Nurse Practitioner Salary in Arizona for 2025
Written By: Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH
The Grand Canyon State is up against some unique health-related challenges. Though Phoenix and Tucson are large, cosmopolitan metropolises, much of Arizona consists of smaller cities and more rural communities whose residents face poverty, unemployment, and limited access to health insurance and healthcare. In rural Hispanic/Latino and Native American populations, especially those along the border, the number of individuals without health insurance easily tops 30 percent. Nurse practitioners provide great benefit in Arizona because they can practice here to the full extent of their training without the need for physician oversight. How much does a nurse practitioner make in Arizona? Keep reading to find out the complete lowdown on nurse practitioner salary in Arizona for 2025.
What is the Starting Salary of a Nurse Practitioner in Arizona?
The entry-level nurse practitioner salary in Arizona is $38.93 an hour, which works out to $6,750 a month or $80,970 annually. NP starting salaries in the Grand Canyon State are relatively high because the cost of living in Arizona is high:
If the overall cost of living in the U.S. is assigned a score of 100, then the cost of living in Arizona is 106.4.
NP starting salaries in the Grand Canyon State are influenced by other considerations as well, notably by practice setting, NP specialty, and education.
Nurse practitioners are the most in-demand job in Arizona, and employers court graduates of the
best nurse practitioner programs in Arizona with signing bonuses as well as with substantial starting salaries. Demand for the services of adult-gerontology NP specialists is high because
24 percent of Arizona’s population is over the age of 60. Additional certifications in specialty areas like oncology, urology, and cardiac care that affect elderly populations may also affect your initial rate of pay. A nurse practitioner with a
Doctor of Nursing Practice degree is likely to be offered a higher beginning salary than a nurse practitioner with a
Master’s degree in Nursing Science.
Hourly | $38.93 |
Monthly | $6,750 |
Annual | $80,970 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
What is the Average Salary of a Nurse Practitioner in Arizona?
What is the average salary of a nurse practitioner in Arizona? The average salary of a nurse practitioner in Arizona is $58.37 an hour, which calculates out to $10,120 a month or $121,410 a year.
This is 50 percent higher than the average income for all households in Arizona ($80,779) and more than twice as much as the
average income for all households in the U.S. ($51,916).
Arizona is a state with an urgent need for primary care providers. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation,
more than 30 percent of the state’s residents live in areas where the supply of primary care physicians falls well below federally defined guidelines. Arizona is one of the 22 states in which nurse practitioners are permitted to practice independently so long as they stick to providing services within the population focus for which their training prepared them. Once the Arizona Board of Nursing grants them prescribing authority, they can also prescribe medications freely. Expanded practice authority makes nurse practitioners in the Grand Canyon State effective physician substitutes, and that’s reflected in the average nurse practitioner salary in Arizona.
Hourly | $58.37 |
Monthly | $10,120 |
Annual | $121,410 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
Nurse Practitioner Salary in Arizona by Years of Experience
In Arizona, as in other U.S. states, NP experience is positively correlated with NP compensation. By the time you’ve been working four years as a nurse practitioner, you can expect to be earning $104,530, which is 29 percent more than the starting nurse practitioner salary in Arizona ($80,970). By the time you’ve been working 10 years, you can expect to be earning $133,470, which is 65 percent more than your entry-level salary. Nurse practitioners with 20 or more years of experience make $157,800 annually, which is only
34 percent less than the average base salary for a primary care physician in the Grand Canyon State.
The high rates of compensation for experienced Arizona NPs can be seen as a retention strategy that’s aimed at keeping nurse practitioners not just at their current jobs but also in their profession.
Forty-one percent of nurse practitioners in Arizona are over the age of 50, which means they will be contemplating retirement in the foreseeable future. A high nurse practitioner salary in Arizona may be one of the incentives designed to keep NPs from exiting the employment marketplace prematurely.
