Gastroenterology nurse practitioners earn a national average of approximately $120,000–$155,000 per year, with setting and subspecialization driving the meaningful variation within that range. IBD clinic NPs at academic medical centers typically land at the top of the GI NP pay distribution – $145,000–$165,000 – while outpatient community GI clinic NPs generally earn $115,000–$140,000. Hepatology and liver transplant NPs, particularly at major transplant centers, represent the salary ceiling of the specialty at $135,000–$175,000+. The BLS all-NP median for May 2024 was $129,210 (SOC 29-1171); GI NPs across most settings track near or above that figure, with procedure involvement and subspecialty depth pushing compensation substantially higher.
| Metric | Value | Source / notes |
|---|---|---|
| BLS all-NP median (May 2024) | $129,210 | SOC 29-1171; all NP specialties combined |
| GI NP national average (aggregated) | $130,000–$132,500 | Salary.com median $130,800 (50th percentile, N=36); aggregator data 2025–26 |
| GI NP 25th–75th percentile | $114,400–$150,000 | Salary.com percentile data |
| Top earners (90th percentile) | $165,000–$175,000+ | Hepatology/transplant NPs, IBD academic clinic NPs, procedure-privileged GI NPs in high-COL markets |
| Specialty premium vs general NP median | Approximately 5–25% | Varies by setting; outpatient GI near median; hepatology/transplant and IBD academic clinics command largest premium |
This guide breaks down GI NP compensation by work setting, subspecialty, state, experience level, and compensation structure – including the RVU productivity models and procedure assist bonuses that standard salary guides omit. For the full career pathway, credentials, and scope-of-practice detail, see how to become a gastroenterology nurse practitioner.
National salary baseline
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a May 2024 median annual wage of $129,210 for all nurse practitioners (SOC 29-1171). The BLS does not publish GI-specific NP salary data. GI NP-specific figures come from salary aggregators: Salary.com reports a median of $130,800 with a 25th–75th percentile range of $114,400–$150,000 based on 36 GI NP salary data points (2025–26). ZipRecruiter data shows an average of approximately $121,000–$132,000 depending on data vintage and sample composition.
The most accurate framing is that GI NP salaries cluster near the national NP median at the outpatient community clinic level, with the potential to run 15–35% above median for NPs in procedure-privileged, IBD subspecialty, or hepatology/transplant roles.
Methodology note: The BLS does not publish gastroenterology-specific NP salary data. Figures in this guide draw from BLS OEWS state-level NP data (May 2024), job posting salary disclosures, and salary aggregator data from Salary.com, ZipRecruiter, and Glassdoor for GI NP-classified roles. Individual offers vary by employer, location, credential set, years of experience, and procedure privileges.
Salary by work setting
Setting is the dominant salary driver in GI NP practice. The compensation gap between an outpatient community GI clinic NP and a hepatology NP at an academic transplant center can exceed $50,000 annually – a wider spread than most comparable specialty NP comparisons.
