Nursing career path: three licenses, three different decisions

Nursing is a set of licensed roles with different training lengths, pay and growth outlooks. Most people are really deciding which of those roles to aim for.

The table uses May 2024 median wages and 2024 to 2034 projections. BLS has since posted May 2025 wages (registered nurses $97,550, the advanced practice group $134,920, all occupations $50,980), so check the current profile before you plan around a number.

People call this a ladder, and it is one in a limited sense: you normally enter each rung from the one below. Time served does not move you up. Each step is a separate program, a separate cost and a separate license.

The third row is a group figure covering three distinct occupations with their own separate BLS profiles. Nurse practitioners in particular carry their own projection, and quoting the group growth rate as though it were the nurse practitioner rate is a common mistake. If a specific figure matters to your decision, read the individual profile rather than the group one.

What BLS does not publish

There is no BLS breakdown of registered nurse pay by degree. The $93,600 median covers registered nurses as an occupation, whether they entered through an associate degree, a bachelor’s, or a diploma program.

So anyone showing you a table of what an ADN earns against a BSN is not drawing on federal data. Employer preferences and requirements are a real consideration, and some employers do prefer or require a bachelor’s for particular roles, but you have to ask employers in your area. National statistics will not answer it.

Reading the ladder as a sequence of costs

Each rung asks for a different commitment, and the higher wage pays for that commitment.

The LPN route is a postsecondary non-degree program, so it is the fastest way to a license and a wage above the $49,500 all-occupations median (May 2024). It is also a terminal license in its own right: becoming an RN afterwards means a further program instead of a top-up, even where bridge programs shorten it.

The RN route is the largest step in absolute wage terms, from $62,340 to $93,600 at the median, and it opens the setting where about 59 percent of the occupation works. It is also the prerequisite for everything above it.

The advanced practice routes require a master’s degree at minimum and are entered after RN licensure, which means they are a second major program undertaken by someone already working. That is the practical reason people study while employed, which our note on working while in nursing school covers.

None of these steps happens automatically with time served. Plan the sequence early, including which employers help pay for which stage. Waiting until you apply is too late.

The hospital concentration, and what it implies

About 59 percent of registered nurses work in hospitals, which shapes the job in ways a wage figure does not capture. Hospitals run continuously, so nights, weekends and holidays are part of the job. Weigh that before the training, not after.

The remaining share works in other settings, which is why the occupation is more varied than the hospital image suggests. If shift work is a deal-breaker for your household, look into those other settings.

Entry-level roles in the same buildings, and what they do and do not lead to, are covered in our note on hospital jobs with no experience. How nursing pay sits against healthcare generally is in the medical pay range.

Nursing career questions

Does a BSN pay more than an ADN?

BLS does not publish registered nurse pay by degree, so there is no federal figure to quote. The $93,600 median covers the occupation regardless of entry route. Some employers prefer or require a bachelor’s for particular positions, so ask employers in your area.

Is LPN a good way in?

It is the shortest licensed route, with a May 2024 median of $62,340, which is above the all-occupations median of $49,500. Whether it is a step toward registered nursing or a destination is a personal decision. It is a separate license, not a partial completion of the RN one.

How much do nurse practitioners earn?

The BLS group covering nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners had a median of $132,050 in May 2024. That is a group figure across three occupations, and nurse practitioners have their own profile with their own median and projection. Read that page instead of applying the group number to the role.

Is nursing growing quickly?

Registered nursing is projected to grow 5 percent from 2024 to 2034, against 3 percent for all occupations. That is modest as a percentage, but the occupation is very large and openings also arise from replacement needs. Growth rate alone understates the hiring in an established field of this size.

Written by

Keith Guirao

Founder & Editor, ConsumersWeek

18+ years in consumer marketing and lead generation across insurance, personal finance, and home services. ConsumersWeek explains how these products are priced and sold so you can evaluate them with the same information the industry has.

About the editorLinkedIn