Years of Experience | Hourly | Monthly | Annual |
Starting (Entry-Level) | $38.93 | $6,750 | $80,970 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $50.25 | $8,710 | $104,530 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $57.92 | $10,040 | $120,480 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $64.17 | $11,120 | $133,470 |
20 Years or More Experience | $75.87 | $13,150 | $157,800 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
Total Annual Nurse Practitioner Compensation (Including Other Benefits) in Arizona
Nurse practitioner salary in Arizona is not the only form of compensation NPs in the Grand Canyon State receive. Nurse practitioners working for private-sector employers can expect to receive around 30 percent of their total compensation in the form of perks like medical insurance, retirement fund contributions, paid time off, and reimbursement for professional enrichment activities. Such perks are estimated to have a cash value of $51,297, but since they are non-salary compensation, they are not taxed. When added to the average base nurse practitioner salary in Arizona, they bring the worth of the total average compensation package to $172,717 annually.
Nurse practitioners working for state and local government agencies in the Grand Canyon State get even more remunerative benefit packages than NPs working in the private sector. Public sector benefit packages have a cash value of $74,667, which is 62 percent of the average salary for an Arizona NP working for the government ($121,310). Although public sector NPs in Arizona make slightly less than their private-sector counterparts in terms of salary, their total compensation is significantly higher: $195,977 annually compared to $172,717 annually.
Component | Private Industry | State and Local Government |
Paid Leave | $12,781 | $14,894 |
Supplemental Pay | $6,045 | $1,960 |
Insurance | $13,472 | $22,929 |
Retirement and Savings | $5,872 | $24,301 |
Legally Required | $13,126 | $10,779 |
Total Benefits | $51,297 | $74,667 |
Average Annual Salary | $121,420 | $121,310 |
Total Compensation | $172,717 | $195,977 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
Nurse Practitioner Salary in Arizona by Practice Setting
Outpatient care providers in Arizona have traditionally been primary care physicians while physicians who treat and manage patients in hospital settings have traditionally been specialists. This same division of labor is seen when nurse practitioners begin to diagnose, treat and manage patients independently. NPs specializing in primary care tend to work in outpatient settings while NPs specializing in more targeted care tend to work in hospital settings.
NPs who work in Arizona outpatient care centers can function autonomously as primary care providers for the most part, but hospital-based nurse practitioners more often find themselves working as physician adjuncts. It’s logical, therefore, that NPs working in outpatient care centers earn more than their counterparts in hospitals. That logic also applies to NPs working in physicians’ offices who have even less autonomy than NPs working in hospitals. The average nurse practitioner salary in Arizona for hospital-based and physician office-based NPs is $125,940 and $118,680 respectively while NPs working in outpatient care centers make $130,510 a year.
The highest-paid nurse practitioners in Arizona, though, are likely to be nurse practitioners who own their own practices. The risks for private practice are higher than for salaried employment, but the potential rewards are likely to be greater. Figures specific to Arizona are lacking, but nationally,
self-employed nurse practitioners earned 3 percent more on average than those employed by privately owned clinics and hospitals.
Type of Practice Setting | Hourly | Annual |
Offices of Physicians | $57.07 | $118,680 |
Hospitals | $60.55 | $125,940 |
Outpatient Care Centers | $62.75 | $130,510 |
Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $52.74 | $109,710 |
Colleges, Universities and Professional Schools | $53.34 | $110,930 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
Nurse Practitioner Salary in Arizona by Specialty
1. Adult Gerontology-Acute Care Nurse Practitioner:
The average adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner pay in Arizona is $61.95 an hour or $128,860 a year. AGACNPs have special training that enables them to meet the acute medical needs of that 24 percent of the state’s population that's aged 60 or older. This elderly population is particularly susceptible to coronavirus infection, and in late 2020,
when Arizona’s coronavirus hospitalization rate became the second-highest in the U.S., much of the responsibility for their care fell upon the Grand Canyon State’s AGACNPs.
