadelphia is the largest city in the state and among the top five largest cities in the country. As a result, local employers often offer high-end salaries to stay afloat in a competitive market. In 2014, the United States Department of Labor reported that the Philadelphia metropolitan division offered the highest nurse anesthetist salaries in the state:
*These salaries are equal to or greater than $90 an hour or $187,199 a year. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics does not report salary data higher than these values.
Salaries for Pennsylvania’s Nurse-Midwives
Even nurse midwives working in relatively close proximity to each other can experience noticeably salary averages in Pennsylvania. For example, in 2014 the United States Department of Labor found that nurse midwives employed in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington area earned $95,260 annually, while those in the Philadelphia metropolitan division received closer to $85,380:
Salaries for Nurse Practitioners in Pennsylvania
Nurse practitioners that intend to maximize their salary earnings in Pennsylvania are encouraged to pay close attention to salary trends throughout the state. For instance, the United States Department of Labor reported that the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre and York-Hanover areas gave nurse practitioners over $100,000 annually, making these regions the best paying locations in 2014: