Most gastroenterology nurse practitioners earn roughly $120,000–$170,000 per year, with setting and subspecialization driving the variation within that range. The BLS all-NP median for May 2025 was $132,300 (SOC 29-1171), and GI NP pay sits only a little above it. In Marit Health’s self-reported salary data (September 2026), GI NPs report a median of $151,500 against $146,681 for all NPs on the same platform – a gap of about 3%. Marit’s sample runs higher than BLS across the board, so the like-for-like comparison is the meaningful one. By our estimates, community outpatient GI clinic roles cluster near the all-NP median, while academic IBD and hepatology/transplant roles carry most of the specialty’s premium; Marit’s academic GI NPs average $159,449 against $149,480 for non-academic GI NPs.
| Metric | Value | Source / notes |
|---|---|---|
| BLS all-NP median (May 2025) | $132,300 | SOC 29-1171; all NP specialties combined |
| GI NP median (self-reported) | $151,500 | Marit Health, 64 GI NP salaries, updated September 2026 |
| All-NP median on the same platform | $146,681 | Marit Health, 2,914 NP salaries, September 2026; the like-for-like baseline for the GI figure |
| GI NP 25th–75th percentile (self-reported) | $135,000–$169,791 | Marit Health percentile data, September 2026 |
| Academic vs non-academic GI NP average | $159,449 vs $149,480 | Marit Health, September 2026; small sample |
| Specialty premium vs general NP median | About 3% at the median; wider by setting | Like-for-like Marit comparison; our setting estimates below put community clinics near the all-NP median and hepatology/transplant and academic IBD above it |
This guide breaks down GI NP compensation by work setting, subspecialty, state, experience level, and compensation structure – including how RVU productivity models work in GI, and how endoscopy-suite work does and does not show up in NP productivity. 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 2025 median annual wage of $132,300 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. Marit Health reports a median of $151,500 with a 25th–75th percentile range of $135,000–$169,791, based on 64 self-reported GI NP salaries (updated September 2026).
Read that median against the right baseline. Set beside the BLS all-NP median of $132,300, it would suggest a 15% specialty premium, but Marit’s respondents earn more than the BLS population in every specialty: its all-NP median is $146,681. Compared on the same platform, GI NPs earn about 3% more than NPs overall. Our read is that the premium is concentrated in hepatology, transplant, and academic IBD roles, and Marit’s own split points the same way, with academic GI NPs averaging about 7% more than non-academic GI NPs ($159,449 vs $149,480). With 64 respondents, treat all of these as indicative.
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 2025), job posting salary disclosures, and salary aggregator data from Marit Health and Salary.com. Setting, subspecialty, experience, locum, and benefit ranges are our editorial estimates, built on those sources. Aggregators disagree sharply on this role: Salary.com’s GI NP average is $112,934 (May 2026) against Marit Health’s $151,500 median, and ZipRecruiter’s national GI NP page (December 2025) reports a $190,214 average with a 25th–75th percentile spread of $108,000–$400,000, too wide to be usable. Sample sizes are small and job-title classification varies. Individual offers vary by employer, location, credential set, years of experience, and procedure privileges.
Salary by work setting
Setting is one of the largest salary drivers in GI NP practice. The ranges below are our editorial estimates, anchored to the BLS all-NP distribution, Marit Health’s GI NP data, and posted pay ranges; no survey publishes GI NP pay by setting. At the extremes, the gap between a community GI clinic NP and a hepatology NP at an academic transplant center in a high-wage metro can exceed $50,000 a year.
| 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; a Cedars-Sinai (Los Angeles) post-liver transplant NP posting (August 2026) lists a base range of $164,029–$262,454; 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 in some models; 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; RVU or practice-productivity bonus in some groups | NP role usually centers on pre-procedure evaluation, post-procedure follow-up, and results management, which frees physician time for endoscopy; Medicare does not pay an assistant on EGD or colonoscopy codes |
| 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 ($163,000–$211,000 annualized at 48 weeks) | $75–$125/hr depending on geography and urgency | Hourly (W-2 or 1099); housing stipend; travel allowance in most contracts | Estimated rates; rural GI access gaps drive premium rates; our estimate for general NP locum work is $70–$85/hr, with GI roles typically above that |
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. For most GI NPs, wRVUs come overwhelmingly from evaluation and management (E&M) visits billed under the NP’s own number.
Evaluation and management (E&M) visits: Established-patient office visits carry 1.30 wRVUs for CPT 99213, 1.92 for 99214, and 2.80 for 99215 under the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. As an illustration, an NP seeing 18–22 patients a day at an average of 1.8 wRVUs per visit would generate roughly 32–40 wRVUs per clinic day.
