Pediatric nurse practitioner salary: $113,000–$132,500 medians in 2026

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics does not break out pediatric nurse practitioner salaries separately – all NPs fall under SOC 29-1171, where the national median is $132,300 per year in the May 2025 OEWS release. The best PNP-specific figures come from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners’ 2024 Nurse Practitioner Compensation Report, which surveyed full-time NPs on their 2023 earnings. Sorted by certification, NPs certified in pediatric primary care reported a median base salary of $120,000 and those certified in pediatric acute care $132,500. Sorted by clinical focus, NPs working in general pediatric primary care reported $113,000 and those in pediatric non-primary care roles $129,000. Against the same survey’s all-NP full-time median of $120,000, pediatric primary care sits at or slightly below the NP norm and pediatric acute care sits above it. Both tracks sit far below CRNAs.

This guide covers salary by setting, by state, by specialty track, and the career math – including the return on investment of NP education and how NHSC loan repayment can improve the net picture.

PNP salary at a glance

A note on data: every PNP-specific figure in the table above comes from AANP’s member and non-member survey rather than BLS, because BLS aggregates all NPs together. The AANP figures are self-reported by NPs working 35 or more hours a week and describe 2023 earnings, so they run behind the BLS release and should not be subtracted from the BLS row as though they measured the same thing. The pediatric cells are small – 153 base-salary respondents certified in primary care and 42 in acute care – so treat the acute care column in particular as directional. Many secondary sites quote $125,660 as the pediatric primary care “median”; in AANP’s table that figure is the mean.

Why BLS doesn’t break out PNP

The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey groups all nurse practitioners under SOC 29-1171, regardless of specialty. The national median of $132,300 (May 2025 data) covers FNPs, PMHNPs, PNPs, NNPs, and every other NP specialty. This makes it the most reliable national benchmark, but it obscures specialty-specific variation.

Sources that isolate PNP salary rely on self-reported data from much smaller samples. AANP’s compensation survey is the most useful of them because it reports percentiles by certification and clinical focus, but its pediatric cells hold a few hundred respondents at most. Job-board aggregators are less transparent still. Use all of them as directional guides alongside the BLS benchmark.

PNP salary vs other NP specialties

The CRNA and last rows are BLS OEWS figures (SOC 29-1151 and 29-1171, May 2025); the BLS all-NP 10th and 90th percentiles are $101,340 and $174,420. The NP specialty rows are AANP 2024 medians by population certification (2023 earnings, full-time NPs), so compare them with each other and with the AANP all-NP row rather than with BLS. On that like-for-like basis, pediatric primary care pays the same median as family practice, and pediatric acute care sits close to neonatal and psychiatric NPs. For comprehensive NP salary context, see the nurse practitioner salary guide and the family nurse practitioner salary guide. For CRNA comparison, see the CRNA salary guide.

PNP salary by setting

Setting is one of the strongest predictors of PNP salary – more so than geography in many cases.

AANP does not publish PNP pay by setting, so the ranges above are editorial estimates, checked against AANP’s pediatric percentiles ($95,000 at the 10th to $165,000 at the 90th across both tracks). The hospital premium shows up in the survey data too. The pediatric acute care median base salary ($132,500) ran about 10% above pediatric primary care ($120,000), reflecting acuity, shift work, and the smaller supply of acute care-certified PNPs. On total income, which includes bonuses, the gap narrowed to about 5% ($130,000 against $124,000). The trade-off is call burden and emotional intensity.

PNP-AC vs PNP-PC salary

Acute care PNPs generally earn more than primary care PNPs for several reasons: hospital-based employment comes with shift differentials for evening, night, and weekend work; PICU and ED roles carry on-call pay; and the CPNP-AC pool is smaller than the CPNP-PC pool, creating stronger bargaining leverage in markets with active children’s hospitals.