Hourly | $61.95 |
Annual | $128,860 |
2. Adult Gerontology-Primary Care Nurse Practitioner:
Adult gerontology-primary care nurse practitioners provide care for adult and elderly patients with routine illnesses or chronic medical conditions. To some extent, the AGPCNP role intersects with the role of the family nurse practitioner except that AGPCNPs have particular expertise with the medical needs of the elderly. The average adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner salary in Arizona is $121,860 annually or $58.59 an hour.
Hourly | $58.59 |
Annual | $121,860 |
3. Dermatology Nurse Practitioner:
Dermatology nurse practitioners are advanced practice RNs who’ve passed the
Dermatology Nurse Practitioner Certification Boards and can meet the list of dermatology competencies stipulated by the
American Association of Nurse Practitioners. In the Grand Canyon State, these NPs earn $61.10 an hour or $127,100 annually, which is just under the average salary for all nurse practitioners in Arizona.
Hourly | $61.10 |
Annual | $127,100 |
4. Family Nurse Practitioner:
When it comes to nurse practitioners who specialize in providing primary healthcare, Arizona faces a lot of competition from nearby states. The passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 increased the demand for primary care services. Many of Arizona’s NPs are close to retirement age, which makes maintaining the current number of primary healthcare providers relative to the populations they serve a significant challenge.
The majority of family nurse practitioners practicing in Arizona were actually recruited from other states. The expanded scope of practice that NPs enjoy in the Grand Canyon State may be one incentive for such relocations, but another may be the relatively high rate of pay FNPs make: The average family nurse practitioner salary in Arizona is $126,410 annually, which comes to $60.78 hourly. This is
6 percent less than the average family nurse practitioner salary for the U.S. as a whole ($119,510) but significantly more than the average family nurse practitioner salaries in the adjacent states of New Mexico and Texas.
Hourly | $60.78 |
Annual | $126,410 |
5. Neonatal Nurse Practitioner:
Neonatal nurse practitioners specialize in the care of fragile newborns in intensive care nursery settings.
The incidence of preterm births in Arizona is 9.4 percent, so demand is high for the services of NNPs. High demand is the reason why a neonatal nurse practitioner is the highest-paid nurse practitioner in Arizona. The average neonatal nurse practitioner salary in Arizona is nearly $65 an hour or $135,700 annually.
Hourly | $65.24 |
Annual | $135,700 |
6. Pediatric-Acute Care Nurse Practitioner:
Pediatric-acute care nurse practitioners work primarily with juvenile patients in hospital settings though occasionally, they also work with adult patients who have lifelong conditions such as cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anemia that began when those patients were children. P-ACNPs in the Grand Canyon State work mostly in larger, more affluent cities like Phoenix, Tucson, and Scottsdale. On average, pediatric-acute care nurse practitioners earn $132,230 a year, which amounts to $63.58 an hour.
Hourly | $63.58 |
Annual | $132,230 |
7. Pediatric-Primary Care Nurse Practitioner:
Pediatric-primary care nurse practitioners work in a variety of settings, including pediatricians’ offices, school-based clinics, and community clinics. While P-PCNPs do manage common childhood illnesses, they focus primarily on prevention and wellness enhancement. In Arizona, they’re evenly distributed between more densely populated urban regions and sparsely populated rural communities. The average pediatric-primary care nurse practitioner salary in Arizona is just over $59 an hour or $122,440 a year.
Hourly | $58.86 |
Annual | $122,440 |
8. Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP):
Psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners have their work cut out for them in the Grand Canyon State. Mental Health America, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting mental health awareness, ranks
Arizona at the bottom of all 50 states in terms of providing access to mental health services.
More than half of the approximately 308,000 Arizonians who live with serious psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression go without treatment. P-MHNPs have the training and skills to address this enormous healthcare service gap. The average psychiatric nurse practitioner salary in Arizona is $133,130 annually or $64.00 an hour.
