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Nurse practitioners in the Commonwealth of Virginia earn an average of $120,870 (Bureau of Labor Statistics - 2023), nearly 5% below the nationwide annual wage. There is room for growth as proven by the top tier of nurse practitioners in the state at $153,400 per year. So what can you do to bridge the almost 30% gap? Let’s take a look below.
Virginia Nurse Practitioner Salaries – Visualized
Nurse Practitioners Salaries in urban areas of Virginia
| Metro Area | # Employed | Mean Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | 110 | $117,300 |
| Charlottesville, VA | 500 | $127,680 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | 80 | $114,470 |
| Lynchburg, VA | 270 | $113,780 |
| Richmond, VA | 1,310 | $125,900 |
| Roanoke, VA | 290 | $113,710 |
| Staunton-Waynesboro, VA | 80 | $124,400 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 1,600 | $118,230 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | 160 | $116,120 | Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics - 2023 |
Nurse Practitioners Salaries in rural areas of Virginia
| Metro Area | # Employed | Mean Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 290 | $113,590 |
| Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 210 | $113,080 |
| Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 40 | $106,820 |
| Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 60 | $119,320 | Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics - 2023 |
Increase Your Nurse Practitioner Salary in Virginia
Review the Healthcare Workforce Data
The Old Dominion has an abundance of resources available for nursing professionals to take into account. You can use all of these to make more informed decisions regarding the direction to take your career. Start with the healthcare workforce data center. Within this data center you can find the following analyses:
- Professional Nursing Workforce Reports show licensing trends
- Dashboards help to see visual trends
- Healthcare Workforce Briefs show reports on earnings
As a nurse practitioner, you can use the information in this data center to make intelligent decisions that will determine your trajectory toward the path that increases your salary.
Geographical Relocation
Once you’ve analyzed the data, another way to increase your salary in Virginia is by relocating to the region with the highest wages. Currently, the southside Virginia non-metropolitan region averages 6% higher annually with the top 10% earning in excess of $150,000 per year. You could move there, but moving across state lines into Maryland can also increase your nurse practitioner income to a comparable level.
Join Professional Organizations
Other than trend-watching and geographical relocation, you can also increase your nurse practitioner salary by joining a professional organization such as the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners. Associations like this one provide an abundance of opportunities to advance your career including:
- Networking Opportunities
- Job Boards
- Legislative Updates
- Continuing Education Classes
- Advocacy for FPA
The Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners is another similar organization that advocates for health care professionals. The annual conferences are excellent opportunities to both increase your skills and network with professionals to advance your career. Two additional organizations include the Virginia Organization of Nurse Executives and Leaders and the Virginia Nurses Association. As a nurse practitioner, it’s advantageous to stay informed with the Virginia Board of Nursing, which posts legislative updates that are relevant to practitioners in the state.
Submit Your Resume for a Professional Review
Standing out in a crowd can be difficult. In order to get future employers to notice your resume, you might consider submitting it for a review or even a revamp. Most resumes are only glanced over for a few seconds before being tossed in the mediocre pile. You have a brief opportunity to get noticed, so invest in a resume review service. You might be able to find this service for free from one of the nursing associations; but if not, it could be worth it to pay for the service. Spending $100 upfront to make your resume rise above the rest could earn you the job of your dreams.
Conclusion
The Old Dominion is as good of a state as any other to practice as a nurse practitioner. Make the most of your salary opportunities by taking advantage of the resources in front of you.