In AANP’s 2024 report the acute care median ran $12,500 above primary care on base salary and $6,000 above it on total income. The clinical-focus cut shows a wider spread: $129,000 for pediatric non-primary care roles against $113,000 for general pediatric primary care. The survey does not break these figures out by state, so treat any claim about a wider gap in high-cost markets as unmeasured.

That said, total compensation matters. Primary care roles at FQHCs or community health centers frequently offer NHSC loan repayment eligibility, which can be worth more than a salary premium in the first five years of practice for providers carrying significant NP school debt.

PNP salary by state

The table below uses BLS SOC 29-1171 (nurse practitioners, all specialties) state-level median annual wages from the May 2025 OEWS release for 32 selected states, including the five highest-paying and three lowest-paying. An earlier version of this table listed state means while comparing them against the national median, which made every state look better paid than it was – the two statistics are not interchangeable, and the mean runs higher for this occupation because a long right tail of senior and specialty NPs pulls it up. Both columns below are medians.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 29-1171 (Nurse Practitioners), accessed via O*NET state wage tables. State medians move year to year and reflect local cost of living, practice-authority regulations, and the supply of NPs in that market.

One thing worth noting for anyone comparing this page against another guide: state NP figures and rank order move between OEWS releases, and many sites publish state means (which run higher) or an older release under a current-year heading. Check both the release year and the statistic before carrying a state’s rank forward from another source.

Factors that affect PNP salary

Certification track. CPNP-AC roles in inpatient settings consistently pay more than CPNP-PC outpatient roles. If acute care pay is your priority, the PNP-AC track and placement in a children’s hospital is the more direct route.

Experience. AANP’s 2024 report breaks out experience for pediatric non-primary care NPs: median base salary was $116,500 with 0–5 years, $127,000 with 6–15 years, and $135,000 with 16 or more. For pediatric specialty NPs the steps were $111,000, $120,000, and $132,000. Even the 10th percentile for new pediatric NPs in those groups was about $105,000. (The report’s experience rows for general pediatric primary care repeat another specialty’s figures and are not usable.) Senior PNPs in states where the BLS all-NP median exceeds $150,000 – California, New Jersey, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and New York – can earn well above these national survey figures.

Subspecialty. Within the PNP-AC world, pediatric cardiology, oncology, and PICU roles are harder to fill and require additional clinical skills. AANP does not publish pay for individual pediatric subspecialties, but its pediatric non-primary care median ($129,000) sits $16,000 above general pediatric primary care ($113,000), consistent with a premium for hospital and subspecialty roles.

Geography. California’s NP median of $168,520 is about 59% higher than Alabama’s $105,750 – a gap of $62,770. That extreme is unusual: 42 of the 51 jurisdictions (50 states plus DC) have an NP median within $10,000 of the national figure. For a PNP with family flexibility, relocation pays most when it means moving into one of the six states above $150,000, and how much of that survives contact with housing costs varies enormously between markets.

Setting type. Hospital-employed PNPs benefit from shift differentials, on-call pay, and structured benefit packages including pension or 403(b) contributions. Outpatient practice may offer a lower base but more predictable hours, no night or weekend call, and sometimes higher autonomy.

Full practice authority. States that grant APRNs full practice authority allow PNPs to practice and bill independently, without a required physician collaboration agreement (some only after a transition-to-practice period). This affects take-home pay in two ways: independent practice PNPs can capture more of their patient panel’s billed revenue, and employers in full-practice-authority states face less friction hiring NPs, which can increase wage competition.

DNP vs MSN. In AANP’s 2024 report, full-time NPs whose highest degree was a DNP reported a median base salary of $127,000, against $120,000 for those with a nursing master’s. That $7,000 gap reflects role and seniority differences as well as the degree itself. The DNP opens additional doors: formal academic faculty appointments, Director of Nursing or Chief Nursing Officer tracks, and, at the VA, where NPs are paid on the Title 38 nurse pay schedule rather than the GS scale, education is one of the factors in grade determination. For the salary difference alone, the DNP is not a clear financial win at the point of hire. Its value compounds over a 20–30 year career.

