Nurse educators often get their Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) credential, offered by the National League for Nursing. Although the CNE isn’t strictly necessary to work as a nurse educator, it offers nurses the opportunity to demonstrate their expertise in academic nursing education, setting themselves apart from candidates without credentials.
The requirements to be eligible for the CNE include several options, but, in general, nurses must have the following:
- Nurses must have an active RN license.
- Nurses must have a master’s degree or a doctorate with a focus on nursing education.
Other pathways include the following:
- Nurses may have an MSN or doctorate that doesn’t focus on nursing education.
- Nurses may have two or more years in a nursing program in a college or university.
Nurse Educator Salary
Many factors influence how much RNs and nurse educators make. The compensation varies by region, level of education, specialties and certifications, and employer. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports the following information on annual compensation for nurses and nurse educators:
RN Salary
The median annual salary for RNs was $77,600 in 2021, according to the BLS, which broke out nursing salaries as follows:
- Diagnosing or treating practitioners earned $81,270.
- Nurses employed by the government earned $85,970.
- Nurses employed by state, local and private hospitals earned $78,080.
- Nurses employed by residential care facilities earned $72,420.
- School nurses earned $61,780.
Location was also a big factor in nursing compensation. The top-paying states for RNs in 2021 were as follows:
- California: $124,000
- Hawaii: $106,530
- Oregon: $98,630
- Washington, D.C.: $98,540
- Alaska: $97,230
Nurse Educator Salary
Nurse educator salaries also varied by region and employer type. The median annual nurse educator salary was $77,440 as of May 2021, according to the BLS. The BLS broke out the largest employers and compensation as follows:
- General medical and surgical hospitals: $95,720
- Colleges, universities and professional schools: $83,340
- Educational support services: $80,410
- Technical and trade schools: $77,010
- Junior colleges: $75,960
Nurse educators earned the highest wages in the following industries:
- Local government: $127,690
- Specialty hospitals: $101,030
- Business schools: $99,050
- General medical and surgical hospitals: $95,720
- Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals: $89,440
Salary for Nurse Educators with an MSN
Nurses with advanced degrees have the opportunity to earn higher wages. With an advanced degree, they can choose many different specializations. They often have more autonomy in their roles, which data shows can reduce stress and improve job satisfaction.
Nurses With an MSN
An MSN can lead to many different career options for nurses as both clinicians and nursing faculty members. According to compensation research site Payscale, the approximate median annual salaries for clinicians with an MSN as of August 2022 were as follows:
- Adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner: $96,100
- Family nurse practitioner: $98,600
- Psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner: $113,800
- Chief nursing officer: $125,000
- Forensic nursing: $65,000
Nurse Educators with an MSN
Nurse educators with an MSN often continue to practice in a clinical setting along with serving as faculty members in colleges and universities or in a hospital educator role. As Payscale data shows, the approximate median salary for nurse educators with an MSN as of October 2022 was higher than that of their counterparts.
- Nurse educators: $78,900
- Nurse educators with an MSN: $81,000
Postsecondary Teaching Salaries
Nurse educators who teach in colleges, universities, professional schools and community colleges are postsecondary educators. The median wage for all postsecondary educators was $77,440 as of 2021, according to the BLS. Job growth was projected at 22% between 2021 and 2031. The metropolitan areas of New York, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; and Houston, Texas employed the most nurse educators, according to the BLS.
Prepare the Nurses of the Future
Nurse educators play a major role in preparing the nursing workforce of the future. They’re critical in elevating nursing practice with up-to-date research and best practices, mentoring incoming nurses and providing them with excellent training and education to ensure their success in the industry. Nurse educators, whether they work in academia or in a hospital setting, directly address healthcare challenges, including workforce shortages, quality of care, and patient satisfaction and care outcomes.
If you want to take the next step in your nursing career and learn how to become a nurse educator, explore Duquesne University’s online MSN and the Nursing Education and Faculty Role concentration. Take your career to the next level and make a positive impact on the nursing profession.