Doctor of Nursing Practice Salary in South Carolina

The number of RNs in South Carolina who reported having a doctorate increased 24.6% between 2010 and 2012 according to the Office of Healthcare Workforce for Nursing at the University of South Carolina’s publication Trend Data for Registered Nurse Workforce 2004-2012.

The Office provides educational data for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in its Nursing Workforce in South Carolina—Data Summary Report 2012-2013. Most of the APRNs in the state were nurse practitioners, and 4.2% of them reported having a doctorate. In contrast, 8% of South Carolina’s certified nurse-midwives reported that they had a doctorate. Only 0.6% of the state’s certified nurse anesthetists made that claim.

The number of nurses seeking a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in South Carolina rose dramatically by 2015 as stakeholders increasingly advocate that APRNs possess this credential. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing reported that 302 nurses were enrolled in DNP programs in South Carolina as of 2015—more than 4 times as many as those who sought a PhD.

Obtaining a DNP confers significant economic benefits. The Advance Healthcare Network quantified this in its 2014 survey of nurse practitioners throughout the US. NPs with a DNP earned an average of $13,003 more than NPs who were solely MSN-educated.

Salaries for DNP Nurses in the South Carolina’s Major Cities

The South Carolina Department of Employment & Workforce provides salary information for DNP-educated advanced nursing professionals in the major cities of the state (2014):

Nurse Anesthetists:

• Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord – $181,200
• Charleston – $167,490

Nurse Administrators and Executives:

• Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord – $129,250
• Charleston – $115,810
• Columbia – $107,810
• Florence – $99,490
• Greenville- $92,770
• Myrtle Beach – $92,210
• Sumter – $92,190

Nurse Practitioners:

• Florence – $106,770
• Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord – $106,010
• Charleston – $94,760
• Columbia – $94,400
• Myrtle Beach – $93,280
• Greenville – $89,840

Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners:

• Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord – $89,650
• Charleston – $78,110

Shown here is the average salary for experienced nurses for each role. This best represents the average earnings for DNP-educated nurses, giving consideration to the fact that DNPs earn more than master’s-prepared nurses in the same roles.

An Overview of Salaries for South Carolina’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 South Carolina’s nurses earning within the 75^th and 90^th percentiles to best represent earnings for DNP nurses (2014):

*Values are equal to or greater than $90/hour or $187,199. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics does not report values this high.

This page includes salaries that fall within the 75^th and 90^th 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.

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