I have been an RN for 25 years with experience ranging from working in a high-volume L & D to a multi-physician OB/GYN practice as office manager. I am a newly certified NP in Women's Health. I accepted a position (24 hrs/wk) with a single physician OB/GYN ( who has been in practice for at least 15 years and has a fairly large practice) in 3/07 while I was finishing up my degree. She pays me $33 per hour with 2 weeks vacation. No other benefits are offered. Now that I have finished school, passed my certification boards I feel that I should be earning a better salary. Especially since I am hearing that I am being paid no more than most 25 year nursing veterans are making, and actually less since I have no benefits. I would really appreciate suggestions as to what salary and amount of vacation time I should actually be negotiating with my employer, since I really do not know what is appropriate at this time. Thank you for your suggestions.

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Lauren H. Theuerling

Hi, Lauren,

Congratulations on earning your degree! You can get an idea of what you should be earning from ADVANCE's Salary and Workplace Survey. We conduct the survey every other year, and results for the 2005 survey are available here: http://nurse-practitioners.advanceweb.com/Editorial/Content/editorial.aspx?CC=65135. Results for the 2007 survey will be available in January.

The articles won't tell you exactly what you personally should be making. You should take into account your setting and experience. Then bring your findings to your employer, and see if you can negotiate a raise.

Let us know how it works out!

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Jill Rollet
Senior Associate Editor
ADVANCE for Nurse Practitioners

This website "nursepractitioners.advancewen.com" has a salary survey that breaks down average salaries by region and specialities.  It was very helpful for me to see what other NP's were making in my area.  It is a couple of years old and they have recently just completed a new survey that should be out in Feb.  As far as benefits go.  You just need to ask for what you want.  When I started with the group of MD's that I am with I sat down and explained that after working for 25 years in the hospital I did not want to go back to just 2 wks vacation a year so we settled on 3 wks after the first year, 4 after the second year and 5 wks after my 5th year.  So always ask for what you want then you can always negotiate from there.  Good Luck   Mary WHNP Upland, Calif

Sadly, I don't recommend people going to NP school. I have been in the business for 20 years and an NP for 10 and I don't make much more than a 2 year degreed RN. I met a guy with a BSN doing home health care and he made $125,000 last year. I told him what I make and he was thinking of going to school to become an NP. He also had heard that he would take a pay cut and have to pay for school and work for free for clinicals.  For you, I would suggest that you calculate how many patients you see per day that you work, look up the medicare and blue cross websites and figure out insurance reimbursement for your services, (make sure you calculate secondary insurance into the formula as well) and then determine what you should be making from there.  This will give you a baseline of what the providers is making from your services.  You can also look for a medical biller skilled in your field and find out calculations from that person. In my field of psychiatry, I get a 50% reduction in payment (as do psychistrists) so the amount billable is not what you get in return so find out what deductions you get if any, in your field, as well. Hence, the need to talk to a medical biller in your field. Note that the  medical billers make about 5-7% of what you get from the insurance carriers. Good luck.

Assess what your local salary is for your position.  If you need to negotiate for a higher salary (which I think you should), you could address this by asking to go over your standards of practice and role.  As your doc sees you in your new role and notes how you can both "grow the practice" and make them more profitable, they should see your value as a provider in their office.

 It's always hard to talk about money, but it's not only protecting you, but it's also a reflection of all of us who are in the NP role.  We want to be recognized for our contributions, and salary/benefits is part of that. 

 By doing your research, you can be armed with the information that may be used to negotiate these things.  For instance, when I moved from the Midwest to California, I had to negotiate.  They wanted to pay me the same salary as I had been making.  But, I pointed out that there was a 7% cost of living increase with moving out here.  They agreed and we were able to set a reasonable salary.

