Salaries for MSN-Educated Nurses in Arkansas

The salaries of Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) are extremely competitive in Arkansas. Nurse practitioners and nurse anesthetists can both expect to earn more than the national average. In all cases, earning an MSN degree will pay off financially.

The 2012 national survey conducted by the Advance Healthcare Network of Nurses found the following average annual salary differences for RNs in the southern region of the US, revealing the financial rewards of graduate-level education.

  • Associate’s Degree – $58,562
  • Bachelor’s Degree – $61,956
  • Master’s Degree – $77,370
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There are eight schools in Arkansas accredited by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, which reports that 730 students were enrolled in MSN programs in 2013. Of these, 668 were nurses retuning to school for RN-MSN programs, and were studying to become APNs. Other common tracks for MSN-educated nurses include education, administration, informatics and research.

Nurse Practitioner Earnings in Arkansas

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that there were 1,000 licensed nurse practitioners in Arkansas in 2013 earning the following salaries;

Experience
Annual Salary
Entry-Level
$67900
Mean
$94220
75th Percentile
$105980
90th Percentile
$133410

For comparative purposes, the Arkansas Department of Labor’s 2013 State Wage Survey listed the following:

Experience
Annual Salary
Entry-Level
$71780
Mean
$94220
Experienced
$105380

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows nurse practitioner salaries for different cities in Arkansas (2013):

Area name
Employment
Annual mean wage
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers AR-MO
130
106510
Fort Smith AR-OK
40
92390
Hot Springs AR
40
86710
Jonesboro AR
30
115250
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway AR
500
91520
Memphis TN-MS-AR
850
97610
Texarkana-Texarkana TX-AR
40
137880
Central Arkansas nonmetropolitan area
50
98940
East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area
80
89240
South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area
50
81280
West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area
50
99530

*Salary and wage are at or above the figures shown. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics does not report earnings over $187,199/year or $90/hour.

Nurse Anesthetists Earnings in Arkansas

Nurse anesthetists generally earn the highest salaries among APNs. The following is the BLS salary table for the 240 nurse anesthetists in Arkansas.

Experience
Annual Salary
Entry-Level
$96190
Mean
$145640
75th Percentile
$164240
90th Percentile
$187199*

The State Department of Labor table is the same as the BLS with one exception.

  • Experienced – $170,050/$81.75

The following data represents a full BLS analysis of Nurse Anesthetist salaries for various cities and areas of Arkansas (2013):

Area name
Employment
Annual mean wage
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers AR-MO
Estimate not released
186490
Jonesboro AR
50
87070
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway AR
Estimate not released
147780
Memphis TN-MS-AR
370
138110

*Salary and wage are at or above the figures shown. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics does not report earnings over $187,199/year or $90/hour.

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