Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Salary: What the Data Shows (Plus Full Practice Authority)
Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) are among the highest-paid clinicians in behavioral health, and demand for them is rising faster than for almost any other role. Federal wage data does not track PMHNPs separately, so the benchmark starts with all nurse practitioners: a median of $132,300 a year (BLS, May 2025 estimates, released May 2026). Read that as a floor. PMHNP-specific pay generally runs above it, with aggregator data converging near $139,000, because psychiatric prescribers are scarcer than the average NP.
This page covers the state-by-state all-NP numbers, why PMHNP pay sits above them, and the two factors that move a psychiatric NP’s paycheck most: full practice authority and certification. Everything federal is sourced to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and refreshed each spring.
National snapshot (all nurse practitioners)
Highest-paying states
| Rank | State | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $168,520 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $159,310 |
| 3 | Washington | $156,100 |
| 4 | Oregon | $155,680 |
| 5 | Alaska | $155,170 |
Even on the all-NP floor, the top states clear $155,000, and PMHNP-specific pay in those markets runs higher. The pattern here is a mix of cost of living and scope law: several top states grant nurse practitioners full practice authority, which raises earning power, a factor covered below.
Psychiatric nurse practitioner salary by state (all-NP proxy)
| State | Employment | 10th pctile | Median | 90th pctile | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 5,640 | $86,300 | $105,750 | $134,650 | $110,970 |
| Alaska | 710 | $95,570 | $155,170 | $207,490 | $149,120 |
| Arizona | 7,220 | $104,400 | $134,420 | $173,270 | $140,600 |
| Arkansas | 3,970 | $99,420 | $125,660 | $205,810 | $130,260 |
| California | 25,120 | $120,340 | $168,520 | $240,830 | $176,760 |
| Colorado | 4,270 | $87,770 | $132,930 | $170,310 | $132,540 |
| Connecticut | 3,750 | $109,930 | $138,470 | $173,810 | $142,340 |
| Delaware | 1,430 | $97,450 | $131,040 | $162,870 | $132,900 |
| District of Columbia | 680 | $115,200 | $135,880 | $180,300 | $146,470 |
| Florida | 21,790 | $101,920 | $129,510 | $163,600 | $130,410 |
| Georgia | 10,460 | $99,160 | $129,430 | $166,060 | $128,800 |
| Guam | 90 | $78,500 | $118,670 | $174,910 | $123,960 |
| Hawaii | 550 | $106,450 | $135,570 | $174,350 | $142,910 |
| Idaho | 1,750 | $100,480 | $132,540 | $169,710 | $133,420 |
| Illinois | 9,270 | $102,440 | $130,680 | $161,470 | $130,940 |
| Indiana | 7,450 | $101,790 | $128,830 | $155,260 | $126,600 |
| Iowa | 3,240 | $107,990 | $130,160 | $167,590 | $136,940 |
| Kansas | 3,780 | $98,330 | $126,650 | $158,080 | $127,940 |
| Kentucky | 4,770 | $95,710 | $122,870 | $162,960 | $125,010 |
| Louisiana | 5,380 | $99,050 | $125,600 | $159,570 | $126,630 |
| Maine | 1,650 | $107,820 | $130,260 | $166,740 | $134,210 |
| Maryland | 6,710 | $99,920 | $131,110 | $169,330 | $133,360 |
| Massachusetts | 8,070 | $111,950 | $142,440 | $207,710 | $152,320 |
| Michigan | 8,290 | $101,640 | $131,450 | $165,870 | $132,790 |
| Minnesota | 7,780 | $98,950 | $133,260 | $170,140 | $135,890 |
| Mississippi | 4,690 | $98,780 | $124,730 | $156,830 | $125,340 |
| Missouri | 7,710 | $100,650 | $129,930 | $162,060 | $130,970 |
| Montana | 1,260 | $105,110 | $137,210 | $166,940 | $135,290 |
| Nebraska | 2,340 | $103,820 | $132,130 | $161,990 | $131,710 |
| Nevada | 1,930 | $85,380 | $140,670 | $172,170 | $137,410 |
| New Hampshire | 1,770 | $106,070 | $137,550 | $166,240 | $138,070 |
| New Jersey | 9,950 | $122,390 | $159,310 | $183,420 | $155,750 |
| New Mexico | 1,770 | $106,320 | $137,520 | $175,020 | $143,510 |
| New York | 22,890 | $112,730 | $153,510 | $198,060 | $153,900 |
| North Carolina | 9,800 | $103,530 | $128,990 | $164,320 | $130,870 |
| North Dakota | 1,290 | $103,490 | $130,070 | $162,020 | $126,370 |
| Ohio | 15,400 | $100,780 | $124,870 | $154,680 | $122,910 |
| Oklahoma | 3,620 | $99,490 | $133,390 | $167,950 | $134,200 |
| Oregon | 2,820 | $124,660 | $155,680 | $194,070 | $155,780 |
| Pennsylvania | 10,670 | $102,940 | $130,140 | $163,720 | $132,070 |
| Rhode Island | 1,180 | $111,420 | $135,970 | $176,410 | $143,150 |
| South Carolina | 5,670 | $97,080 | $123,290 | $160,170 | $124,170 |
| South Dakota | 1,020 | $103,080 | $128,840 | $156,000 | $125,160 |
| Tennessee | 12,150 | $82,790 | $117,590 | $137,880 | $115,510 |
| Texas | 25,970 | $96,880 | $131,670 | $161,980 | $131,420 |
| Utah | 2,740 | $102,980 | $130,920 | $175,220 | $137,060 |
| Vermont | 700 | $108,510 | $134,740 | $167,610 | $139,400 |
| Virginia | 7,110 | $99,990 | $127,810 | $161,470 | $129,060 |
| Washington | 6,700 | $122,420 | $156,100 | $187,240 | $152,180 |
| West Virginia | 2,550 | $100,220 | $127,320 | $155,500 | $126,780 |
| Wisconsin | 5,160 | $106,320 | $131,980 | $166,260 | $135,160 |
| Wyoming | 440 | $101,970 | $132,200 | $165,250 | $132,680 |
A reading note: because this is the all-NP line, the state medians blend psychiatric NPs with family, acute-care, and other specialties. PMHNPs generally sit in the upper part of each state’s range rather than at the median, so use the 90th-percentile column as a better guide to what an experienced psychiatric prescriber earns in a given state. Even the lowest state median ($105,750 in Alabama) is a six-figure floor, which is the scarcity of prescribers showing through nationwide.