 

I am a FNP-C and have been practicing for over 4 years and nine months ago, I ventured out in a field I have not previously worked in--OB-GYN.  The geographic area I work in is fairly rural and small;  There are 3 ob-gyn practices in my town.  One practice does not utilize mid-levels at all.  I am working a 3-day per week position on productivity only.  I get a flat-rate per patient depending on the acuity level of the patient.  The up-side is that this method can be very lucrative if I have all my scheduled patients come in for that day;  however, the down-side is when I do not have a full schedule and when I have no-shows.  So far, this has worked out for me.  I still make more per hour in this position that I do in other positions I have held paid by the hour. 

A rural health clinic I work in on a prn basis only with no benefits started me out at $37+ per hour 3 years ago and I now make $40+ per hour.  I still manage to do better in my ob-gyn position.  I hope this info helps you.  Best wishes.

Brenda

This is a tough question since there are so many variables. I've learned that you can make much more money doing private billing if that is an option. As a newly graduated NP in 2005, I was working for a hospital. I have continued working there part time (3 days / wk) and make $40 / hr plus benefits.

I also do independant surgical assisting which can pay very well, and take some ER call for a local Ortho group to make some extra money. (No benefits - I bill fee-for-service)

I also work part time in a NP owned family practice office. I generally do 1 day a week, sometimes 2 depending on my surgery schedule. (No benefits - I work fee-for-service.)

Last year, I made $57,300 at the hospital. (This includes some student loan repayment funds which I no longer get)
                          $37,200 at the family practice office (One day a week)
                          $66,200 doing assisting and working on-call for the Ortho office.
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                          $160,700 Gross Wages

Out of this, I pay a billing person 8% of collections for her service for the ortho and surgery billing.

 

Brenda - I posted a question on another thread about payment for productivity and I'd like to ask you a few more questions if possible.  If it's something you can't post publicly is there a way to e-mail you?  I am in an urban area in Central Ohio but really in need of some solid figures with regards to payment for productivity (i also work in ob-gyn, specifically repro-endo). If you could help me, that would be appreciated!

my e-mail is BuckeyeNP@yahoo.com

 

Lauren,

As a fellow WHNP I found when I finished school in 1994 it starting over again. I was new in a new role.with a similar background. I made five dollars more an hour than before.I currently work at two different jobs. My part time job with a large HMO pays me well. I receive all benefits- vacation,sick, health insurance, etc...My other position is with two female Ob/gyns I have know since they were residents. They pay me 41.00/hr without any benefits. I like the variety and the patients so it is ok. I think if this is your only position you might want to negotiate for a change if it has been 6 months since you finished. I am not in Ohio and not sure of the usual salary base. Good luck.

Pam

Im a Masters prepared FNP board certified by AANP an have worked in a NP/DO/MD family medicine faculty practice in Southern California that is as well a family medicine resident teaching program (with 17 resident physicians) for the last 18 years.  I love this position were I am a clinician with my own patient panel, director of NP services for family medicine department (we have 5 other NPs, 7 DOs and 7 MDs in the group)  some of my responsibilities include attending for the unlicensed resident physicians, teaching didactics and core content to prepare the residents for board exams, I am on numerous committees for credentialling, practice, writing protocals, auditing etc.

Appropriate salary is based on not your Nursing background but your level of competency as an NP and your practice situation.  Negotiate your salary.  I was able to obtain a contract of $100,000/year, bonus of $5000-$10,000/year, I have 4 weeks vacation, 2 weeks CME time, $5000/year CME money, malpractice is paid by my employer (owner of our group), 401 K with contribution match by employer, medical/Dental,Cafeteria plan, life insurance.

My work sounds heavy now that I have written it down but I really do have every weekend off and I have started a DNP program which should as well enhance any salary.

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DNPc MN FNP-C

I graduated 5 years ago...i had 23 yrs l/d    and gyn experience.  There are 3 of us in the practice now. I can tell you we all get better salaries as well as retirement, malpractice, 3 weeks vacation, profit sharing......look at the salary .com website..they will helpo alot

Think about including compensation for an annual conference in your specialty field.  (Conference registration fee, flight, hotel/meals etc)

Good luck.  Time off for CEU's