Endoscopy-suite work: Assisting a gastroenterologist during EGD or colonoscopy does not generate NP wRVUs under Medicare. The common EGD and colonoscopy codes (for example CPT 43235, 43239, 45378, 45380, and 45385) carry an assistant-at-surgery indicator of 1 in the CMS 2026 relative value file, meaning Medicare does not pay an assistant on them. Split/shared billing does not apply either: under 42 CFR 415.140 it covers E&M visits in facility settings, not procedures. NPs in endoscopy-heavy practices add value mainly through pre-procedure visits, post-procedure and pathology follow-up, and the physician endoscopy time they free up. A small number of NPs perform screening colonoscopy themselves after structured training; a single-center randomized trial found outcomes comparable to gastroenterologists (Limoges-Gonzalez et al., 2011), but this depends on state scope-of-practice law, facility credentialing, and payer policy, and it remains uncommon.
What this means for compensation
GI practices that pay on productivity models typically combine a base salary with an RVU bonus above a target threshold, which many practices benchmark against MGMA or similar survey data. Because procedures rarely add to an NP’s own wRVU count, a clinic-heavy NP with a full visit schedule can out-produce an NP who spends much of the week in the endoscopy suite. In Marit Health’s self-reported data, GI NPs average about 2,978 wRVUs a year at roughly $33 per wRVU (September 2026, small sample). If a practice values endoscopy-suite support, expect it to be paid through base salary or a practice-level bonus.
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?
- If the role includes endoscopy-suite time, how is that time credited toward your target or bonus?
- What was the last NP’s actual wRVU production and resulting total compensation?
Locum tenens GI NP: a high-demand market
Many rural and smaller suburban markets have limited gastroenterology coverage and use locum tenens providers to keep clinics and colorectal cancer screening programs running. For GI NPs, that gap supports locum demand and premium hourly rates.
Estimated locum tenens GI NP rates: $85–$110 per hour for standard placements, with rural or urgent-fill positions at $100–$125/hr or above. These are our estimates from posted assignments; no survey publishes GI NP locum rates. We estimate general NP locum work at $70–$85/hr, and the GI premium reflects both scarcity and the specialty experience required.
What the annualized numbers look like: At $95/hr working 48 weeks per year (allowing for gaps between assignments), gross income comes to about $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: Locum demand tends to concentrate in rural Southern and Appalachian markets, where colorectal cancer incidence is relatively high and GI access is thin. These are also lower-cost-of-living markets, which partially offsets the geographic premium.
Subspecialty salary premium
Hepatology and liver transplant
Hepatology NPs tend to earn the most within GI. The clinical complexity – antiviral therapy management, cirrhosis complications, transplant evaluation, post-transplant immunosuppression – supports a premium that we estimate at roughly 15–25% above general outpatient GI NP salaries. Job postings from major transplant centers are instructive: a Cedars-Sinai post-liver transplant NP posting from August 2026 lists a base range of $164,029–$262,454 a year, and an earlier 2026 Cedars-Sinai liver transplant clinic NP posting listed $150,238–$240,385. That span runs from entry to the top of the pay grade, and the upper end reflects a Los Angeles market layered on top of the 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
IBD centers at academic medical centers are a high-autonomy GI NP subspecialty. Many use NPs as longitudinal care providers for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis patients, managing biologic and small-molecule therapy, monitoring, and flare triage alongside gastroenterologists. The pharmacology is broad – anti-TNF agents, anti-integrin therapy, IL-12/23 and IL-23 inhibitors, JAK inhibitors, and S1P receptor modulators – and by our estimate these roles pay in the $145,000–$165,000 range at most academic centers.
Community IBD clinic
Community GI practices with dedicated IBD panels generally pay less than academic IBD programs but more than general GI clinic NP roles – by our estimate $128,000–$148,000, depending on patient complexity and biologic management scope.