Hourly | $64.00 |
Annual | $133,130 |
9. Women's Health Nurse Practitioner:
In Arizona, women’s health nurse practitioners work primarily in reproductive clinics, specialty surgery centers, and community health agencies throughout all parts of the state.
Arizona recently implemented legislation that bans terminating pregnancies on the basis of genetic abnormalities, and this has accentuated the need for professionals who can speak to women’s unique healthcare demands. The salary of a WHNP in the Grand Canyon State is slightly more than $59 an hour or $122,440 a year.
Hourly | $58.86 |
Annual | $122,440 |
Nurse Practitioner Salary in Arizona by City
1. Phoenix:
Phoenix is home to the nationally recognized Mayo Clinic-Phoenix, Banner Boswell Medical Center, and Banner University Medical Center-Phoenix. The healthcare industry plays a major role in the Phoenix economy:
Banner Health is the third-largest employer in the metropolitan area. Health disparities across racial and ethnic lines remains a distinctive and sobering feature of healthcare delivery within Phoenix and the surrounding parts of Maricopa County. This is an issue that increasing the NP workforce may be able to rectify because NPs provide cost-efficient primary healthcare services. The average nurse practitioner salary in Phoenix is nearly $58.15 an hour or $120,940 annually.
Hourly | $58.15 |
Annual | $120,940 |
2. Tucson:
The number one healthcare-related issue in Tucson and surrounding areas in Pima County is
insufficient access to medical care caused by a shortage of primary care providers. Other challenges include the opioid epidemic, obesity, and obesity-related health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and coronary artery disease. Northwest Medical Center-Tucson, Banner-University Medical Center Tucson, and Carondelet St. Joseph’s Hospital are among Tucson’s most highly ranked medical centers. The average salary of a nurse practitioner in Tucson, AZ, $119,580 a year, which works out to $57.49 an hour.
Hourly | $57.49 |
Annual | $119,580 |
3. Yuma:
Yuma County borders California, and this is probably one reason why the average salary of a nurse practitioner in Yuma is so high. Yuma must compete with California for the services of nurse practitioners, and California is the state where nurse practitioners earn their highest salaries. The average salary of a nurse practitioner in Yuma is $64.40 an hour or $133,950 annually. Yuma has an unemployment rate of 15.7 percent, which is the highest in the Grand Canyon State; its poverty rate is also significantly higher than other areas of the state: Both these factors affect residents’ health, accentuating the demand for NP services.
Hourly | $64.40 |
Annual | $133,950 |
4. Flagstaff:
Nearly every part of Coconino County where Flagstaff is located qualifies as a Mental Health Professional Shortage area. Risky behaviors like alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and poor eating habits have a huge impact on the overall health status of Flagstaff residents. Well-known medical centers in Flagstaff include the Flagstaff Medical Center, Banner Payson Medical Center, and CCC at Pineview Hospital. NP salary in Flagstaff, AZ, on average, is just under $64 an hour or $132,630 annually.
Hourly | $63.76 |
Annual | $132,630 |
5. Lake Havasu:
There are nearly 40 percent fewer primary care healthcare providers in Lake Havasu than there are in Arizona as a whole and more than 80 percent fewer mental health providers. This underscores a need for services that nurse practitioners are well equipped to provide. The NP salary in Lake Havasu, AZ, averages $117,600 a year or $56.54 an hour.
Hourly | $56.54 |
Annual | $117,600 |
NP Pay in Arizona VS. Other Nursing Careers
Pursuing certification as a nurse practitioner pays off in Arizona. NPs earn $121,410 on average, which is 40 percent more than the average salary of a registered nurse ($86,740). Relatively high salaries plus liberal practice authority regulations make the Grand Canyon State an attractive place to work as a nurse practitioner. NPs earn their highest salaries in areas close to the shared border with California.