| Setting | Typical annual salary | Salary range | Compensation model | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hepatology / liver transplant center | $145,000–$165,000 | $135,000–$175,000+ | Salary + productivity; academic center on-call stipends common | Highest-paid GI NP setting; Cedars-Sinai hepatology NP base ranges $150,000–$240,000 at top end; complex immunosuppression and transplant coordination scope |
| IBD specialty clinic (academic) | $145,000–$160,000 | $138,000–$165,000 | Salary; productivity bonus for panel size and biologic management volume at some centers | NP-led IBD clinic model at academic centers; high autonomy, biologic pharmacology expertise required; lower call than hepatology |
| Academic medical center GI | $138,000–$155,000 | $130,000–$165,000 | Salary; RVU bonus may apply for procedure-involved NPs; academic title potential | Mix of inpatient consult service + outpatient clinic; procedure privileges more common; research and teaching involvement |
| Hospital inpatient GI / GI consult service | $132,000–$148,000 | $122,000–$165,000 | Salary; shift differential; 7-on/7-off models at large centers | GI bleed management, acute liver failure, inpatient colonoscopy/EGD coordination; shift-based; weekend and on-call obligations typical |
| Outpatient GI practice with endoscopy suite | $128,000–$145,000 | $118,000–$160,000 | Salary + procedure assist bonus or RVU model; volume-dependent | NPs who assist in endoscopy suites earn measurably more than clinic-only roles; procedure assist volume links to compensation in productivity models |
| Community outpatient GI clinic | $118,000–$135,000 | $108,000–$148,000 | Salary; productivity bonus in larger group practices | M–F schedule; chronic disease management focus; GERD, IBS, colorectal cancer screening, IBD follow-up; lower procedural intensity than endoscopy-heavy settings |
| Locum tenens GI NP | $85–$110/hr ($145,000–$187,000 annualized) | $75–$125/hr depending on geography and urgency | Hourly (W-2 or 1099); housing stipend; travel allowance in most contracts | High demand; rural GI access shortage drives premium rates; NP locum tenens general range $70–$85/hr nationally; GI specialty commands premium above that floor |
The RVU compensation model in GI
Relative Value Units (RVUs) are the Medicare billing currency that drives physician compensation in most procedure-heavy specialties, and GI NPs in practice groups with productivity models are increasingly compensated on similar frameworks. Understanding how RVUs work in a GI context directly affects your earning potential.
How wRVUs apply to GI NP practice
Work RVUs (wRVUs) are assigned to clinical services based on time, skill, and intensity. In GI practice, wRVUs accrue from two sources:
Evaluation and management (E&M) visits: Standard outpatient office visits generate 1.3–2.11 wRVUs depending on complexity level (CPT codes 99213–99215). A GI NP managing a full outpatient panel of 18–22 patients per day at an average of 1.8 wRVU per visit generates roughly 35–40 wRVUs per clinic day.
Procedure assists: EGD and colonoscopy procedure assists generate additional wRVUs under the split/shared billing model when the NP performs a substantive portion of the procedure. In a half-day endoscopy suite session assisting on 8–12 procedures, the wRVU contribution can equal or exceed a full outpatient clinic day’s E&M production.
What this means for compensation
GI practices that bill on productivity models pay NPs a base salary with an RVU bonus above a target threshold (typically set at the 50th percentile of MGMA data for NP wRVU production). NPs who assist in the endoscopy suite in addition to running clinic panels generate significantly more wRVUs than clinic-only NPs – often 30–50% more on an annual basis. This structural feature of GI practice is why procedure-involved GI NPs earn more: it is not simply a skill premium, it is a direct consequence of higher billable productivity.
When evaluating GI NP compensation offers, ask specifically:
- Does this practice use an RVU productivity model?
- What is the wRVU target and at what rate does the bonus activate?
- Does the model include procedure assist wRVUs or only E&M?
- What was the last NP’s actual wRVU production and resulting total compensation?
Locum tenens GI NP: a high-demand market
Gastroenterology faces one of the most acute provider shortages in medicine. Rural and suburban markets with limited GI coverage rely heavily on locum tenens providers to maintain colonoscopy screening programs and acute GI management. For GI NPs, this shortage translates to strong locum tenens demand and premium hourly rates.
Typical locum tenens GI NP rates: $85–$110 per hour for standard market placements, with rural or urgent-fill positions paying $100–$125/hr or above. General NP locum tenens rates run $70–$85/hr; the GI specialty premium reflects both the shortage and the procedural competency required.
What the annualized numbers look like: At $95/hr working 48 weeks per year (allowing for gaps between assignments), gross income approaches $182,000 before self-employment taxes and benefits costs. The trade-off is the absence of employer-sponsored health insurance, retirement contributions, and CME allowances – costs that reduce the locum tenens premium when properly accounted for, but which many experienced GI NPs manage effectively with individual policies and self-directed retirement accounts.
Geographic hotspots: Rural states with high rates of colorectal cancer and limited GI access – Mississippi, Alabama, West Virginia, Arkansas – maintain persistent locum demand. These are also lower-cost-of-living markets, which partially offsets the geographic premium.
