The need for a qualified healthcare workforce is at a critical level in Montana. According to the Montana Hospital Association, Montana will be the fourth oldest state in the nation by 2020. This has left the state desperate for practitioners with the education necessary to replace retiring nurses and handle the needs of a swiftly aging population.
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According to 2019 stats from the Montana Hospital Association,
- 52 out of Montana’s 56 counties are classified as medically underserved and health professional shortage areas by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Nurses in Montana have one of the highest projected worker needs.
- Montana will be short more than 2,100 nurses by 2020.
It therefore comes as no surprise that jobs for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), administrators, and educators are projected to increase at double-digit rates between 2016 and 2026, according to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry:
- Nurse Practitioners – 37.3%
- Nurse Educators – 18.5%
- Nurse Anesthetists – 14.3%
- Nurse Administrators and Executives – 20.8%
While a master’s degree is the minimum educational requirement for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and other types of advanced nursing professionals, stakeholders increasingly advocate that APRNs obtain the highest level of practical training for nurses—a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).
Obtaining a DNP offers an assurance of high salaries. According to the Advance Healthcare Network’s survey of nurse practitioners in 2018, nurse practitioners with a DNP earned an average of 7% more than NPs who possessed a master’s degree.
Salaries for DNP Nurses in Montana and Throughout Its Major Regions
The Montana Department of Labor and Industry provides salary information for DNP-educated advanced nursing professionals in Montana and throughout its major metropolitan and rural areas (2018):
- Nurse Administrators and Executives: $110,040-$141,500
- Nurse Instructors: $81,450-$102,360
- Nurse Practitioners: $120,310-$130,910
Nurse Administrators and Executives:
- Billings: $116,310-$152,450
- Missoula: $123,050-$200,740
Nurse Practitioners:
- Billings: $125,010-$132,460
- Missoula: $115,740-$128,010
- Great Falls: $101,730-$124,390
An Overview of Hourly Wages for Montana’s DNP-Educated Nurses
According to a 2019 Medscape Compensation Report, 78% of APRNs are paid overtime for their work, revealing that the majority of these nursing professionals earn an hourly wage instead of a yearly salary.
The Montana Department of Labor and Industry provides hourly wages for DPN-educated nursing professionals, as of 2018:
- Nurse Practitioners: $57.84-$62.94
- Nurse Administrators: $52.90-$68.03
Salary and employment data compiled by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry in May of 2018 – (https://dli.mt.gov/). Salary data represents state and MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) average and median earnings for the occupations listed and includes workers at all levels of education and experience. This data does not represent starting salaries. Employment conditions in your area may vary.
All salary and job growth data accessed in December 2019.
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.