Salary by state
The BLS publishes NP wages by state for all specialties combined, so state-level GI NP pay can only be estimated from that baseline. States with the highest overall NP wages, driven mainly by regional wage levels, cost of living, and healthcare market density, are likely to be the highest-paying GI NP markets as well. The table below shows a selection of states; figures in the middle column are BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
| State | NP median salary (BLS May 2025) | GI NP estimated range |
|---|---|---|
| California | $168,520 | $154,000–$193,000 |
| New Jersey | $159,310 | $146,000–$182,000 |
| Washington | $156,100 | $143,000–$179,000 |
| Oregon | $155,680 | $142,000–$178,000 |
| Alaska | $155,170 | $142,000–$178,000 |
| New York | $153,510 | $140,000–$176,000 |
| Massachusetts | $142,440 | $130,000–$163,000 |
| Nevada | $140,670 | $129,000–$161,000 |
| Connecticut | $138,470 | $127,000–$159,000 |
| Hawaii | $135,570 | $124,000–$155,000 |
| Arizona | $134,420 | $123,000–$154,000 |
| Minnesota | $133,260 | $122,000–$153,000 |
| Colorado | $132,930 | $122,000–$152,000 |
| Wisconsin | $131,980 | $121,000–$151,000 |
| Texas | $131,670 | $120,000–$151,000 |
| Michigan | $131,450 | $120,000–$151,000 |
| Maryland | $131,110 | $120,000–$150,000 |
| Illinois | $130,680 | $120,000–$150,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $130,140 | $119,000–$149,000 |
| Missouri | $129,930 | $119,000–$149,000 |
| Florida | $129,510 | $119,000–$148,000 |
| Georgia | $129,430 | $118,000–$148,000 |
| North Carolina | $128,990 | $118,000–$148,000 |
| Indiana | $128,830 | $118,000–$148,000 |
| Virginia | $127,810 | $117,000–$146,000 |
| Ohio | $124,870 | $114,000–$143,000 |
| Mississippi | $124,730 | $114,000–$143,000 |
| South Carolina | $123,290 | $113,000–$141,000 |
| Tennessee | $117,590 | $108,000–$135,000 |
| Alabama | $105,750 | $97,000–$121,000 |
Reading this table: BLS state figures represent median annual wages for all NPs across all specialties. The GI NP estimated range is our editorial estimate: it applies the same band to every state, from about 8% below to about 15% above the state’s all-NP median, reflecting the national spread from community clinic roles to hepatology and academic IBD roles. It does not model state-specific setting mix, so states with major transplant or academic centers may have higher ceilings than shown. 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: KFF’s 2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey puts the average annual premium at $9,325 for single coverage and $26,993 for family coverage, with workers paying on average $1,440 and $6,850 of those amounts; the employer share is the value this benefit adds to your pay
- Retirement: 401(k) or 403(b) with an employer match, commonly in the 3–6% of salary range by our estimate; some academic medical centers offer pension or enhanced employer retirement contributions
- CME allowance: Many GI practices provide roughly $2,000–$5,000 per year (our estimate) for continuing education and conference attendance; SGNA’s annual course is a common use
- Malpractice coverage: Employer-provided in most settings; confirm the policy covers every task in your credentialed scope, including any endoscopy-suite duties
- Signing bonus: Our estimate is $5,000–$20,000 at practices actively recruiting; more common in rural and underserved markets
- Loan repayment: The NHSC Loan Repayment Program covers set disciplines at NHSC-approved sites. For NPs, the FY2026 primary care list is adult, family, pediatric, women’s health, and geriatrics (up to $75,000 for two years full-time), and mental health and psychiatry NPs qualify separately in the behavioral health tier (up to $50,000), so specialty GI roles generally do not qualify; check employer-sponsored and state-run programs instead, whose eligibility rules vary
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. Call pay is set by employer policy (most salaried NPs are overtime-exempt), and common structures include:
- On-call stipend: Our estimate is $500–$1,500/month at academic centers for being reachable; higher for hepatology/transplant given urgency of call events
- Call-back pay: An hourly rate or flat premium for call-back hours worked; some employers pay a multiple of base hourly pay
- 7-on/7-off scheduling: Hospital-based GI NPs at large centers often work 7 consecutive days on/7 days off, which can leave room for secondary employment or locum assignments during off weeks if your contract allows outside work
Salary by experience level
The ranges below are our editorial estimates; no survey publishes GI NP pay by years of experience.
| 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; RVU productivity bonuses activating; subspecialty focus emerging |
| Senior GI NP (7+ years) | $145,000–$170,000+ | Lead clinical role or subspecialty expert; bedside procedures such as paracentesis where state scope and facility credentialing allow; 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 |
In our reading of the market, the biggest compensation jump in GI NP careers tends to come around the 3–5 year mark, when NPs have full patient panels and start clearing RVU targets in models that use them. By our estimate, a GI NP who moves from a community clinic into an academic IBD program or hepatology service at this 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 above the all-specialty NP median. When evaluating a position or planning a career trajectory, these are the variables that matter most:
Productivity in RVU-based models. In practices that pay on wRVUs, a full, well-documented E&M schedule is the most direct compensation lever a GI NP controls. Endoscopy-suite support is valuable to a practice but, as covered above, does not generate NP wRVUs under Medicare, so negotiate how that time is credited before you accept it.
IBD subspecialization at academic centers. By our estimate, academic IBD roles pay $145,000–$165,000+. Investing in IBD-specific CME and SGNA education builds the biologic-management expertise these roles require, which 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.
