Arizona Nurse Practitioner Salary Guide - 2024

In Arizona, the average annual wage for a nurse practitioner is slightly higher than the national average. The national mean annual wage for a nurse practitioner is $128,490 (Bureau of Labor Statistics - 2023), while Arizona’s average NP wage falls at approximately $132,560. Arizona’s average wage is higher due to the state’s “full practice” policy, which allows nurse practitioners to prescribe medications.

Arizona Nurse Practitioner Salaries – Visualized

Nurse Practitioners Salaries in urban areas of Arizona

Nurse Practitioners Salaries in rural areas of Arizona

While you may be able to earn more as a nurse practitioner in Arizona than in most other states, there are plenty of things that you can still do to increase or supplement your income while staying in the state and providing much-needed services there.

Increasing Nurse Practitioner Salary in Arizona

Are you just beginning to research what a nurse practitioner (NP) does, are in school to become an NP, or are you currently a practicing NP? If so, then learning everything you can about increasing nurse practitioner salary in Arizona is something that might be of interest to you as you navigate salary negotiations and job offers.

Education & Certificates

You won’t find an entry-level job as a nurse practitioner starting at the highest possible salary tier. The training required to be a well-paid and qualified NP is a long road, but it can also open doors to all sorts of different opportunities and a higher salary.

Nurses in Arizona who earn a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) are in high demand in the state and across the country. In fact, the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity projects continuous demand for nurse practitioners who hold a DNP.  Furthermore, according to a survey by the Advance Healthcare Network, nurses who possess a DNP earn significantly more than their MSN-educated counterparts.

However, holding a DNP over an MSN is not the only way to increase your pay rate. Obtaining additional certifications in a new specialty area can also improve your professional desirability and boost your salary. For example, certifications in specialty areas like oncology, urology, and cardiac care, which affect elderly populations, can increase your salary.

Diversifying Your Resume

Diversifying your resume can make you more valuable to your employer and can even result in higher job offers. Adding abilities to your resume will make you an asset to your current or potential employer. In addition, you can gain work experience in different roles, such as a nurse administrator.

Switching between specialties within the nurse practitioner field can also be a great way to gain a wide array of experience and also increase your pay. These areas can include pediatrics, urgent care, long-term or hospice care, and on-call duty.

Mastering the Salary Negotiation Process

It’s important to arm yourself with knowledge about your potential salary before starting the salary negotiation process with a new employer or asking a current employer for a raise. Learn what nurse practitioners make before beginning the process, and tell your employers what you can bring to the table. You can also arm yourself with the average nurse practitioner salary by state to increase your bargaining power.

Consider Relocation

If you decide that increasing your nurse practitioner salary in Arizona is not the right option for you and want to look for jobs elsewhere, you can also move states. However, note that Arizona does offer some of the best wages for nurse practitioners in the country.

Whatever move you decide to make, pursuing a career as an nurse practitioner can be beneficial to you as a person, and can be helpful to your community as well.