In 2013, the North Dakota Center for Nursing reported that one of the most significant trends in nursing in the state was the continuing increase in the number of nurses returning to school to obtain post-licensure degrees. Enrollment in MSN programs in North Dakota increased from 326 in 2008-09 to 639 in the 2011-12 fiscal year, according to the state’s Board of Nursing.
Nurses with his high level of education are highly compensated for their additional clinical, analytical, and leadership skills. Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) specialists in North Dakota earned average salaries that were 1.56 to 3.06 times higher than those of staff nurses in 2013 according to the state’s Workforce Intelligence Network.
As of February 2015, the number of APRN licenses in the state totaled 1,227. Nurse practitioners in particular are expected to provide high quality medical care in areas of North Dakota that lack an adequate number of physicians. In addition to working as APRNs, MSN-educated nurses are qualified to serve as nurse educators, administrators, informaticists and researchers.
A Salary Analysis of APRNs in North Dakota
Obtaining an MSN brings with it a significant increase in earning power in North Dakota. This is evident from a comparison of the salaries of different types of ARPNs to those of staff nurses who typically have diplomas or undergraduate degrees.
The North Dakota Workforce Intelligence Network provides this salary information for 2013:
Additional evidence for this salary increase comes from a survey by the Advance Healthcare Network for Nurses in 2012. Its analysis of salaries in North Dakota and other parts of the Midwest revealed that ARPNs earned an average of $31,941 a year more than staff nurses:
- APRN – $87,608
- Staff Nurse – $55,667
The findings of this survey also revealed that MSN-educated nurses in North Dakota earned more on average than those located in the rest of the Midwestern states.
Nurse Practitioner Salaries in Key Regions of North Dakota
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides salary information for nurse practitioners who worked in North Dakota in 2013. It revealed that those who worked in the west central nonmetropolitan part of North Dakota earned substantially higher salaries:
Nurse Anesthetist Salaries in North Dakota’s Key Regions
An analysis of nurse anesthetist salaries in key regions of North Dakota demonstrated the high salaries earned by these professionals. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides this information for 2013. This analysis demonstrates that nurse anesthetists who were employed in the west central nonmetropolitan part of North Dakota earned higher salaries than those in the state’s major metropolitan areas:
*These figures represent hourly wages that are at least $90.00 per hour or annual salaries that are at least $187,199. These are the maximum salaries reported by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics for North Dakota.