State wage level (more than practice authority). Full-practice-authority states such as Washington and Oregon rank third and fourth for NP median pay in the BLS May 2025 data. The top-paying state, California ($168,520), is classified as restricted practice by AANP, which shows that regional wage levels and cost of living predict NP pay better than scope-of-practice law does. Practice authority matters more for autonomy and practice-ownership options than for salary.
Locum tenens. For experienced GI NPs with 3+ years of practice, locum tenens assignments at $85–$110/hr annualize to roughly $163,000–$211,000 at 48 billable weeks, which can exceed a mid-career permanent base of $128,000–$150,000 by roughly 25–40% on gross income (comparing the low ends and the high ends of each range). That gap narrows once you price in the health insurance, retirement match, and CME allowance a permanent role provides and a 1099 assignment does not, along with the geographic flexibility the work requires.
References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Nurse Practitioners (SOC 29-1171), May 2025 estimates. National and state-level median and mean annual wage estimates; state medians in this guide re-checked against O*NET OnLine local wage data, 29-1171.00, on 1 October 2026. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291171.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners. Median pay, job outlook, and entry requirements. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists-nurse-midwives-and-nurse-practitioners.htm
- American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), NP Fact Sheet and compensation resources. https://www.aanp.org/about/all-about-nps
- American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), State Practice Environment, 05/2026 revision (27 states plus the District of Columbia full practice, 12 reduced, 11 restricted; California is classified restricted). https://www.aanp.org/advocacy/state/state-practice-environment
- Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), Provider Compensation and Production Survey – reference framework for wRVU productivity targets and advanced practice provider compensation benchmarks. https://www.mgma.com/datadive/provider-compensation
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), 2026 National Physician Fee Schedule Relative Value File, RVU26D (October release, published 26 August 2026), PPRRVU2026_Oct file – source for the 99213/99214/99215 work RVUs (1.30/1.92/2.80) and the assistant-at-surgery indicator of 1 on CPT 43235, 43239, 45378, 45380, and 45385. https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/fee-schedules/physician/pfs-relative-value-files/rvu26d
- Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates (SGNA), professional education, practice resources, and continuing education. https://www.sgna.org/
- Marit Health, Gastroenterology NP salary data (64 self-reported salaries), updated 24 September 2026 – source for the $151,500 median, the $135,000–$169,791 interquartile range, the academic ($159,449) vs non-academic ($149,480) averages, and the
2,978 wRVU/$33 per wRVU figures; read 26 September 2026 (on 1 October 2026 the public page served a sign-up waitlist instead of the data, so these figures could not be re-read). https://www.marithealth.com/o/-/gastroenterology-np/salary - Marit Health, Nurse Practitioner salary data (2,914 self-reported salaries), updated 25 September 2026 – source for the $146,681 all-NP median used as the like-for-like baseline; read 26 September 2026, behind the same sign-up waitlist on 1 October 2026. https://www.marithealth.com/o/-/nurse-practitioner/salary
- Salary.com, Gastroenterology Nurse Practitioner salary report (national aggregate), 1 May 2026 – cited for the divergent $112,934 average noted in the methodology section. https://www.salary.com/research/salary/position/gastroenterology-nurse-practitioner-salary
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 42 CFR 415.140, Conditions for payment: Split (or shared) visits – defines a split/shared visit as an E/M visit in the facility setting. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-B/part-415/subpart-C/section-415.140
- Limoges-Gonzalez M, Mann NS, Al-Juburi A, Tseng D, et al. Comparisons of screening colonoscopy performed by a nurse practitioner and gastroenterologists: a single-center randomized controlled trial. Gastroenterology Nursing. 2011;34(3):210–216. doi:10.1097/SGA.0b013e31821ab5e6
- Cedars-Sinai, Nurse Practitioner (NP) – Post-Liver Transplant – Full Time – 10hr Days (Los Angeles), job posting dated 13 August 2026, base pay range $164,028.80–$262,454.40, accessed 1 October 2026. https://careers.cshs.org/job/los-angeles/nurse-practitioner-np-post-liver-transplant-full-time-10hr-days/252/99135888960 (The earlier liver transplant clinic posting, $150,238.40–$240,385.60, read September 2026, has since closed.)
- KFF, 2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey, Summary of Findings – average annual premiums $9,325 (single) and $26,993 (family); average worker contributions $1,440 and $6,850. https://www.kff.org/health-costs/2025-employer-health-benefits-survey/
- Health Resources and Services Administration, National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program – eligible disciplines and NHSC-approved site requirements (primary care NP specialties: adult, family, pediatric, women’s health, geriatrics; NP mental health and psychiatry listed under behavioral and mental health), accessed 2 October 2026. https://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loan-repayment/nhsc-loan-repayment-program
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