Subspecialty salary premium
Hepatology and liver transplant
Hepatology NPs command the highest compensation within GI. The clinical complexity – antiviral therapy management, cirrhosis complications, transplant evaluation, post-transplant immunosuppression – justifies a premium that typically runs 15–25% above general outpatient GI NP salaries. Job postings from major transplant centers are instructive: Cedars-Sinai’s hepatology liver transplant clinic NP position listed a base range of $150,238–$240,385 annually; this upper end reflects a large California metropolitan market premium layered on top of transplant specialty premium.
For most markets outside of California and New York, hepatology/transplant NP base salaries range from $135,000–$175,000, with the higher end at academic transplant programs with on-call obligations and high case volume.
IBD clinic at academic centers
NP-led IBD clinic models at academic medical centers represent a high-autonomy, high-compensation GI NP subspecialty. These programs – which exist at institutions including Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic, Massachusetts General, and several major academic centers nationally – place NPs as primary longitudinal care providers for Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis patients. The biologic pharmacology expertise required (anti-TNF agents, anti-integrin therapy, IL-12/23 inhibitors, JAK inhibitors) and the panel complexity command compensation in the $145,000–$165,000 range at most academic centers.
Community IBD clinic
Community GI practices with dedicated IBD panels compensate at a lower level than academic IBD programs but still carry a premium over general GI clinic NP roles, typically $128,000–$148,000 depending on patient complexity and biologic management scope.
Salary by state
GI NP salaries track closely to general NP state-level data, since the BLS publishes NP salaries by state across all specialties combined. The states with the highest overall NP wages – driven by cost of living, scope-of-practice law, and healthcare market density – are consistently the highest-paying GI NP markets.
| State | Avg annual salary (NP, BLS May 2024) | GI NP estimated range |
|---|---|---|
| California | $161,540 | $148,000–$185,000+ |
| Washington | $145,400 | $135,000–$170,000 |
| New Jersey | $145,030 | $133,000–$168,000 |
| New York | $140,150 | $130,000–$165,000 |
| Massachusetts | $138,960 | $128,000–$162,000 |
| Connecticut | $136,620 | $126,000–$158,000 |
| Oregon | $135,500 | $125,000–$155,000 |
| Nevada | $134,980 | $124,000–$155,000 |
| Hawaii | $133,810 | $123,000–$152,000 |
| Minnesota | $133,440 | $122,000–$152,000 |
| Alaska | $131,990 | $121,000–$150,000 |
| Colorado | $131,020 | $120,000–$150,000 |
| Arizona | $130,440 | $119,000–$149,000 |
| Maryland | $130,290 | $119,000–$149,000 |
| Illinois | $128,770 | $118,000–$147,000 |
| Texas | $125,350 | $115,000–$144,000 |
| Georgia | $124,880 | $114,000–$143,000 |
| Virginia | $124,050 | $114,000–$142,000 |
| North Carolina | $123,600 | $113,000–$141,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $123,180 | $113,000–$141,000 |
| Ohio | $122,640 | $112,000–$140,000 |
| Michigan | $122,080 | $112,000–$139,000 |
| Florida | $120,810 | $110,000–$138,000 |
| Tennessee | $118,480 | $108,000–$135,000 |
| Indiana | $117,320 | $107,000–$134,000 |
| Wisconsin | $116,990 | $107,000–$134,000 |
| Missouri | $116,720 | $107,000–$133,000 |
| South Carolina | $116,290 | $106,000–$133,000 |
| Mississippi | $115,290 | $105,000–$131,000 |
| Alabama | $113,810 | $104,000–$130,000 |
Reading this table: BLS state figures represent mean annual wages for all NPs across all specialties. The GI NP estimated range applies a specialty overlay based on setting mix in each state (states with major academic transplant centers have higher GI NP ceilings), cost-of-living adjustment, and scope-of-practice law (full-practice-authority states tend to compensate NPs more generously). Individual offer variation can be substantial.
