Online Nursing Degrees and Salaries

By Rob Staples

The road to increasing your nursing salary has become smoother with the help of an online nursing degree.

If you feel like you're not moving forward in your nursing career, then an online nursing degree may be what you're missing. An online nursing degree program is a convenient and efficient way to improve your nursing degree level and open doors to new nursing career opportunities. An online nursing degree is also a great way to become a certified nurse in the field of your choice. Certification will not only make you a strong candidate to prospective employers, but it will also directly impact your level of nursing salary.

Don't settle for just any nursing job. Enjoy the freedom of choosing a nursing job that fits your personality, offers career satisfaction and opportunity and serves your financial needs.

Learn how obtaining—or advancing in—an online nursing degree program will affect your nursing salary.

Online Nursing Degree and Nursing Salaries

According to surveys conducted by PayScale.com in July 2011, the following median nursing salaries were recorded according to nursing career, certification and degree:

Nursing Career	Median Salary*
Registered Nurse (RN)	$52,648
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)	$39,772
Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)	$76,178
Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)	$90,082
Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP)	$76,730
Nurse Anesthetist (CNS)	$125,899
Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)	$81,586
Nurse Practitioner (NP)	$83,293
Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN)	$65,073

Nursing Certification	Median Salary
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)	$54,820
Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)	$57,020
Critical Care	$55,445
Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP)	$56,171
Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN)	$65,073
Certified Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN)	$68,870
Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN)	$58,705
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)	$38,315
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)	$24,304

Nursing Degree	Median Salary
Bachelor of Science, Nursing (BSN)	$62,015
Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)	$57,095
Master of Science, Nursing (MSN)	$76,029
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)	$36,989
Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN)	$59,238
Associate of Applied Science (AAS)	$56,032
Diploma, Nursing	$52,404

Nursing Salaries by Years of Experience

Where you live and your experience in a particular nursing field can play a significant part in your nursing salary level. These factors should be taken into account when pursuing your online nursing degree. The following salary ranges, shown according to years of experience in a certain nursing field, were recorded by PayScale.com in a May 2010 survey:

Licensed Practical Nurse – Years Experience	Salary Range
Less than 1 year	$27,311 – $39,675
1 – 4 years	$28,799 – $40,244
5 – 9 years	$30,616 – $45,113
10 – 19 years	$32,173 – $46,327

Registered Nurse – Years Experience	Salary Range
Less than 1 year	$29,171 – $62,544
1 – 4 years	$33,759 – $68,460
5 – 9 years	$46,724 – $76,632
10 – 19 years	$49,442 – $73,582

Nurse Practitioner – Years Experience	Salary Range
Less than 1 year	$59,893 – $76,726
1 – 4 years	$66,111 – $81,503
5 – 9 years	$71,251 – $88,546
10 – 19 years	$71,903 – $93,023

_{*Depends on company size, specific job and location}

The possibilities and opportunities in the nursing field are endless, and will continue to rise in the years to come. There is not a better time to get your online nursing degree and take advantage of the many benefits and opportunities online nursing degree programs will present, so why wait?

Achieve your nursing degree goals and continue your journey to a successful and fulfilling career by registering for an online nursing degree program today.