Nurse practitioners rank third on the Idaho Department of Labor’s List of Idaho’s Hot Jobs 2016-2026. Careers on this list have an abundant level of jobs that are “fast growing and high paying.”
This Department projects rapid growth for most advanced nursing professions in Idaho between 2016 and 2026. The predicted job growth for nurse-midwives is also exceptionally strong:
- Nurse Educators – 30.8%
- Nurse Practitioners – 34.8%
- Nurse Administrators and Executives – 26.2%
- Nurse-Midwives – 33.3%
It’s no surprise, then, that healthcare continues to be among the hottest industries in the state, according to the 2017 Idaho Nursing Overview from the state’s Department of Labor. While Idaho’s employment continues to post strong numbers, growing at an impressive rate of 1.8 annually (that’s three times faster than the national rate), employment in the healthcare industry is projected to grow even faster, at about 2 percent annually.
According to the Department of Labor, one of the major goals in the coming years will be for the nursing profession to “cultivate a talented and plentiful workforce.” One of the ways the state can accomplish this goal is to produce more educated nurses, such as those with Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees.
Earning a DNP offers an assurance of high salaries. According to a 2018 Advance Healthcare Network survey, nurse practitioners throughout the country in 2018 and determined that NPs with a DNP earned an average of $7,683 more a year than NPs with a master’s degree.
Statewide Salary Data for DNP-Educated APRNs and More in Idaho
DNP-educated nurses in all their various roles are consistently recognized for earning top salaries (Idaho Department of Labor, 2018):
- Nurse Practitioners – $126,920-$156,000
- Nurse Administrators and Executives – $112,730-$141,840
- Nurse Educators – $87,600-$100,730
- Nurse Anesthetists: $161,730-$170,000
- Nurse-Midwives: $81,670-$100,190
Salaries for DNP Nurses in Idaho’s Major Cities
The Idaho Department of Labor provides salary information for DNP-educated advanced nursing professionals in the most populated cities in the state (2018):
Nurse Anesthetists:
- Boise City: $160,720-$168,910
Nurse Practitioners:
- Boise City: $132,790-$162,620
- Pocatello: $112,090-$128,880
- Idaho Falls: $116,140-$131,350
Nurse Administrators and Executives:
- Boise City: $118,480-$151,320
- Idaho Falls: $104,650-$126,580
- Pocatello: $105,900-$125,210
An Overview of Hourly Wages for Idaho’s DNP-Educated Nurses
A 2019 Medscape Compensation Report found that about three-quarters of APRNs were paid overtime, which reveals that these advanced nursing clinicians are paid by the hour and often enjoy opportunities to earn even higher salaries through overtime wages.
The Idaho Department of Labor provides hourly wages for DPN-educated nursing professionals, as of 2018:
- Nurse Anesthetists: $77.76-$81.73
- Nurse Midwives: $39.27-$48.17
- Nurse Practitioners: $60.72-$75.00
- Nurse Administrators and Executives: $54.20-$68.19
Salary and employment data compiled by the Idaho Department of Labor in May of 2018 – (https://lmi.idaho.gov/projections). Salary data represents state and MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) average and median earnings for the occupations listed and includes workers at all levels of education and experience. This data does not represent starting salaries. Employment conditions in your area may vary.
All salary and job growth data accessed in December 2019.
This page includes salaries that fall within the 75th and 90th percentiles for each nursing role to account for the fact that DNP-educated nurses are recognized as earning more than master’s-prepared nurses in the same roles.