What Types of Jobs are Available with a Master’s in Nursing?

Types of jobs available with a Master's in Nursing degree include nursing consultant, research nurse, nurse educator, nurse administrator, advanced nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist, according to the Nurse Journal. Getting a master's degree in nursing, which is usually a two-year program, can advance your career significantly.

Nursing Consultant

A nursing consultant can work in a variety of fields, providing advice to a range of entities. Management consultants help improve risk management, communication and cost control. Legal consultants work with insurance companies or attorneys. Community consultants may work in a neighborhood or county clinic. The average salary is $125,000.

Research Nurse

A research nurse often works as a clinical nurse specialist focusing on research-oriented tasks. They work in a variety of fields, gathering and evaluating data, examining statistics and carrying out similar tasks, often as part of a research team. The average salary is $90,000.

Nurse Educator

A nurse educator has specialized in the education tract of the master's program. They
work as professors or instructors in institutions ranging from business schools to community colleges to major universities. They also may work in hospitals and medical centers, providing instruction to new nurses or nursing students. The average salary is $77,000.

Nurse Administrator

A nurse administrator oversees nurse teams or nurse facilities. They are responsible for scheduling, hiring and all other management duties. Depending on where one works, the average salary can range from $60,000 to $200,000.

Advanced Nurse Practitioner

An advanced nurse practitioner works in various fields of medicine, including maternity, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics and family care. They often are the patient's primary care giver, supervised by a physician. The average salary ranges from $60,000 to $72,000.

Clinical Nurse Specialist

A clinical nurse specialist can choose his or her specialty, based upon diseases, populations and types of care. The role differs from that of a nurse practitioner because a clinical nurse specialist focuses on expert, specialized care and staff mentoring versus primary care outside a hospital setting.

More Opportunities and Higher Salaries

As the nursing field grows, so does the range of career opportunities. A bachelor's degree is the minimum, but a master's degree in nursing provides so many more opportunities as well as higher income. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand is increasing for those with a master's degree in nursing or similar advanced degree in nursing or healthcare administration.

Of course, your salary will depend upon which specialization you pursue while getting your master's degree in nursing, along with your geographic region and the type of facility where you work. Some of the higher paying settings, due to the demand and high stress, include intensive care units, acute care units, emergency rooms and cardiovascular disease units.Your advanced degree and managerial position also often provides annual bonuses in addition to your regular salary, which also probably will increase regularly.

Related Resource: Master's in Biostatistics

Nursing can be a rewarding career, both personally and financially. Getting a master's degree in nursing can significantly increase your options for both more diverse responsibilities and more job satisfaction as well as higher income. These are just a sample of the types of jobs available with a master's degree in nursing.