What many people do not realize is that there are a number of nursing careers within the profession that you could choose to specialize in. This is ideal for nurses who have developed a specific love for an area of nursing and who would like to focus more intensely on nursing in that area. Many of these specialties may more than others and the top highest paying nursing careers are undisputed.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
The average salary for this high paying nurse career is: $135,000
The job of a nurse anesthetist is to safely administer anesthesia to patients. A nurse anesthetist will usually work with:
- Surgeons
- Anesthesiologists
- Dentists
- Podiatrists
There are three main steps to becoming a nurse anesthetist:
Prepare For A Master’s Degree In Nurse Anesthesia
Before you can enter a master’s degree program you need to have a bachelor’s degree in nursing. In high school you should focus on math and science as well as biology. Once you graduate you can enter a bachelor’s degree of nursing science. However you need to do very well in this program in order to enter a master’s degree program as competition is stiff.
Apply To A Nurse Anesthesia Program
Next you must get a high score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) in order to apply for a nurse anesthetist master’s program. To enter the program you will have to undergo an interview and meet certain requirements. Once you are accepted you must respond by the due date specified.
Complete Education And Examination Requirements
Work hard at school to stand out and beat the competition and then take the CRNA test administered by the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists (CCNA).
Nurse Researcher
The average salary for this high paying nurse career is: $95,000
The two primary tasks of nurse researchers are the following:
- Work as analysts for private companies or health policy nonprofit
- Publish research studies based on data collected on specific pharmaceutical/medical/nursing product and practices
In order to qualify for an entry-level position as a nurse researcher you need to hold a bachelor’s degree. This is the minimum requirements. To earn a bachelor’s degree you must do the following:
- Graduate from high school.
- Enter a bachelor’s degree program. This program must be accredited by the appropriate bodies in your state. Your state board of nursing can provide you with information on accredited programs. Each program will have different entry requirements.
- Complete the program with as high a score as possible and become registered as an RN.
However if you want an advanced position with greater pay and responsibility you will need to earn a master’s degree in nursing. Master’s degree programs generally allow you to specialize in whichever area of nursing you are most interested in. In addition you will find it far easier to have your research taken seriously and to be published in significant papers and journals if you have a doctorate degree in nursing. This is a highly intensive specialty to become involved in, from an academic point of view, and will require a large amount of hard work on your part. The actual amount that you can earn can be as much as $100,000 a year if you have a great deal of experience.
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
The average salary for this high paying nurse career is: $95,000
Psychiatric nurse practitioners:
- Provide care to patients suffering from psychiatric and mental health disorders
- Provide consultation to patients suffering from psychiatric and mental health disorders
This is one of the potentially more dangerous of the top highest paying nursing careers a psychiatric patients can be unpredictable. In many ways this nurse specialty is very much like being a psychiatrist in that you will provide counseling and medication to your patients.
The industry that you work in can affect your salary:
- In Healthcare you can earn anything from $68,899 to $114,119 a year
- In Community Mental Health you can earn anything from $63,089 to $102,675 a year
- In Psychiatric Services you can earn anything from $68,312 to $115,745 a year
- In Hospital you can earn anything from $69,993 to $116,174 a year
- In Psychiatric Hospital you can earn anything from $68,205 to $111,467 a year
In addition to this the degree that you hold plays a role in how much you can earn as a psychiatric nurse practitioner:
- With a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) you can earn about $64,000 – $111,243 a year
- With a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Psychiatry you can earn about $60,402 – $148,994 a year
- With a Master of Science (MS), Nursing you can earn about $77,419 – $100,529 a year
- With a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner you can earn about $85,223 – $103,177 a year
- With a Doctorate (PhD) you can earn about $76,282 – $108,615 a year
Certified Nurse Midwife
The average salary for this high paying nurse career is: $84,000
The certified nurse midwife is responsible for overseeing the birth process, including:
- Giving family planning advice
- Engaging in prenatal and neonatal care
- Assisting in the delivery process
There are a number of salary figures to be taken into account when considering how much a certified nurse midwife is eligible to earn. Although the medium salary is $84,000 you may earn anything between $52,287 and $103,489 when you take bonuses and profit sharing into account. Your salary can also vary according to industry and the degree that you have earned.
