Nursing PhD pay, by role and state
What a PhD in Nursing Pays
Every figure on these pages comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, which publishes a median and the tenth-to-ninetieth percentile spread for each occupation in each state.
The number most people arrive looking for is what nursing faculty earn, and it is lower than what staff registered nurses earn. That is the central fact of this career and these pages do not bury it.
Last updated
Pay data for the research route
Nurse Scientist Salary: Pay, Spread, and the Grant Math
Medical scientists post a $103,410 median, only $5,860 above staff RNs. See the state table, the three-route comparison, and how soft money works.
Faculty pay from the May 2025 wage survey
Nursing Professor Salary by Rank, State, and Institution
The median nursing professor salary is $80,250, below the $97,550 registered nurse median. Compare pay by state, rank, and how faculty raise it.
What the pay looks like after the degree
PhD in Nursing Salary, Job by Job
Nursing faculty earn a median of $80,250 and staff RNs earn $97,550. Compare the PhD in nursing salary across seven jobs before you apply.
Start From the Programs Instead
PhD in Nursing On-Campus Programs, Ranked
All 92 of them, scored on research money and funding.
Online Nursing PhD Programs, Ranked and Compared
All 48, scored on residency burden and cost.
PhD in Nursing Programs in Every State, Ranked
46 states and territories with a program.
How Nursing PhD Programs Are Scored Here
Both models, weights included.