Healthcare is a growing field. Because family nurse practitioners are in high demand, especially in areas where family doctors and general practitioners are hard to find, clinics and hospitals are eager to recruit and retain qualified nurse practitioners.
As of September 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook estimates job growth for nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners to increase by about 45% from 2020 to 2030, faster than average, accounting for an estimated increase of 121,400 jobs in the field.4 With this promising growth comes the opportunity for more aspiring FNPs to take the next step by furthering their education and their career.
GCU offers a variety of nursing and healthcare degrees through our College of Nursing and Health Care Professions, as well as online healthcare certificates. Learn more about how to become an FNP by visiting our MSN FNP program page. Discover what sets GCU apart by requesting more information using the button at the top of the page.
1 Retrieved from The American Association of Nurse Practitioners, State Practice Environment in June 2021.
2 Retrieved from The American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Are You Considering a Career as a Family Nurse Practitioner? in June 2021.
3 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners as of May 2020. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 may be atypical compared to prior years. The pandemic may also impact the predicted future workforce outcomes indicated by the BLS. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers from across the country with varying levels of education and experience and does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as Nurse Practitioners. It does not reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country. It also does not reflect a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. You may also wish to compare median salaries if you are considering more than one career path.
4 COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 may be atypical compared to prior years. The pandemic may impact the predicted future workforce outcomes indicated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as well. Accordingly, data shown is based on September 2021, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners.
Approved by Associate Dean for Graduate programs College of Nursing & Healthcare Professions on Nov. 7, 2022.