The Louisiana Workforce Commission designated a number of advanced nursing professions as having a 5-star rating for the period between 2015 and 2022. This rating indicates that these professions have the best outlook for job growth during this period and pay the highest wages:
- Nurse Administrators and Executives
- Nurse Practitioners
- Nurse Anesthetists
Featured DNP Programs:
- Northern Illinois University's MSN to Doctor of Nursing Practice.
- Nova Southeastern University's Doctor of Nursing Practice.
- Sacred Heart University's Doctor of Nursing Practice.
- Georgetown University's Online BSN to DNP Program.
- Simmons College offers an Online Post-MSN to DNP program.
- Capella University offers a 100% Online Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.
In addition, the Commission ranked nurse educators as number 9 on its list of the fastest growing occupations over the six-year period of their analysis.
Many of the advanced nursing professionals in these roles possess a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)—the highest level of practical training available to nurses. In fact, the number of RNs in Louisiana who have a DNP as their highest degree nearly doubled between 2010 and 2014 according to the Nursing Education Capacity and Nursing Supply in Louisiana 2014 report by the Louisiana Center for Nursing.
Not surprisingly, enrollment in Louisiana’s DNP programs increased by 62% between 2013 and 2014. As of 2015, fifteen times as many nursing students in Louisiana were seeking a DNP as a PhD according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
This practice-based doctorate offers significant economic benefits to nurses who possess it. The Advance Healthcare Network quantified the value of a DNP in its 2014 survey to nurse practitioners throughout the US. DNP-educated NPs earned 13% more than NPs with a master’s as their highest degree.
Statewide Salary Data for DNP-Educated APRNs and More in Louisiana
DNP-educated nurses in all their various roles are consistently recognized for earning top salaries (Louisiana Workforce Commission, 2015):
- Nurse Administrators – $143,631
- Nurse Practitioners – $125,139
- Nurse-Midwives – $125,016
- Nurse Educators – $103,605
- Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners – $96,104
Salaries for DNP Nurses in the Major Cities of Louisiana
The Louisiana Workforce Commission provides salary information for DNP-educated advanced nursing professionals in the major cities of the state (2015):
Nurse Anesthetists:
- Lafayette – $187,199*
- Shreveport – $187,199*
- Alexandria – $174,554
- Baton Rouge – $171,267
Nurse Administrators and Executives:
- New Orleans – $149,365
- Baton Rouge – $132,412
- Shreveport – $118,174
- Alexandria – $117,291
- Lafayette – $116,272
- Monroe – $116,022
- Lake Charles – $99,091
Nurse Practitioners:
- Alexandria – >$187,199
- Shreveport – $153,400
- Monroe – $135,699
- Baton Rouge – $126,818
- Lafayette – $124,405
- Lake Charles – $119,891
- New Orleans – $118,955
An Overview of Salaries for Louisiana’s DNP-Educated Nurses as Published by the US Department of Labor
The US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics provides an overview of the annual and hourly salaries for Louisiana’s nurses earning within the 75th and 90th percentiles to best represent earnings for DNP nurses (2014):
*These values are equal to or greater than $90 an hour and $187,199 per year. The US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics does not report salary data higher than these values.
This page includes salaries that fall within the 75th and 90th percentiles for each nursing role to account for the fact that DNP-educated nurses are recognized as earning more than master’s-prepared nurses in the same roles.