Occupation | Average Annual Salary |
Nurse Anesthetist | $179,730 |
Nurse Practitioner | $121,410 |
Nurse Midwife | $108,190 |
Registered Nurse | $86,740 |
Nursing Instructor and Teacher, Postsecondary | $79,780 |
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurse | $61,920 |
Nursing Assistant | $37,620 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
NP Pay in Arizona VS. Other Healthcare Careers
In Arizona, nurse practitioners earn $121,410 a year, which is 1 percent less than the average annual salary that physician assistants make ($122,420). This may be due to the fact that while nurse practitioners have full practice authority in the Grand Canyon State,
physician assistants can only practice if they have a written agreement with a supervising physician. Physician assistants in the Grand Canyon State, in other words, aren’t as effective a substitute for primary care physicians as nurse practitioners are, and this fact is reflected in the respective salaries of the two professions.
Occupation | Average Annual Salary |
Dentist | $178,920 |
Podiatrist | $158,730 |
Optometrist | $140,870 |
Veterinarian | $136,780 |
Pharmacist | $127,870 |
Physician Assistant | $122,420 |
Nurse Practitioner | $121,410 |
Physical Therapist | $99,980 |
Speech-Language Pathologist | $91,990 |
Occupational Therapist | $90,740 |
Audiologist | $86,090 |
Chiropractor | $71,650 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
Why is the Outlook Bright for Nurse Practitioner Salary in Arizona?
As noted above,
“nurse practitioner” is the most popular occupation in the booming Arizona employment market. The relatively high nurse practitioner salary in Arizona is one of the reasons for that. According to the cable television business news network CNBC, projected growth for the NP occupation in the Grand Canyon State will be 25 percent over the next two years.
A recent analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that nearly 40 percent of all Arizonians live in areas that the federal government has designated Healthcare Provider Shortage Areas. Nurse practitioners are ideal providers in areas like these because
they can provide 80 to 90 percent of the care that primary care physicians have traditionally provided at a significantly decreased cost but with no significant difference in patient outcome. Nurse practitioners will continue to provide efficient, cost-effective healthcare to the residents of Arizona, and that means their salaries will continue to rise.
Summing It Up
This article has focused upon providing answers to the question: How much does a nurse practitioner make in Arizona? But it’s easy to get burned out when professional compensation is your only criteria. The average salary of a nurse practitioner in Arizona for 2025 is just one of many factors you should consider when you are exploring your employment options. Once you find a position that’s a good fit for your needs, you can increase your compensation by pursuing additional certifications within your specialty.
TOP QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY OUR EXPERT
1. How many Nurse Practitioners are currently employed in Arizona?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 6,240 nurse practitioners are currently working in Arizona.
6,240 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
2. How much does a nurse practitioner make per hour in Arizona?
The average nurse practitioner salary per hour in Arizona is $58.37. Nurse practitioners typically reach this career milestone when they’ve been working between five and nine years. This amount is 50 percent more than an Arizona NP’s typical starting hourly salary ($38.93) but 23 percent less than what a nurse practitioner in the Grand Canyon State will earn once he or she has been working for 20 years or more.
Years of Experience | Hourly |
Starting (Entry-Level) | $38.93 |
1-4 Years of Experience | $50.25 |
5-9 Years of Experience | $57.92 |
10-19 Years of Experience | $64.17 |
20 Years or More Experience | $75.87 |
Average Hourly Salary | $58.37 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
3. How does the average salary of a nurse practitioner in Arizona compare to the average NP salary in the U.S?
Nurse practitioners in Arizona average $121,410 annually, which is 2.6 percent less than the average nurse practitioner salary throughout the U.S. ($124,680).
Arizona | United States | Difference |
Number | % |
$121,410 | $124,680 | -$3,270 | -2.62% |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
4. How much does a family nurse practitioner make in Arizona?
The average FNP salary in Arizona is $60.78 an hour, which works out to $10,540 a month or $126,410 a year.
