As the shortage of primary care physicians intensifies throughout the country, ensuring an ample supply of highly educated healthcare professionals such as advanced practice nurses is recognized as the quickest and least expensive way to solve this problem.
Starting in 1995, the state of South Carolina mandated that an APRN have an MSN to be able to practice in the state. These MSN-educated nurses receive high salaries for their expertise in critical thinking, judgment, and their extra level of expertise. In 2013, the median salary for APRNs in South Carolina was at least $24,910 higher than that of staff nurses who typically have BSNs or ADNs according to the state’s Department of Employment and Workforce.
In 2013, there were 233 students enrolled in MSN programs in South Carolina according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
A Comparison of APRN and RN Salaries in South Carolina
Data on salaries from the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce demonstrates the economic benefits of getting an MSN. This is apparent in its analysis of the 2013 wages of nursing professionals who have MSNs and those of staff nurses who typically have an undergraduate degree or a diploma:
Annual Salaries:
Hourly Wages:
Another analysis that demonstrates the increase in salaries for MSN-educated nurses in South Carolina is that of the Advance Healthcare Network for Nurses. Its 2013 salary of nurses in the southern US revealed that nurses in this part of the country with MSNs earned an average of $13,570 more per year as compared to those with BSNs:
- MSN $74,539
- BSN $60,969
Salaries for Nurse Practitioners Throughout South Carolina
Salary data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates how the salaries of nurse practitioners vary throughout South Carolina. Those in the Charlotte and Spartanburg areas had the highest salaries in 2013:
Nurse Anesthetist Salaries in South Carolina
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the salaries of nurse anesthetists in key regions of South Carolina for 2013. Those in the upper savannah nonmetropolitan area of the state had significantly higher salaries than nurse anesthetists in South Carolina’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.