Nurse Practitioners Salary
In Trenton-Princeton, NJ, nurse practitioners earn $153,630 at the median, or about $73.86 an hour. The range runs from $127K at the entry level to $177K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.18), that's roughly $148,895 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,950/month, or 21.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $154K get you in Trenton-Princeton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Trenton-Princeton’s Regional Price Parity (103.18). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About nurse practitioners
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Trenton-Princeton
Trenton-Princeton sits well above the national pay line for nurse practitioners, local pay runs about 16% higher than the U.S. median of $132K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,950/month, 21.6% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 103.18) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Trenton-Princeton offers a genuinely strong financial position for nurse practitionerss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for nurse practitioners in metros near Trenton-Princeton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic City-Hammonton | $143K | $145K |
| Vineland | $149K | $155K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $163K | $145K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $136K | $132K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Trenton-Princeton, NJ
Entry-level nurse practitioners (10th percentile) start around $127K. Mid-career wages sit at $154K. Top earners bring in $177K or more, a $50K spread from bottom to top.
Nurse Practitioners pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Nurse Practitioners salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $169K | +27% | 25,120 |
| New Jersey | $159K | +20% | 9,950 |
| Washington | $156K | +18% | 6,700 |
| Oregon | $156K | +18% | 2,820 |
| Alaska | $155K | +17% | 710 |
| New York | $154K | +16% | 22,890 |
| Massachusetts | $142K | +8% | 8,070 |
| Nevada | $141K | +6% | 1,930 |
| Connecticut | $138K | +5% | 3,750 |
| New Hampshire | $138K | +4% | 1,770 |
| New Mexico | $138K | +4% | 1,770 |
| Montana | $137K | +4% | 1,260 |
| Rhode Island | $136K | +3% | 1,180 |
| District of Columbia | $136K | +3% | 680 |
| Hawaii | $136K | +2% | 550 |
| Vermont | $135K | +2% | 700 |
| Arizona | $134K | +2% | 7,220 |
| Oklahoma | $133K | +1% | 3,620 |
| Minnesota | $133K | +1% | 7,780 |
| Colorado | $133K | +0% | 4,270 |
| Idaho | $133K | +0% | 1,750 |
| Wyoming | $132K | -0% | 440 |
| Nebraska | $132K | -0% | 2,340 |
| Wisconsin | $132K | -0% | 5,160 |
| Texas | $132K | -0% | 25,970 |
| Michigan | $131K | -1% | 8,290 |
| Maryland | $131K | -1% | 6,710 |
| Delaware | $131K | -1% | 1,430 |
| Utah | $131K | -1% | 2,740 |
| Illinois | $131K | -1% | 9,270 |
| Maine | $130K | -2% | 1,650 |
| Iowa | $130K | -2% | 3,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $130K | -2% | 10,670 |
| North Dakota | $130K | -2% | 1,290 |
| Missouri | $130K | -2% | 7,710 |
| Florida | $130K | -2% | 21,790 |
| Georgia | $129K | -2% | 10,460 |
| North Carolina | $129K | -3% | 9,800 |
| South Dakota | $129K | -3% | 1,020 |
| Indiana | $129K | -3% | 7,450 |
| Virginia | $128K | -3% | 7,110 |
| West Virginia | $127K | -4% | 2,550 |
| Kansas | $127K | -4% | 3,780 |
| Arkansas | $126K | -5% | 3,970 |
| Louisiana | $126K | -5% | 5,380 |
| Ohio | $125K | -6% | 15,400 |
| Mississippi | $125K | -6% | 4,690 |
| South Carolina | $123K | -7% | 5,670 |
| Kentucky | $123K | -7% | 4,770 |
| Tennessee | $118K | -11% | 12,150 |
| Alabama | $106K | -20% | 5,640 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track nurse practitioners salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Trenton-Princeton numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a nurse practitioner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Trenton-Princeton?
Yes — at the median salary of $154K, rent takes 21.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,950/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for nurse practitioners in Trenton-Princeton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new nurse practitioners typically earn — is $127K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $7,641/month. At HUD’s $1,950/month FMR, rent would take 26% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is nurse practitioner a high-paying job in Trenton-Princeton?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $154K here vs. $132K nationally.
How does Trenton-Princeton compare to the national average for nurse practitioners?
Trenton-Princeton pays $154K median vs. the U.S. average of $132K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $149K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do nurse practitioners make in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
The median is $153,630 a year, that works out to about $74 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $127,350, and experienced nurse practitioners can clear $176,920. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $154K enough to live in Trenton-Princeton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $9,008/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,950/month, which eats 21.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a nurse practitioners salary go in Trenton-Princeton?
Trenton-Princeton has a Regional Price Parity of 103.18 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median nurse practitioners salary is worth about $148,895 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do nurse practitioners get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.