Is the PNP salary worth it?

The return on investment calculus for becoming a PNP depends on what you’re comparing it to.

Versus continuing as a bedside RN: BLS does not publish pediatric RN pay separately. Against the all-RN median of $97,550 (May 2025), the AANP pediatric medians ($113,000–$132,500) imply a gap of roughly $15,000–$35,000 a year; the two figures come from different surveys and years, so treat that as approximate. Most MSN-PNP programs cost $40,000–$90,000 in tuition, plus the opportunity cost of reduced hours during school. At a $25,000 annual salary premium, the break-even point on a $70,000 investment is just under three years after graduation, before tax and before counting lost earnings during school. Over a 25-year career, the cumulative advantage is substantial.

Versus becoming an FNP: Pediatric primary care and family NPs reported the same median base salary in AANP’s 2024 report ($120,000), and both are eligible NHSC loan repayment disciplines. The decision comes down to which patient population you want to serve.

Versus becoming a CRNA: CRNAs earn roughly $104,000–$124,000 more per year than PNPs at the median – the BLS CRNA median of $236,590 against AANP pediatric medians of $113,000 to $132,500 (different surveys, so treat the gap as approximate). The CRNA path requires at least one year of full-time critical care experience (most admitted students bring more) plus a doctoral program of at least 36 months, little or no income during training, and $100,000–$150,000 in school debt. The lifetime financial premium for CRNA over PNP is real – see the CRNA salary guide – but the time, debt, and admission selectivity are also real. PNP is a different career with a different patient population and lifestyle, and a strong one on its own terms.

NHSC loan repayment as income supplement

For PNPs entering primary care in underserved communities, the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Loan Repayment Program is the most underused income lever in the specialty.

Eligible providers who commit to two years of full-time service at an NHSC-approved site in a primary care Health Professional Shortage Area receive up to $75,000 in loan repayment under the fiscal year 2026 program, and NHSC loan repayment funds are exempt from federal income and employment taxes. A further $5,000 enhancement is available to providers who demonstrate Spanish-language proficiency through an approved assessment, taking the ceiling to $80,000 – guides often quote that $80,000 as the plain headline figure, but it is not the base award. Awards are capped at the outstanding balance of your qualifying educational loans, so a provider carrying less debt than the maximum receives less than the headline figure. Continuation contracts of up to $20,000 per additional year of full-time service ($10,000 half-time) are available to participants who still carry qualifying debt.

The primary care requirement is the part worth reading closely. Pediatric NPs are an eligible NHSC discipline, and the $75,000 ceiling applies to primary care providers serving at an NHSC-approved site in a primary care HPSA; behavioral and oral health placements carry a lower $50,000 ceiling. Hospital-based subspecialty practice does not count as NHSC primary care service, so a PNP in a pediatric cardiology or oncology clinic should not expect the award at all. Check the site’s NHSC approval status and your own role classification before factoring the award into a compensation comparison.

Two more things to hold onto when comparing offers. The award is tied to your actual loan balance rather than paid as salary, so it closes a debt gap rather than raising your income, and the two-year service obligation stands regardless of the award size. For a PNP carrying $75,000 in student debt – a plausible MSN figure – two years of full-time NHSC service in a primary care HPSA can retire most or all of it.

NHSC-eligible roles include FQHC positions, Indian Health Service sites, rural health clinics, and school-based health centers in qualifying HPSAs. For new PNP graduates weighing a higher-paying private pediatric practice against an FQHC or school-based position, the NHSC math often closes the gap in the first two years.

Career advancement and income growth

DNP completion. PNPs with an existing MSN can complete a post-master’s DNP through a bridge program, typically 18–24 months part-time. The DNP opens formal faculty roles at higher academic ranks and qualifies for some administrative positions that require a doctorate.

Leadership roles. Senior PNPs in academic medical centers frequently move into roles such as Director of Advanced Practice, Chief APP (Advanced Practice Provider), or clinical education coordinator. These roles carry a salary premium of $15,000–$40,000 over direct clinical practice at the same institution.

