The salaries of Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) are extremely competitive in Arkansas. Nurse practitioners and nurse anesthetists can both expect to earn more than the national average. In all cases, earning an MSN degree will pay off financially.
The 2012 national survey conducted by the Advance Healthcare Network of Nurses found the following average annual salary differences for RNs in the southern region of the US, revealing the financial rewards of graduate-level education.
- Associate’s Degree – $58,562
- Bachelor’s Degree – $61,956
- Master’s Degree – $77,370
There are eight schools in Arkansas accredited by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, which reports that 730 students were enrolled in MSN programs in 2013. Of these, 668 were nurses retuning to school for RN-MSN programs, and were studying to become APNs. Other common tracks for MSN-educated nurses include education, administration, informatics and research.
Nurse Practitioner Earnings in Arkansas
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that there were 1,000 licensed nurse practitioners in Arkansas in 2013 earning the following salaries;
For comparative purposes, the Arkansas Department of Labor’s 2013 State Wage Survey listed the following:
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows nurse practitioner salaries for different cities in Arkansas (2013):
*Salary and wage are at or above the figures shown. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics does not report earnings over $187,199/year or $90/hour.
Nurse Anesthetists Earnings in Arkansas
Nurse anesthetists generally earn the highest salaries among APNs. The following is the BLS salary table for the 240 nurse anesthetists in Arkansas.
The State Department of Labor table is the same as the BLS with one exception.
- Experienced – $170,050/$81.75
The following data represents a full BLS analysis of Nurse Anesthetist salaries for various cities and areas of Arkansas (2013):
*Salary and wage are at or above the figures shown. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics does not report earnings over $187,199/year or $90/hour.