When you get a higher degree in your field, you’re automatically qualified for more high-paying jobs. One of the other perks is that you can afford to be slightly less flexible with your location desires, since you’ll likely receive more job offers no matter where you live. As a nurse practitioner, this is often the case, since many hospitals and other healthcare facilities are hiring nurses in these advanced positions to take over some tasks traditionally done by doctors.

Still, you might find it hard to find a job depending on your specialty or the type of employer you want. To increase your chances of getting that perfect job, start by applying in states that hire the most nurses, in relation to general population. According to the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, those states are as follows:

• South Dakota: 10,010 nurses hired (2.528 percent of the population)
• Massachusetts: 79,670 nurses hired (2.463 percent of the population)
• Mississippi: 27,350 nurses hired (2.403 percent of the population)
• Rhode Island: 11,360 nurses hired (2.374 percent of the population)
• West Virginia: 16,910 nurses hired (2.356 percent of the population)

In all of these states, the average salaries for nurses range from $52,000 to $80,000, and with your master’s degree in nursing as a nurse practitioner, you can expect to make at least that, if not more. If salary concerns you, though, you should perhaps look to the states that pay their nurses the most money. As of 2008, those were the following states:

• California: $83,040 per year, on average
• Massachusetts: $79,390 per year, on average
• Hawaii: $77,950 per year, on average
• Maryland: $74,370 per year, on average
• New York: $73,160 per year, on average

Again, this data was compiled for all nurses, so those averages reflect salaries of LPNs and RNs with just their associate’s of bachelor’s degrees. With your master’s degree, you can command a much higher price, so many nurse practitioners find that they make more money than average, even within just a few years of graduation from an MSN program.

There’s also always a higher demand for medical staff members in cities than in more rural areas, in most cases. Moving to a city opens you up for more numerous job opportunities, many of which come attached to higher paychecks. Some of the metropolitan areas that hire the most nurses include the following:

• Rochester, Minnesota
• Gainesville, Florida
• La Crosse, Wisconsin/Minnesota
• Johnstown, Pennsylvania
• Cumberland, Maryland/West Virginia

The highest-paying jobs, however, can be found in the following metropolitan areas:

• San Jose – Sunnyvale – Santa Clara, California: $104,400 per year, on average
• Visalia – Porterville, California: $103,660 per year, on average
• San Francisco – San Mateo – Redwood City, California: $96,700 per year, on average
• Oakland – Fremont – Hayward, California: $96,150 per year, on average
• Napa, California: $88,970 per year, on average

With your MSN degree, the sky really is the limit when it comes to finding a job you love with a salary deserving of your time and educational level. Remember, some employers will even pay for you to go on to get your doctorate with tuition reimbursement programs, so consider all of your job options carefully before you accept an offer.

Nowadays, earning an advance nursing degree online from the comfort of your own home is quite simple. The following schools are tops in the nation in terms of delivering a quality, accredited online nursing practition education.

MSN - Nurse Practitioner RN to MSN - Informatics RN to MSN - Education RN to MSN - Leadership	Walden University — The Walden School of Nursing offers several unique master's in nursing degree programs for the aspiring nurse practitioner. For those RNs who have already obtained their BSN degrees, there are multiple fast-track MSN programs offered that will get you on the path to your degree as fast as possible.
MSN - Clinical Nursing MSN - Adult Nursing MSN - Family Nursing MSN - Women's Health More...	University of Cincinnati — The MS in nursing degree program with a specialization in women's health practition offered online by the University of Cincinnati is geared toward nursing students wanting to receive expert training on women's health issues. Graduates of this program will be qualified as nurse practitioners with a valuable niche skillset. Cincinnati also offers many other nurse practitioner degree programs, as listed on the left.
MS in Nursing MSN / MHA Dual Degree MSN - Health Education MSN - Health Informatics	University of Phoenix — The Master of Science in nursing for nurse practitioners from the University of Phoenix is a flexible online program from an accredited school. Students will learn advanced nursing skills, finance, change management, and evidence-based nursing research. Upon completion, graduates will be well prepared to advance their nursing careers.
MSN - Nurse Education MSN - Nurse Leadership RN to MSN - Nurse Practitioner	Gonzaga University — Gonzaga's Master of Science in nursing degree with a specialization in health systems leadership will dutifully prepare anyone for a career as a nurse practitioner. Students of this program learn administrative, human capital management, financial, ethical, and legal skills.
MSN for Nurse Practitioners - Acute Care	Liberty University — Liberty's Master of Science degree program in nursing is geared toward individuals interested in acute care nursing. Students of this program will be trained to become a clinical nursing specialist (CNS) in acute care. Liberty University is the largest online evangelical Christian university in the nation.
MSN for Nurse Practitioners	South University — South University has built a reputation on class flexibility and affordability and their general MSN program for nurse practitioners is no exception. This program is ideal for busy working healthcare nurses and professionals looking for advancement in their respective careers.
MSN - Adult Acute Care MSN - Adult Psych Care MSN - Clinical Trials MSN - Nursing Leadership	Drexel University — Drexel's MSN - adult acute care nurse practitioner program is geared toward preparing students for professional nursing practice with acutely ill patients. Graduates of this program can find careers in several settings, including ICUs, clinics, emergency departments, medical research laboratories, and more.
MSN - Nurse Education MSN/MBA - Leadership MSN - Nursing Leadership	Grand Canyon University — Grand Canyon University is always worth a look for students seeking a well-rounded education that integrates the ideals of the Christian belief set. GCU is not only one of the most renowned Christian universities in the nation, but also offers a variety of graduate-level nursing degrees for students to choose from.
MSN for Nurse Practitioners	Kaplan University — The MSN nurse practitioner degree program from Kaplan allows nurses with bachelor's degrees to take their careers to the next level. Students of this program will learn advanced nursing theory, health policy, evidence-based decision making, financing, and more.
MSN - Nurse Educator MSN - Nurse Educator Bridge	Capella University — The master's degree in nursing education is taught in two flavors by Capella University. The regular BSN in nursing education is geared toward nurses with a BSN under their belts. They also offer an MSN bridge to nursing education that is designed for bachelor's degree holders in other subjects not related to nursing.
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