If you work in the healthcare sector you will earn about $48,532 – $98,570 a year while obstetrics and gynecology jobs pay a little more at $54,262 – $101,988 a year. Working in a hospital will earn you about $48,726 – $100,383 a year and the medical services pay certified nurse midwives about $47,337 – $99,418 a year. Family planning, women and children healthcare centers, common places to find certified nurse midwives, pay around $41,459 – $91,456 a year. With a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and a specialization in Midwifery your salary will vary between $68,314 and $98,575 a year, while a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) without a specialization will earn you around $45,500 – $107,500 a year. A Bachelor’s Degree earns you about $69,919 – $85,989 a year.
Other factors to take into account are the policies of your specific employer as well as the general pay expected in your state and city for certified nurse midwives.
Pediatric Endocrinology Nurse
The average salary for this high paying nurse career is: $81,000
This is a highly specific nursing specialty and involves working specifically with children (classified as any person 18 years old or younger) who have a disease or disorder that involves the endocrine system. This often involves educating both parents and children on the physical and sexual development issues that arise from these disorders.
To become a nurse in this area of specialization you must:
- Earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), OR
- Earn an associate degree in nursing, OR
- Complete a nursing diploma program
Following that you will be required to write the NCLEX-PN examination which will allow you to become a licensed registered nurse. These exams are required in all states and can be state specific. You need to be licensed specifically for the state in which you would like to work as a nurse.
The next step is to take a master’s degree program or a doctorate degree program in pediatric endocrinology. This will be a long program that will require intensive study and great deal of attention and devotion. If you are unwilling to give this program the attention it requires you will not be able to pass.
Before you will be able to enter such a program you will be required to gain working experience. You should try and focus your employment options on:
- Pediatric nursing
- Diabetes education
- Endocrinology
- Internal medicine
There is no actual certification required for this job, but it is suggested that you advance your knowledge in this area through:
- Self-study
- On-the-job training
- Continuing education courses
Orthopedic Nurse
The average salary for this high paying nurse career is: $81,000
Orthopedic nurses work with patients suffering from musculoskeletal conditions. According to http://www.aspiringnurse.com there are a number of things that can influence your salary as an orthopedic nurse. The specialty you choose to work in can affect you salary. If, for example, you choose to work in acute care you will earn and average of $78,987 per year, while those working in case management will earn around $72,000 per year. In medicine or surgery you will earn around $81,779 per year, in an operating room you will earn around $60,750 per year, in orthopedics you will earn around $76,250 per year, and in quality improvement you will earn around $85,814 per year.
The number of years of experience you have will affect your salary:
- If you have less than 5 years of experience you will earn $70,567 per year
- If you have 5-9 years of experience you will earn $74,497 per year
- If you have 10-19 years of experience you will earn $74,880 per year
- If you have 20 years or more of experience you will earn $90,000 per year
The industry you work also plays a role:
- In an Acute Care Hospital you will earn $79,950 per year
- In a Hospital you will earn $60,300 per year
- In Orthopedic Surgery you will earn $70,500 per year
Last but not least the hospital setting plays a role:
- In Extended Care or a Nursing Home you will earn $92,500 per year
- In a General Hospital you will earn $76,639 per year
Other Nursing Careers That Pay Well
Clearly the above six highest paying nursing careers are the better options if you are looking for a high paying job. However you do need to keep in mind the fact that there are more nurses in the workforce than high paying jobs to give them. Consequently you may want to settle for one of your other options, which include the following:
- As the Head of Nursing you can earn about $178,884 a year
- As a Nursing Director you can earn about $109,669 a year
- As a Head Nurse you can earn about $87,322 a year
- As a Nurse practitioner you can earn about $86,774 a year
- As a Nursing informatics analyst you can earn about $80,596 a year
- As a Nurse Practitioner you can earn about $78,000 a year
- As a Clinical Nurse Specialist you can earn about $76,000 a year
- As a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner you can earn about $75,000 a year
- As a Neonatal Nurse you can earn about $74,000 a year
- As a Nurse educator you can earn about $71,292 a year
- As a Nurse case manager you can earn about $68,032 a year
- As a Certified dialysis nurse you can earn about $63,500 a year
- As a Flight or transport nurse you can earn about $63,246 a year
- As a Certified legal nurse consultant you can earn about $62,100 a year
If there are no careers here that suit your interests there are also many other specialties that you could consider.
If you want to be a nurse with the best opportunities possible the above careers are well worth your consideration. However, because they are the top highest paying nursing careers they are also the most popular. This means that there will be a great deal of competition and you may, instead, prefer to look into one of the careers that pay a little less. In addition you will not make a great success of the career unless you also have a passion for that particular line of nursing. Without a love for your specialty you will not enjoy your job.