Faculty positions. PNP faculty roles at university nursing programs range from $80,000–$130,000 depending on institution and rank. Many are part-time or adjunct, allowing continued clinical practice. Full-time tenure-track faculty positions at research universities typically require a DNP or PhD and a sustained research portfolio.

Locum tenens and travel. Unlike some NP specialties, PNP locum tenens work is limited to markets with active locum recruiters placing pediatric NPs. It exists – primarily in rural children’s hospital systems and critical access hospitals with pediatric units – but the market is smaller than for FNPs or CRNAs. The premium for locum PNP work, where it exists, tends to run 15–25% above a permanent rate.

Key takeaways

• PNP median base salary runs from $113,000 (general pediatric primary care) to $132,500 (acute care certification) in AANP’s 2024 survey of 2023 earnings, with the 10th–90th percentiles spanning roughly $95,000 to $165,000 across both tracks.
• The BLS national NP median of $132,300 (May 2025, SOC 29-1171) is the most reliable benchmark for all NPs. Within AANP’s own data, pediatric primary care matches the all-NP full-time median of $120,000 and pediatric acute care sits above it.
• Pediatric acute care certification carried a $12,500 median base salary premium over primary care ($132,500 against $120,000), narrowing to $6,000 on total income.
• California, New Jersey, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska carry the highest NP state medians in the May 2025 vintage; Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky the lowest.
• NHSC loan repayment pays up to $75,000 base – $80,000 with the Spanish-language proficiency enhancement – exempt from federal income and employment taxes, for a two-year full-time commitment at an approved primary care HPSA site, with continuation contracts of up to $20,000 a year after that. It can make community health roles financially competitive with private practice.
• The break-even on NP education vs continuing as a bedside RN is roughly 2.8 years on a $70,000 program against a $25,000 annual premium over the BLS all-RN median, before lost earnings during school.

For the full pathway to becoming a PNP, see the companion how to become a pediatric nurse practitioner guide. For broader specialty comparisons, the nurse practitioner salary guide and family nurse practitioner salary guide provide adjacent benchmarks.

References

1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: Nurse Practitioners (SOC 29-1171),” Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, released 2026.
2. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: Nurse Anesthetists (SOC 29-1151),” Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, released 2026.
3. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141),” Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, released 2026.
4. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employment Projections: 2025–2035,” Employment Projections program, released 27 August 2026 (superseding the 2024–2034 round). Nurse practitioners (SOC 29-1171): 41.0% growth, from 336,300 jobs in 2025 to 474,100 in 2035.
5. Pediatric Nursing Certification Board, “CPNP-PC: Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care,” PNCB certification requirements.
6. Pediatric Nursing Certification Board, “CPNP-AC Exam Eligibility,” PNCB certification requirements.
7. Health Resources and Services Administration, “Fiscal Year 2026 National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program Application and Program Guidance,” Bureau of Health Workforce, US Department of Health and Human Services, 2026; and “LRP 2026 Comparative Overview: NHSC and IHS Loan Repayment Programs” (continuation contracts up to $20,000 full-time / $10,000 half-time per year).
8. American Association of Nurse Practitioners, “2026 Nurse Practitioner State Practice Environment,” AANP State Government Affairs, May 2026.
9. National ONET Consortium, “Nurse Practitioners (29-1171.00) state wage tables,” ONET OnLine, sponsored by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, 2026.
10. American Association of Nurse Practitioners, “2024 Nurse Practitioner Compensation Report,” AANP, 2024. Data from the 2024 AANP NP Workforce Surveys (fielded March–May 2024, 2023 calendar-year earnings, full-time NPs working 35+ hours a week); Tables 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 2.4, and 2.7. https://storage.aanp.org/www/documents/no-index/research/1.Comp.NP-Report24.pdf
11. Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, “Standards for Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Programs – Practice Doctorate,” COA (minimum one year full-time critical care RN experience; minimum 36-month program length).