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Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) are registered nurses (RNs) who’ve taken their careers and nursing salaries to the next level through advanced education and training. APRNs typically fall into one of four distinct categories – nurse practitioner (NP), clinical nurse specialist (CNS), nurse-midwife or Certified RN Anesthetist (CRNA). However, NPs and CNSs can specialize further by patient population or medical condition, often leading to higher pay for specialized niches.
Regardless of their specialty, APRNs usually earn much more than RNs, which appeals to nurses with financial growth as one of their primary objectives. Whether you’re a seasoned APRN or just embarking on your journey, our list of top-paying APRN specialties offers a glimpse of the roles you might want to consider.
10 Top Paying APRN Specialties Projected in 2025
Over 100 RN specialties exist, with some of the most lucrative roles requiring a Master of Science (MSN) degree or higher. Earning an MSN is essential to becoming an APRN, but many employers prefer APRN candidates with a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) for some advanced practice jobs. Salaries vary significantly based on education, experience, location and facility, but specialty also plays a big role.
We ranked APRN specialties based solely on jobs that health systems and staffing agencies posted to Vivian Health’s jobs marketplace throughout 2024 to predict which roles might have the highest salaries in 2025. Because travel nursing jobs haven’t bounced back as anticipated, some specialties have fewer travel jobs available than others. Thus, the top 10 highest-paying APRN specialties vary based on staff versus travel roles.
Taking this into account, we changed our breakdown this year. Instead of ranking based on the 10 highest average salaries by specialty based on travel jobs, we provided a list of the top 5 staff and top 5 travel specialties based on average salaries within each role type.
We use average weekly pay instead of the maximum as this number can skew high or low based on a small number of unusually high-paying or low-paying jobs and may not accurately represent the highest-paying specialties over time. However, we provide the highest weekly rate to show the ceiling based on 2024 job postings.
The numbers provided cover salaries for jobs posted throughout 2024 and may differ from current rates seen on our job pages as rates can vary weekly, sometimes even daily, due to new jobs posting to the site and previous openings being filled. Nevertheless, the APRN specialties listed typically rank at the top of the staff or travel pay scale and should continue to do so in 2025.
Top 5 Highest Average Staff Wages by Specialty
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) consistently rank as the highest-paid APRN year after year, and 2025 should follow this trend. Unlike other specialties, CRNAs have the highest average weekly salary in both staff and travel roles. However, there’s a distinct difference between the rest of the list. Check out where we see the highest average wages for APRN staff jobs by specialty.
1. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists
- Education Requirements: MSN or higher / DNP required by 2025 (new CRNAs)
- Relevant Certifications: NCE (NBCRNA)
- Average Weekly Staff Rate: $5,009
- Highest Weekly Staff Rate: $8,000
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) specialize in administering anesthesia and managing patient comfort and safety during surgeries, labor and delivery and other medical interventions. They work alongside surgeons, anesthesiologists and other healthcare professionals to design and implement anesthesia plans tailored to individual patient needs. CRNAs monitor vital signs and adjust anesthesia levels during procedures, ensuring optimal patient outcomes. They’re trained to administer anesthesia through various methods, including gases, intravenous liquids and oral medications. CRNAs also perform specialized procedures such as epidurals and nerve blocks. Their comprehensive care extends from pre-operative assessment to post-operative recovery, enhancing safety and effectiveness in perioperative environments.
2. Interventional Radiology NP
- Education Requirements: MSN or DNP with a specialization in acute care or radiology
- Relevant Certifications: CRNP / ARLS
- Average Weekly Staff Rate: $4,118
- Highest Weekly Staff Rate: $4,216
Interventional Radiology (IR) NPs are experts in minimally invasive, image-guided procedures. They’re instrumental in assessing patients and assisting in interventions such as angioplasties, stent placements and tumor biopsies, utilizing advanced imaging technologies like CT scans, MRIs and ultrasounds to ensure precision. IR NPs also manage post-procedure care to enhance recovery and minimize complications. They educate patients on treatment options, enhancing patient understanding and participation in care decisions. Their skills in combining diagnostic imaging with therapeutic intervention are crucial in advancing less invasive treatment alternatives, promoting quicker recoveries compared to traditional surgeries.
