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Earning an MS in Nursing? Here’s Your Career Outlook at a Glance
There are a lot of opportunities for those who hold an MSN degree.
Holding an MSN degree can lead to a lot of opportunities. In fact, it’s one of the best nursing degrees you can earn, helping you qualify for a wide number of careers with a large number of employers across the U.S. Recently, Walden University released a Career Outlook infographic for nurses with an MSN degree. Here are some of the highlights.
Top Industries Hiring Nurses With an MSN
- Outpatient care centers
- General medical and surgical hospitals
- Specialty hospitals (except psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals)
- Physician offices
- Nursing care facilities/skilled-nursing facilities
- Individual and family services centers
- Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals
- Colleges, universities, and professional schools
- Continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly
- Other ambulatory healthcare services
Most In-Demand Job Skills That an MSN Degree Provides
- Patient care
- Supervisory skills
- Treatment planning
- Teaching
- Budgeting
Top Job Titles and National Median Salaries for Nurses With an MSN
| Director of Nursing | $81,193 |
| Nursing Instructor | $60,020 |
| Chief Nursing Officer | $123,147 |
| Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner | $98,424 |
| Nurse Educator | $72,290 |
| Family Nurse Practitioner | $89,423 |
| Public Health Nurse | $56,061 |
How Best to Earn Your MSN
Earning an MSN degree can be great for your nursing career. But if you’re currently working full time, you may wonder if it is really possible to attend nursing school without disrupting your job schedule. It can be if you choose online education.
When you earn your master’s in nursing online, you won’t have to worry about driving across town or attending classes at inconvenient times. Instead, online MSN programs allow you to complete the majority of your master’s degree in nursing right from home. Plus, online nursing programs offer flexible scheduling, meaning you can attend the classes in your MSN program at whatever time of day or week works best for you.
If you’re already an RN, online nursing schools can offer even more benefits. Specifically, some of the best online schools of nursing offer RN to MSN programs that provide a path to earning your master’s of science in nursing without first having to earn a bachelor’s degree. This makes RN to MSN online programs particularly popular among working nurses.
The journey to becoming a nurse with better career options and better earning potential can begin by completing a master’s in nursing program. Thanks to online learning, completing such a program is more possible than ever before.
Walden University is the leading provider of advanced nursing degrees in the U.S., producing more MSN graduates than any other university.** Walden University is an accredited institution offering a Master of Science in Nursing degree program online. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.
Reference: Walden University, Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Career Outlook infographic.
*Data for this analysis of 108,901 job postings for nurses with an MSN from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016, was retrieved using Burning Glass Technologies Labor Insight Real-Time Labor Market Information Tool. Results shown reflect the industry sectors ranked in the top 25% of a list of 118. Results for industry sectors are at the national level and may not reflect local and/or short-term job conditions and are subject to change.
†Data for this analysis of 108,901 job postings for nurses with an MSN from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016, was retrieved using Burning Glass Technologies Labor Insight Real-Time Labor Market Information Tool. Results for job skills and number of job postings are at the national level and may not reflect local and/or short-term job conditions and are subject to change.
‡Data for this analysis of 108,901 job postings for nurses with an MSN from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016, was retrieved using Burning Glass Technologies Labor Insight Real-Time Labor Market Information Tool. Results shown reflect the job titles ranked in the top 30% of a list of 200. Results are at the national level and may not reflect local and/or short-term job conditions and are subject to change. Some jobs may require other credentials besides completion of a degree. Walden makes no representation or guarantee that completion of Walden coursework or programs will permit an individual to obtain state licensure or other credential.
§Median salary information for nurse director, nurse instructor, CNO, psychiatric NP, nurse educator, FNP, and, public health nurse was retrieved June 27, 2017, from PayScale. National salary estimates may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions, do not guarantee actual salaries (or salary growth), and are subject to change.
** Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) IPEDS database. Retrieved July 2017, using CIP codes 51.3801 (Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse); 51.3808 (Nursing Science); 51.3818 (Nursing Practice). Includes 2016 preliminary data.
Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.