Hourly | $60.78 |
Monthly | $10,540 |
Annual | $126,410 |
5. How much does a psychiatric nurse practitioner make in Arizona?
The average PMHNP salary in Arizona is $133,130 a year, which breaks down to $11,090 a month or $64.00 an hour.
Hourly | $64.00 |
Monthly | $11,090 |
Annual | $133,130 |
6. What are the 5 highest paid Nurse Practitioners in Arizona?
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner’s are the most highly compensated NPs in the Grand Canyon State ($135,700), followed by Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner’s ($133,130), pediatric-acute care nurse practitioners ($132,230), adult gerontology-acute care nurse practitioners ($128,860) and dermatology nurse practitioners ($127,100).
Rank | Type of NP | Annual |
1 | Neonatal Nurse Practitioner | $135,700 |
2 | Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) | $133,130 |
3 | Pediatric-Acute Care Nurse Practitioner | $132,230 |
4 | Adult Gerontology-Acute Care Nurse Practitioner | $128,860 |
5 | Dermatology Nurse Practitioner | $127,100 |
7. What are the 5 highest paying cities for Nurse Practitioners in Arizona?
Prescott is the Arizona city where nurse practitioners earn the highest compensation, possibly because of Prescott proximity to California, which is the highest-paying nurse practitioner market in the U.S. In Yuma, nurse practitioners earn $133,950 annually.
Rank | City | Average Annual Salary |
1 | Yuma | $133,950 |
2 | Flagstaff | $132,630 |
3 | Prescott | $129,660 |
4 | Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale | $120,940 |
5 | Tucson | $119,580 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
8. How much do Nurse Practitioners earn in the various metros of Arizona?
Arizona nurse practitioners earn the highest average salary in Yuma ($133,950) and the lowest average salary in Sierra Vista-Douglas ($104,900).
Metro | Employment | Per Hour | Per Year |
Flagstaff | 150 | $63.76 | $132,630 |
Lake Havasu City-Kingman | 150 | $56.54 | $117,600 |
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale | 4,550 | $58.15 | $120,940 |
Prescott | 130 | $62.34 | $129,660 |
Sierra Vista-Douglas | 50 | $50.43 | $104,900 |
Tucson | 900 | $57.49 | $119,580 |
Yuma | 130 | $64.40 | $133,950 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
9. Where do the majority of Nurse Practitioners practice in Arizona?
The majority of nurse practitioners in the Grand Canyon State work in conjunction with physicians out of those physicians’ offices.
Type of Practice Setting | Number of Nurse Practitioners |
Offices of Physicians | 2,970 |
Hospitals | 1,400 |
Outpatient Care Centers | 570 |
Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 260 |
Colleges, Universities and Professional Schools | 160 |
(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
10. What are the approximate number of annual job openings for nurse practitioners in Arizona for 2023?
In 2023, there will be an estimated 910 job openings for nurse practitioners in Arizona.Three hundred ninety-nine of these openings will be new jobs and the remaining 511 openings will be replacements for NPs who’ve retired or otherwise left the profession.
New Jobs | Replacement Jobs | Annual Job Openings (New + Replacement) |
399 | 511 | 910 |
(Source: careeronestop.org) |
11. What is the job outlook for NPs in Arizona?
The demand for NP services is projected to grow by 101 percent between 2020 and 2030.
Employment | Employment Growth (2020-2030) |
2020 | 2030 | Number | % |
5,070 | 10,180 | 5,110 | 100.79% |
(Source: careeronestop.org) |
Pattie Trumble, MPP, MPH
Pattie Trumble is a nurse who worked in both California and New York for many years as an emergency room nurse. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an Associate Degree in Nursing from the Samuel Merritt Hospital School of Nursing. After 10 years of providing direct care, she went back to school and earned concurrent Master’s degrees in both public policy and public health from the University of California, Berkeley. Thereafter, she worked for various public health agencies in California at both the community and state levels providing economic and legislative analysis.
Nurse Practitioner Salaries in Other States