15 Reasons That Make Nurse Practitioner A Great Job In 2024 And Beyond

Written By: Darby FaubionDarby Faubion RN, BSN, MBA

Darby Faubion is a nurse and allied health instructor with over 20 years of clinical experience. Darby lives in Louisiana and loves exploring the state’s rich culture and history. Darby has a passion for caring for veterans and a special interest in those affected by post-traumatic stress disorder. In her quest to make a difference for veterans, she founded a non-profit called “Operation Battle Buddy.” Read Full Bio »» RN, BSN, MBA

Are you a registered nurse considering earning a master's or doctorate in nursing? Do you love clinical nursing but want more autonomy in your practice? Perhaps you want to open a business of your own. If so, becoming a nurse practitioner is an excellent option. You may have thought of becoming an NP but wonder, “Is nurse practitioner a good job?” In this article, I will share 15 reasons that make nurse practitioner a great job in 2024 and beyond.

What Makes Nurse Practitioner a Good Job?

(The following are the 15 reasons that make nurse practitioner a great job in 2024 and beyond.)

REASON #1: You Can Own a Business

If you love nursing but want a role where you can take on more of a leadership role in your own business, becoming a nurse practitioner is an awesome option. Many states allow nurse practitioners to have full practice authority, which means you may be able to open a medical office without direct physician oversight. However, even in states where nurse practitioners must exercise partial or restricted practice authority, you may still be able to open a business in partnership with a physician who is your partner or one who contracts to give you physician oversight.

REASON #2: There Are Many Nurse Practitioner Options

Another top reason that makes nurse practitioner a good job is that you have many options to specialize. If you want a broad approach to patient care that encompasses patients from birth to old age, you can become a Family Nurse Practitioner. If you prefer working with children, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner could be the perfect role. Other options to specialize include Acute or Primary Adult-Gerontology NP, Psychiatric Mental Health NP, and Women’s Health NP.

REASON #3: You Can Teach Nursing

When you earn your master’s or doctorate degree in nursing and become a nurse practitioner, you can become a nurse educator. This is an excellent option whether you work as an adjunct instructor alongside your clinical nurse practitioner role or if you decide to transition from clinical patient care to an educator role full-time. You can use your knowledge and expertise to influence nursing for generations to come by educating today’s students to become the best nurses they can be.

REASON #4: You Can Become a Travel Nurse Practitioner

So, you want to become a nurse practitioner but would love to travel cross-country or internationally? One thing that makes being a nurse practitioner a great job is you can use your knowledge and experience to become a travel nurse practitioner. As a travel nurse practitioner, you provide care for patients in areas where there is a shortage of healthcare providers. The setting or environment where you work will depend on the contracts you choose to accept and based on your specialty and experience.

REASON #5: You Can Help Influence Health Policy

If you want to make a difference in patient lives on a broader scale, you may find being a nurse practitioner is a great job. As a nurse practitioner, you will be a leader in the healthcare industry, and you can advocate for patients and the nursing profession by lobbying for positive changes in health policies.

REASON #6: Your Work Schedule Will Be Flexible

Most nurse practitioners work in settings where their work schedules are tailored like typical office hours, which means no nights, weekends, or holidays. While there may be times when you work a prn shift or take an assignment that requires nights or weekends, you will find most nurse practitioners enjoy the benefit of having a flexible work schedule. Having a more normal routine and predictable schedule is especially appealing to nurse practitioners who have a family with children, which is one thing that makes being a nurse practitioner a good job.

REASON #7: The Job Outlook is Awesome!

If you want a career with a good long-term outlook, being a nurse practitioner is a great job. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics projects overall employment for nurse practitioners will grow by 38 percent between 2022 and 2032. This rate is much faster than the average for all other jobs for which the BLS reports. Several factors contribute to the expected outlook, including an aging population with greater demand for healthcare services and an increased understanding of and emphasis on preventive care.

REASON #8: You Can Earn an Excellent Income

One of the most important factors people consider when choosing a career path is their income potential. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports nurse practitioners earn a median annual salary of $124,680. Several factors play a role in your earning potential as a nurse practitioner. For example, nurse practitioners in hospitals, private psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals, and home health care services earn between $139,330 and $148,960 annually. Nurse practitioners who work in local government-owned elementary and secondary schools, medical and diagnostic laboratories, and services for the elderly or disabled make between $95,110 and $112,170.

REASON #9: There Are Many Opportunities for Career Advancement

As a nurse practitioner, you will have one of the highest nursing degrees available, a master’s or doctorate. With one of these degrees, you are eligible for excellent career advancement opportunities, one of the many reasons being a nurse practitioner is a great job. For example, as a nurse practitioner, you could become a Chief Nursing Officer, Hospital Administrator, or Legal Nurse Consultant.

REASON #10: You Can Work from Home

Another thing that makes being a nurse practitioner a great job option is that there are work-from-home opportunities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, telehealth visits increased by 154% from the 13th week of 2019 to the same week in 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since that time, nurse practitioners have continued to provide healthcare services via telehealth resources. Whether you envision working from home on a full-time basis or hybrid, with some visits in person and others from home, it is nice to have the option to work from home.

REASON #11: You Can Help Reduce Health Disparities

As a nurse practitioner, you can advocate for patient rights and resources, which can help significantly reduce health disparities among underserved populations. With your knowledge, skills, and experience, you can promote efforts to increase access to affordable healthcare services and health education programs, which can improve individual, community, and public health outcomes. Your ability to demonstrate cultural competence will be instrumental in recognizing the needs of and bridging the gap between underserved populations and healthcare providers.

REASON #12: You Will Feel a Sense of Personal and Professional Fulfillment

One of the things that makes being a nurse practitioner a good job is the sense of personal and professional fulfillment it brings. You will not only have the satisfaction of knowing you accomplished earning a graduate degree and becoming licensed as a nurse practitioner, but you will also feel fulfilled by the impact your care has on your patients.

REASON #13: You Will Make a Difference in Others’ Lives

As a nurse practitioner, you will impact the health and well-being of patients. By using your knowledge and expertise, you can educate patients and their loved ones about healthy living habits and other ways to promote health and prevent disease. You can increase awareness of health-related risks and provide resources for overcoming them. The work you do can make a big difference in the lives of your patients and their families.

REASON #14: Nurse Practitioners Report a Good Work/Life Balance

Another perk of being a nurse practitioner and something that makes nurse practitioner a great job to consider is that the flexibility you experience can help promote a healthy work/life balance. Having a good balance between work and personal life is proven to reduce stress, boost creativity and critical thinking, and promote good physical and mental health outcomes, which increases the likelihood of you providing quality patient care.

REASON #15: There Is Always Something New to Learn

As a nurse and healthcare educator, one of the things I love most about nursing is that there is always something new to learn. When you become a nurse practitioner, learning will not stop. Instead, you will experience opportunities daily to learn about new or emerging illnesses and diseases, treatment options, and new pharmaceutical interventions. You may have opportunities to travel to other geographic areas and learn about health-related issues and how those issues may impact your own community.

My Final Thoughts

If you are a registered nurse considering earning an NP degree, you may have wondered, “Is nurse practitioner a good job?” There are many factors to consider when deciding whether a career path is right for you. In this article, I shared 15 reasons that make nurse practitioner a great job in 2024 and beyond.

From excellent earning opportunities, a good long-term job outlook, the option to open your own practice, and the impact you will have on others, the reasons to become a nurse practitioner are too many to list. If, after reading this article, you feel becoming a nurse practitioner is something you wish to pursue, don’t wait! There is a world of opportunity out there waiting for you to seize it!