A Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is a graduate-level degree that prepares nurses for advanced roles in clinical, leadership, educational and specialized healthcare fields. As healthcare evolves, the demand for advanced practice nurses continues to grow, resulting in opportunities for more rewarding careers and compensation. By developing greater expertise in their fields, MSN-educated nurses expand their career options and strengthen their earning potential.
The online MSN programs from Youngstown State University (YSU) offer specialized credentials with flexible formats. Explore more about the earning potential of an MSN, job outlooks, career options and how YSU can help prepare you for competitive nursing jobs.
What Is the Earning Potential of an MSN?
Graduate education for nurses can significantly increase earning power. Nurses with bachelor’s degrees or additional master’s education are both essential for patient care, but MSN holders are more likely to advance into roles with greater autonomy, leadership responsibility and specialized skills. Average earnings for senior or specialized roles tend to correspond with higher salaries than those for nurses with BSNs.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), BSN-prepared registered nurses earn a median annual salary of $93,600, ranging from $66,030 to $135,320. In contrast, master’s-prepared advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) earn a median of $132,050 annually. Some nurse practitioners earn up to $217,270 per year, representing the advanced skills, authority and specialized training that come with graduate education.
In addition to higher earning potential, MSN-prepared nurses also benefit from greater career stability and growth opportunities. Advanced practice nurses and nurse leaders are in increasingly greater demand as healthcare systems face staffing shortages and expand patient care.
What Is the Job Outlook for MSN-prepared Nurses?
Job outlooks for MSN-prepared nurses offer competitive advantages. BLS projects employment of nurse practitioners to grow 35% through 2034, resulting in 32,700 job openings each year. This job growth enables MSN-prepared nurses to pursue roles that align with their specialization, preferred workplace environment and overall lifestyle. Several healthcare industry factors contribute to the high demand for nurse practitioners:
- Aging populations: As life expectancy increases, older adults require more frequent and complex medical care. MSN-prepared nurses help meet this need by providing advanced assessments, chronic disease management and preventive care.
- Increased chronic care needs: Increasing cases of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and other chronic conditions require more specialized care.
- Retirements outpacing new nurses: Many experienced nurses are reaching retirement age and exiting the workforce, resulting in more vacant jobs for advanced nurses than the workforce can accommodate.
- Expanding practice scope: State-level scope of practice laws have increased the autonomy of advanced practice nurses by allowing them to diagnose, prescribe, manage treatment plans and perform other functions previously limited to physicians. These expanded responsibilities put increased importance on MSN-prepared nurses for healthcare access.
- Telehealth services: Telehealth expands access to patients in rural or underserved areas, creating new opportunities for nurses.
While there is high demand for MSN nurses, there’s also a shortage of nurse practitioners and an increased need for nurse educators and administrators. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), nursing schools turned away more than 65,000 qualified applications in 2023 due to faculty and clinical placement shortages. The AACN also reported nearly 2,000 full-time faculty vacancies, highlighting opportunities for nurses with graduate degrees to work as educators, researchers and administrators.
MSN Salary by Role
Earning potential varies by career path. MSN-prepared nurses can specialize in different roles, each with unique responsibilities and salary ranges:
- Nurse practitioner (NP): NPs provide care to specific patient populations such as pediatrics, family health, acute care or psychiatric care. The median annual salary is $129,210, with specializations such as psychiatric-mental health or neonatal often earning higher pay due to demand and complexity.
- Certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA): Nurse anesthetists earn the highest salaries in nursing, with a median annual wage of $223,210, per BLS. They administer anesthesia and manage patient pain during surgical and medical procedures. As of 2025, CRNAs must also hold nursing doctorate degrees going forward.
- Nurse educators: Nurse educators teach in academic and clinical settings, with a median annual salary of $80,780. They meet a crucial need by educating current nurses and future generations on clinical procedures, ethics and best practices.
- Acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs): ACNPs treat critically ill or injured patients in acute care settings, often focusing on adult populations with complex or chronic diseases. Adult gerontology nurse practitioners (AG-ACNPs) are ACNPs who specialize in care for geriatric populations. ACNPs earn a median annual salary of $128,440.
- Family nurse practitioner (FNP): FNPs provide care across the lifespan, often in primary care roles, with the option to start a private practice in some states. Their salaries align broadly with other nurse practitioner averages, a median of $126,260 per year.
