Missouri has fewer physicians per 100,000 citizens than the country as a whole. This situation highlights the critical importance of highly educated nursing professionals such as advanced practice nurses. A survey conducted by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) revealed that 83.3% of the state’s APRNs held MSN degrees in 2014.
Missouri’s APRNs are handsomely compensated for their clinical and leadership expertise. These specialists earned 1.55 to 2.63 times more than staff nurses who typically have ADNs or BSNs according to 2013 salary data from the Missouri Department of Economic Development.
In 2013, there were 3,662 students enrolled in MSN programs in Missouri according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. A number of these students are being educated to become APRNs, and 97.3% of those in APRN programs plan to become nurse practitioners.
Urban counties in Missouri had a higher ratio of APRNs per population than rural ones according to the DHSS. This rate was 1 per 911 residents in urban areas, and only 1 per 1,495 residents in the rural counties as of 2014. Both Gentry and Putnam counties did not report having any APRNs practicing in the respective areas that year.
Comparing Salaries for Missouri’s APRNs and Staff Nurses
An analysis of the salaries of nursing professionals in 2014 reveals the increasing earning power that comes with having an MSN as compared to RNs who typically do not have a graduate degree. The Missouri Department of Economic Development provides salary data for MSN-educated nurses compared to staff RNs:
Another analysis that demonstrates the increased earning power of MSN-educated nurses is that of the Advance Healthcare Network for Nurses. It conducted a survey of nurses from different educational backgrounds in 2012. The results of their survey of nurses in Missouri and other parts of the Midwest revealed that those with MSNs earned an average of 30.1% more than their colleagues with BSNs:
- MSN – $77,090
- BSN – $59,232
Nurse Practitioners Salaries Throughout Missouri
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides an analysis of the salaries of nurse practitioners in a number of areas of Missouri for 2013. Those in the Fayetteville area earned substantially higher wages than those in the rest of Missouri:
Salaries for Nurse Anesthetists in Missouri
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides salary data for nurse anesthetists in key regions of Missouri. Its analysis from 2013 indicated that nurse anesthetists located in the southeast nonmetropolitan area of the state had substantially higher average salaries than such professionals in other parts of Missouri:
*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 for Missouri.
Nurse Midwife Salaries in St. Louis
Salary data for nurse midwifes who practiced in the St. Louis area indicates that those in the 75th percentile made nearly $102,000 a year in 2013.