Diagnose and treat illnesses, order tests, and prescribe medication, often as a patient's main provider.
Clinics, hospitals, and private practices; steady patient contact.
Usually full-time; some evenings, weekends, and on-call.
May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
Master's degree
Training path: RN first, then an MSN.
Requires a state license and national certification in a specialty; nurses train as RNs first.
Among the fastest-growing jobs anywhere — near-physician scope in many states.
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Standard Occupational Classification 29-1171. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.