3. General Surgery NP
- Education Requirements: MSN or higher with a specialization in acute or surgical care
- Relevant Certifications: CRNP
- Average Weekly Staff Rate: $3,835
- Highest Weekly Staff Rate: $5,774
General Surgery NPs provide comprehensive care to patients throughout general surgical procedures. They manage surgical preparation, conduct thorough patient assessments and oversee comprehensive postoperative and follow-up care. General surgery NPs are integral in monitoring patients for complications, managing pain and caring for wounds, optimizing each patient’s recovery and enhancing the efficient and successful delivery of surgical care. Their role is central to maintaining high standards in surgical care, contributing significantly to smoother patient experiences and improved health results.
4. Obstetrics/Gynecology NP
- Education Requirements: MSN or DNP with a specialization in women’s health or OB/GYN
- Relevant Certifications: WHNP-BC or CRNP
- Average Weekly Staff Rate: $3,815
- Highest Weekly Staff Rate: $5,774
Obstetrics/Gynecology (OB/GYN) NPs focus on women’s health, primarily the sexual and reproductive healthcare of female patients. Offering services that closely align with an OB/GYN, these NPs provide well-woman check-ups, treatments for sexually transmitted diseases, fertility consultations and prenatal care up to birth. While they don’t perform deliveries, a role reserved for OB/GYNs and nurse-midwives, OB/GYN NPs can pursue additional training to obtain their nurse-midwife certification and expand their scope of practice. Their duties may overlap with Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners (WHNPs), but the duties of an OB/GYN NP primarily encompass the health needs of women of reproductive age, while WHNPs address health issues of women across all life stages.
5. Pulmonology NP
- Education Requirements: MSN or DNP with a specialization in pulmonology or adult-gerontology acute care
- Relevant Certifications: ACNPC-AG or CRNP
- Average Weekly Staff Rate: $3,646
- Highest Weekly Staff Rate: $4,619
Pulmonology NPs are at the forefront of a rapidly advancing field, specializing in the management of complex respiratory conditions and diseases. Recent innovations have significantly enhanced their ability to provide care, notably through the use of minimally invasive procedures like endobronchial valves for COPD patients. These procedures improve symptoms and lung function with less discomfort and quicker recovery times compared to traditional surgeries. Pulmonology NPs also utilize advanced diagnostic tools such as low-dose CT scans for early detection of lung diseases, playing a critical role in initiating timely treatments that can halt the progression of severe conditions like emphysema. By integrating these technological and therapeutic advances, pulmonology NPs provide comprehensive care that improves patient outcomes, emphasizing early intervention and personalized treatment plans that address specific aspects of respiratory health.
Top 5 Highest Average Travel Wages by Specialty
CRNAs remain the highest-paid APRN specialty among travelers, with an average wage even higher than staff roles. However, the rest of the list of highest-paid specialties among travel roles differs substantially, with no other specialties matching the staff list.
1. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists
- Education Requirements: MSN or higher / DNP required by 2025 (new CRNAs)
- Relevant Certifications: NCE (NBCRNA)
- Average Weekly Staff Rate: $5,009
- Highest Weekly Staff Rate: $8,000
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) specialize in administering anesthesia and managing patient comfort and safety during surgeries, labor and delivery and other medical interventions. They work alongside surgeons, anesthesiologists and other healthcare professionals to design and implement anesthesia plans tailored to individual patient needs. CRNAs monitor vital signs and adjust anesthesia levels during procedures, ensuring optimal patient outcomes. They’re trained to administer anesthesia through various methods, including gases, intravenous liquids and oral medications. CRNAs also perform specialized procedures such as epidurals and nerve blocks. Their comprehensive care extends from pre-operative assessment to post-operative recovery, enhancing safety and effectiveness in perioperative environments.
2. Cardiovascular/Cardiothoracic Surgery Nurse Practitioner
- Education Requirements: MSN minimum with a cardiovascular/cardiothoracic surgery track
- Relevant Certifications: AGACNP-BC
- Average Weekly Travel Rate: $7,223
- Highest Weekly Travel Rate: $11,127
Cardiovascular/cardiothoracic surgery NPs specialize in managing patients throughout the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative phases of cardiac and cardiothoracic operations. They’re integral in assessing patients, preparing them for surgery, assisting during operations and managing postoperative care. Cardiovascular/cardiothoracic surgery NPs’ responsibilities include monitoring vital signs, adjusting care as needed to stabilize patients and collaborating with surgeons and healthcare staff to ensure the best surgical outcomes. They’re essential in enhancing patient recovery and quality of life by providing dedicated and complex cardiac care, significantly contributing to the success of surgical procedures and the overall safety of patients in perioperative environments.
