Want to make up to 3½ times Georgia’s average salary, more than twice what the state’s 90% best paid people make? From nurse practitioner to nurse anesthetist, the top paying nurse jobs can come with top paydays. Those topping the list can make up to $127 an hour, based on a 40-hour week; that’s a $263,960 salary.
Here are the top five best paid nursing careers going into 2025, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and ZipRecruiter.
Nurse anesthetists
With an average wage of $214,200, nurse anesthetists made nearly 3½ times more than the average Georgia worker and 2½ times more than the state’s registered nurses in 2023. They are the highest paid nurses heading into 2025, according to Nurse.org.
The highest paid nurse anesthetists for 2023 worked in outpatient care centers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, earning an average $263,960. That’s $126.91 per hour.
Nurse midwives
Nurse midwives landed second in the rankings, despite averaging less than half a nurse anesthetist’s pay. They made an average $131,570 in 2023, roughly $63.26 an hour.
The 90% most well paid nurse midwives took home considerably more, averaging $177,530 salaries. Outpatient care centers tended to pay the best overall.
NICU nurses
According to ZipRecruiter, neonatal intensive care nurses averaged around $128,211 a year. At less than a 1.9% pay bump, nurse midwives make almost as much as NICU nurses right now.
General nurse practitioners
Nurse practitioners each walked away with around $126,260 in 2023. The 90% highest paid NPs, however, earned closer to $168,030 — around $80.79 an hour.
The highest paid nurse practitioners worked in business support services, making around $180,570 each.
Advanced practice registered nurses
Advanced practice registered nurses make around 30% more than the average U.S. nurse. Their pay rests around $112,339, but the highest paid can make around $158,000.
How does nurse pay compare to the average Georgia salary?
In Georgia, workers each made about $61,250 in 2023. The state’s nurses took home considerably more than that, averaging $90,000. Entering the nursing field in almost any capacity can mean a major pay boost, but certain opportunities can put a nurse among the 90% highest paid people. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, that was around a $109,990 salary in 2023.
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