Nurse practitioners provide a wide range of medical services, and are usually found in family practices and clinics. Although nurse practitioners often provide support by working directly with doctors, some states allow them to open their own clinics. Nurse practitioners also take on specialties, such as women's health or pediatrics. The average salary for a nurse practitioner, at time of publication, was around $87,000.
In addition to treating patients, clinical nurse specialists also crunch numbers and perform research at hospitals across the country. They assist in compiling data and making conclusions that lead to better hospital procedures, more efficient care processes and better organization of personnel. At the time of publication, the average salary for a clinical nurse specialist was around $85,000.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists practice wherever anesthesia is administered, such as in surgical suites or dental offices. The training required is significant: you must be a registered nurse with at least two years of experience in an anesthesia setting before taking the certification test. However, the training is well worth the wait, as the average salary for a nurse anesthetist, at time of publication, was roughly $153,000.
This position combines the nursing job with true business acumen. The head of nursing position requires a master's degree, and an MBA is often preferred. A person in this position oversees a staff and makes policy decisions, but must also have the hands-on nursing experience to properly communicate the needs of their staff members. The average salary for this position was roughly $176,000 at time of publication.