- Certified nurse midwife (CNM): CNMs provide gynecologic, prenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care and support women’s health across the lifespan. The median annual salary is $112,457.
- Clinical nurse specialist (CNS): CNSs specialize in specific healthcare fields or patient populations, and their work focuses on educating nurses to improve patient outcomes. They earn an average salary of $105,206 per year.
- Clinical nurse leader (CNL): CNLs oversee system-level patient outcomes and quality initiatives through risk management, care coordination and interdisciplinary collaboration. They earn about $127,420 annually.
- Nurse administrator: Nurse administrators or managers oversee nursing staff and operations in healthcare facilities. They earn a median of $117,960 annually.
- Telehealth nurse: Telehealth nurses deliver virtual care, expanding access to patients in underserved areas. Salaries vary but typically align with their underlying role or specialization, such as FNP or ACNP.
Several factors influence salaries within these roles. Location significantly affects pay, and nurses in metropolitan areas or high-cost regions often earn more. California, New York, Florida and Texas, for instance, are among the top-paying states for NPs. Experience and additional certifications affect compensation potential, and nurses with specialized experience or credentials may qualify for advanced or leadership roles with higher salaries.
MSN Salary by Work Settings
MSN-educated advanced practice nurses work in various environments, such as inpatient, outpatient, academic and virtual settings. Depending on the specific job title, these settings offer different average salaries, with wage variations reflecting the complexity of care, patient acuity and the resources available in each context. These work settings have the highest estimated employment of NPs:
- Physicians’ offices: 122,830 employed, $121,880 per year
- General medical and surgical hospitals: 58,080 employed, $129,330 per year
- Outpatient care centers: 23,760 employed, $134,030 per year
- Other health practitioners’ offices: 10,950 employed, $112,660 per year
- Home health care services: 7,460 employed, $148,960 per year
- Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals: 2,100 employed, $134,540 per year
Home health care services offer high compensation because NPs often work independently and manage a wide range of patients and needs, while outpatient centers also report strong salaries due to the advanced expertise required for procedures and complex case management. Hospitals remain one of the largest employers of MSN-prepared nurses and provide competitive pay reflecting high-acuity care. Physician offices employ the largest share of NPs, offering stable schedules and continuity of care, though at slightly lower wages.
Beyond conventional healthcare environments, some MSN-prepared nurses work in industries such as vocational rehabilitation services, grantmaking organizations or professional associations. These roles are less common but often pay above average, reflecting the need for niche expertise in program development, policy or leadership.
How to Maximize Your Earning Potential With an MSN
Strategic choices allow MSN-prepared nurses to achieve more competitive salaries that reflect their advanced education and expertise. Maximize your earning potential with these tips:
- Choose a specialization: Choose a specialization that aligns with market demand and your interests. High-demand specializations, such as family practice, adult-gerontology acute care and psychiatric-mental health, may offer higher compensation.
- Pursue leadership opportunities: Management and team leadership roles often pay more to reflect the increased responsibility, and these experiences can help you qualify for more senior positions and higher earnings throughout your career.
- Continue professional development: Maintaining certifications, participating in continuing education and engaging with professional organizations builds expertise.
Why You Should Consider YSU’s Online MSN Programs
YSU’s online MSN programs prepare nurses for advanced practice in a wide range of settings. Students can choose from several specialties:
Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing, each curriculum covers core clinical, theoretical and leadership competencies that build deeper knowledge and practical abilities, such as insights into healthcare issues and trends, pathophysiology, pharmacology, health assessment, and diagnostics. Programs also include practicum experiences tailored to specializations.
Through these programs, faculty provide experience-based knowledge and one-on-one support to help students succeed. With affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition and online formats, YSU’s MSN online programs allow students to balance professional and personal obligations with their education.
Earn Your MSN Online at YSU
Earning an MSN degree provides opportunities to pursue advanced clinical roles, educational positions and leadership opportunities with competitive compensation. In addition to higher salaries, MSN-prepared nurses also enjoy greater job stability and have the flexibility to pursue careers in adjacent roles or various work environments.
The online MSN degrees from YSU offer affordable and flexible pathways for nurses pursuing advanced education. Learn more about how YSU’s online MSN programs can help you build the skills and knowledge to respond to healthcare challenges and grow as a nursing professional.