What full practice authority does to pay
The single biggest state-level factor in a PMHNP’s earning power is scope of practice law. As of 2026, 28 states plus the District of Columbia grant nurse practitioners full practice authority, meaning a PMHNP can evaluate, diagnose, and prescribe, including controlled substances for psychiatric care, without a collaborative agreement with a physician. In the remaining states, reduced or restricted practice requires a supervising physician, which adds cost and limits how independently a PMHNP can operate.
Full practice authority raises earning power two ways. It lets PMHNPs bill independently and run their own panels, and it removes the collaborating-physician overhead that otherwise eats into compensation. It is also the economic engine behind telepsychiatry: a PMHNP licensed in full-practice-authority states can serve psychiatric shortage areas remotely without a supervising physician in each state. Our telepsychiatry jobs guide covers how remote psychiatric prescribing works and pays.
What certification adds
The credential that defines the role is the PMHNP-BC, the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner board certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. It requires a PMHNP-focused graduate program and a national exam, and it is what qualifies a nurse practitioner to work as a psychiatric prescriber rather than in primary or family care. That specialty certification is the reason PMHNPs out-earn family NPs: the same license, a scarcer and more sought-after specialty. For a nurse practitioner weighing specialties, moving from an FNP to a PMHNP focus is one of the clearer pay-raising credential decisions in nursing.
What the hiring market looks like
Psychiatric NP demand is close to the top of the entire labor market. BLS projects employment of nurse practitioners (grouped with nurse anesthetists and nurse midwives) to grow 35 percent from 2024 to 2034, one of the fastest rates of any occupation and more than ten times the all-occupation average, with about 32,700 openings a year across the category. Psychiatric NPs sit at the sharp end of that curve, because they are the workforce expanding access where psychiatrists are scarcest: roughly 137 million Americans live in a federally designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Area, and PMHNPs are the fastest-growing source of prescribers filling it.
For employers, the math is straightforward and unforgiving. A PMHNP costs a fraction of a psychiatrist (median $132,300-plus versus $281,870, per our psychiatrist salary page) while covering much of the same prescribing need, which is why PMHNP hiring is growing faster than psychiatrist hiring across behavioral health. The competition for them is intense, and the shortage gives credentialed candidates their pick of offers. Transparent, competitive pay is not optional in this market; it is the price of being considered.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a psychiatric nurse practitioner make?
Federal data does not track PMHNPs separately. The closest benchmark, all nurse practitioners, shows a median of $132,300 (BLS, May 2025 estimates). PMHNP-specific pay generally runs above that floor, with aggregator data converging near $139,000, because psychiatric prescribers are scarce.
Which states pay nurse practitioners the most?
On the all-NP benchmark, by median wage: California (168, 520), NewJersey(159,310), Washington (159,310), Washington (156, 100), Oregon(155,680), and Alaska ($155,170), per BLS May 2025 estimates. PMHNP pay in these markets runs higher still.155,680), and Alaska ($155,170), per BLS May 2025 estimates. PMHNP pay in these markets runs higher still.
Does full practice authority increase PMHNP pay?
Yes. As of 2026, 28 states plus DC grant nurse practitioners full practice authority, letting a PMHNP diagnose and prescribe without a collaborating physician. That removes overhead, enables independent billing, and is the basis for multi-state telepsychiatry work, all of which raise earning power relative to restricted-practice states.
Do PMHNPs earn more than family nurse practitioners?
Yes, typically by $10,000 to $20,000 a year. Same NP license, but the psychiatric mental health specialty (PMHNP-BC certification) is scarcer and in higher demand, which is why federal all-NP figures understate PMHNP pay.
Where these numbers come from
Wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates (occupation code 29-1171, Nurse Practitioners), released May 2026 and the most recent federal data available. BLS reports all nurse practitioners together, not PMHNPs separately; PMHNP pay typically runs above the all-NP figures shown here, which we treat as a conservative floor. Growth and openings projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2024 to 2034). Full-practice-authority counts reflect state scope-of-practice law as of 2026. OEWS reports wages for employees; independent contractor rates are not included. Figures marked n/a are suppressed in the source data. All figures are estimates and marked as such. We refresh this page when BLS publishes new estimates each spring.
Looking for PMHNP roles now? Find current roles from employers hiring this month.
Browse psychiatric nurse practitioner listings from employers hiring this month.