Compensation structure: beyond base salary
Benefits in GI NP employment
Total compensation for a GI NP includes employer-provided benefits that materially affect net value:
- Health insurance: Employer-sponsored health insurance typically valued at $6,000–$12,000/yr; single-coverage plans common; family plans at large employers substantially more
- Retirement: 401(k) or 403(b) with employer match of 3–6% of salary; academic medical centers often provide defined-contribution pension plans
- CME allowance: Most GI practices provide $2,000–$5,000 per year for continuing medical education and conference attendance; SGNA annual conference often covered
- Malpractice coverage: Employer-provided in most settings; confirm whether the policy includes procedure assists if you will be working in an endoscopy suite
- Signing bonus: $5,000–$20,000 at practices actively recruiting; more common in rural and underserved markets
- Loan repayment: Academic health systems and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) offering GI services may qualify for NHSC loan repayment programs
On-call pay and shift premiums
Outpatient GI clinic NPs typically carry no formal call obligation, which is one of the lifestyle advantages of the specialty. Hospital-based GI consult service NPs and hepatology/transplant NPs often carry call, compensated through:
- On-call stipend: $500–$1,500/month at most academic centers for being reachable; higher for hepatology/transplant given urgency of call events
- Call-back pay: Hourly rate for actual call-back hours worked, typically at 1.5x base hourly rate or a flat shift premium
- 7-on/7-off scheduling: Hospital-based GI NPs at large centers often work 7 consecutive days on/7 days off, which enables NPs to take secondary employment or locum assignments during off weeks
Salary by experience level
| Experience level | Typical GI NP salary range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New GI NP hire (0–2 years NP experience) | $110,000–$128,000 | Base salary predominates; RVU bonus typically not activated until productivity ramps; mentored practice period in most settings |
| Mid-career GI NP (3–7 years) | $128,000–$150,000 | Full panel management; procedure assists established; RVU productivity bonuses activating; subspecialty focus emerging |
| Senior GI NP (7+ years) | $145,000–$170,000+ | Lead clinical role or subspecialty expert; may include procedure privileges in full-practice-authority states; IBD/hepatology premium at top |
| Lead NP / NP program director | $155,000–$185,000+ | Administrative + clinical hybrid; GI division NP lead at academic center; hepatology transplant program coordinator |
The most significant compensation jump in GI NP careers typically occurs at the 3–5 year mark, when NPs have established full patient panels, demonstrated procedural competency, and become eligible for RVU productivity bonuses in models that use them. A GI NP who moves from a community clinic into an IBD academic program or hepatology service at this career stage can see a $20,000–$35,000 increase in total compensation.
Factors that raise GI NP compensation above the median
Several factors push GI NP compensation meaningfully above the all-specialty NP median. When evaluating a position or planning a career trajectory, these are the variables that matter most:
Procedure privileges and endoscopy suite involvement. NPs credentialed to assist independently in an endoscopy suite contribute substantially more wRVUs than clinic-only NPs, and practices compensating on productivity models pay accordingly. This is the single largest within-specialty compensation lever available to GI NPs.
IBD subspecialization at academic centers. NP-led IBD clinic models command $145,000–$165,000+ at academic institutions. The credential investment (biologic certification courses, SGNA education, IBD-specific CME) pays off in both autonomy and compensation.
Hepatology and liver transplant. The clinical complexity ceiling in hepatology/transplant is the highest in GI NP practice, and compensation follows. If you are comfortable with immunosuppression management and transplant medicine’s on-call obligations, this track offers the highest GI NP salary ceiling outside of locum tenens at premium rates.
Full practice authority states. California, Washington, Oregon, and other full-practice-authority states compensate NPs at a premium relative to supervised-practice states. The combination of state-level practice authority with GI specialty and procedure privileges is the configuration that produces the highest base salaries in the field.
Locum tenens. For experienced GI NPs with 3+ years of practice and procedural competency, locum tenens assignments at $85–$110/hr can exceed permanent position base salaries by 20–40% on gross income. The trade-off is benefits cost and geographic flexibility requirements.
Related guides
- How to become a gastroenterology nurse practitioner – career pathway, credentials, and scope of practice
- Nurse practitioner salary guide – all-NP baseline salary data by state and setting
- How to become a nurse practitioner – the complete NP education and certification pathway
- Nephrology NP salary guide – comparable specialty model with similar setting-driven compensation structure
- How to become a nephrology NP – subspecialty comparison for NPs evaluating internal medicine specialties