3. Acute Care NP
- Education Requirements: MSN or DNP with a specialization in acute care
- Relevant Certifications: ACNP-BC
- Average Weekly Travel Rate: $6,463
- Highest Weekly Travel Rate: $8,400
Acute Care Nurse Practitioners (ACNPs) are essential in acute care settings, such as emergency departments, intensive care units, urgent care clinics or long-term care facilities. They handle severe, short-term health issues needing immediate assistance, including acute conditions or exacerbated chronic conditions. ACNPs are trained to make rapid, often life-saving decisions, focusing on stabilizing patients rather than managing long-term care. Their roles require them to quickly assess, diagnose and treat patients potentially in critical conditions across various fast-paced environments. Their expertise enables them to provide essential care in both inpatient and outpatient facilities, effectively bridging the gap between emergency care and recovery.
4. Hospitalist NP
- Education Requirements: MSN or DNP with a specialization in acute care or hospital medicine
- Relevant Certifications: CRNPM
- Average Weekly Travel Rate: $4,861
- Highest Weekly Travel Rate: $5,040
Hospitalist NPs specialize in hospital medicine, managing the care of patients during their hospital stay. They focus on assessing, diagnosing and managing both acute and chronic medical conditions within the hospital environment. Hospitalist NPs are pivotal in coordinating comprehensive care plans, ensuring continuity of care and interacting closely with a multidisciplinary team, including physicians, nurses and various specialists. Their deep understanding of hospital protocols significantly aids in efficiently delivering healthcare services. They’re also responsible for educating patients and their families about medical conditions and treatment plans, making them essential in inpatient care and helping patients successfully transition to home or another care facility post-discharge.
5. Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Education Requirements: MSN or DNP
- Relevant Certifications: AGCNS-BC
- Average Weekly Travel Rate: $4,703
- Highest Weekly Travel Rate: $8,078
Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) enhance patient care across various healthcare settings by assessing nursing practices and their impact on patient outcomes. They provide direct patient care and mentor nursing staff to ensure they maintain established levels of clinical competency by providing clinical direction in the delivery of patient care programs. Their responsibilities include developing treatment plans, diagnosing health conditions, and implementing evidence-based practices. CNSs collaborate with healthcare teams to enhance patient care systems, educate staff and influence healthcare policies, contributing significantly to improving nursing care and patient satisfaction within a specific clinical department. They often specialize in specific patient populations, such as gerontology, pediatric, neonatal, home health and adult or child/adolescent mental health.
Aren’t Some High-Paying Specialties Missing?
You probably expected to see several other APRN specialties on our highest-paying list, such as certified nurse midwives, aesthetic NPs and neonatal NPs. Although they’re missing from our list this year, it doesn’t mean these roles don’t still pay well. It simply means that we’ve not seen many of these roles posted to Vivian’s jobs marketplace over the last year. Thus, there’s limited or no salary data to increase their rankings, and finding openings may be challenging.
These highest-paying lists include advanced practice nursing positions only. Check out our Top 10 Highest-Paying RN Specialties for 2025 to learn which roles typically requiring a Bachelor of Science in Nursing or less are anticipated to be highly lucrative in the coming year.
Create a free Vivian Reusable Profile to apply for staff or travel positions within one of these high-paying APRN specialties and let us help you find your next job quicker and easier than ever.
Editor’s Note: This blog post was originally published in July 2021 and has been updated annually to reflect the most recent data. The advanced practice nursing specialties currently listed were the highest-paying as of the most recent publication date.
Can a Clinical Nurse Specialist join a Healthcare Traveling Agency like nurses or NP’s?
Hello Kimberly and thanks for reaching out! Yes, clinical nurse specialists can work for a travel healthcare agency like other healthcare professionals. But you must obtain licensure in each state in which you take a travel position and there tend to be fewer travel jobs available for CNSs. Keep an eye on our CNS travel job board to see when new CNS travel jobs post. You can also create a Vivian profile to automatically receive notifications when new jobs meeting your needs become available. Should you have any questions about our website, please feel free to use the “Contact Vivian” option under the Resources tab to reach our 24/7 help desk. We wish you the best of luck and hope Vivian can help you find the job you seek!
CRNAs now require a doctorate degree.