As the practice of medicine becomes more specialized and high tech, nurses with specialized training, such as advanced practice nurses, are increasingly in demand. Such MSN-educated nurses are highly compensated for their additional expertise. For instance, the median salaries for APRNs in Maine were 1.52 to 2.59 times greater than those of staff nurses in 2014 according to the state’s Center for Workforce Research and Information.
To meet the growing need for APRNs, the number of nurses with masters degrees increased by approximately 60% between 2007 and 2011 according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.
A number of students in Maine are taking advantage of the opportunity to obtain the MSNs, which will enhance their job opportunities and salaries. In 2013, there were 888 students enrolled in MSN programs in Maine according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Nearly 500 students were obtaining graduate preparation to become nurse practitioners that year.
Analysis for Salaries for Maine’s APRN and Staff Nurses
The salary advantages that come with having an MSN are apparent in a comparison of the salaries of APRNs in Maine versus the state’s staff nurses. The Maine Center for Workforce Research and Information provides a comparison of salary data from 2014:
Additional evidence for the increased earnings conferred by an MSN is provided by the 2012 salary survey performed by the Advance Healthcare Network for Nurses. It analyzed nursing salaries by educational level nurses throughout the Northeast. MSN-educated nurses in this region earned 18.3% more than their colleagues with BSNs:
- MSN – $85,974
- BSN – $72,665
Salaries of Nurse Practitioners Throughout Maine
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the salaries for nurse practitioners in key regions of Maine for 2013. These professionals earned substantially higher wages when they were located in the Rochester-Dover part of the state:
Nurse Anesthetists Salaries in Two Key Regions of Maine
According to a salary survey by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurse anesthetists in the northeast nonmetropolitan part of Maine earned substantially higher salaries than those in the Portland area:
*These figures represent hourly wages that are at least $90.00 per hour or annual salaries that are at least $187,199. These are the maximum salaries reported by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics in Maine.