Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Salary by State, and Work Setting: How Much Does a Psych NP Earn in the US in 2025?

If you want to pursue a career in nursing and are interested in psychiatry, the role of a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner gives you an excellent opportunity to pursue your aspirations and help patients and communities treat and manage mental health and psychiatric conditions.

Beyond the job satisfaction that Psychiatric Nursing Practice provides to aspiring professionals, this career option also comes with considerable salary benefits. If you want to embark on the journey of becoming a Psych NP, you must explore the details about the PMHNP salary nationally, across states, and depending on your prospective work setting. 

Our guide will provide all the salary information you require, including how the salary of a Psych NP compares to other nursing careers and NP specialties, as well as how to enroll in a program to advance your education and achieve your desired job.

Key Takeaways About the PMHNP Salary in 2025

• The average PMHNP Salary in 2025 is $151,587.98 annually nationwide, with wide variation by state and setting.
• The first three top-paying US states for Psych NPs are Idaho, New Jersey, and California.
• The states where the Psych Nurse Practitioner salary is worth the most, when adjusting for the cost of living in each state, are Idaho, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania.
• The work settings with the highest Psych Nurse Practitioner salary are Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities, as well as Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities.
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners are among the best-paid NPs and MSN-level nursing professionals.

At a Glance: PMHNP Salary vs. Other Nursing Careers

Here is how the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner salary compares to the wage estimates of other nursing careers, as well as what type of accreditation you require for each one:

To compare projected nursing wages in the US, including a broader array of specializations, read our nurse salary by state analysis.

Estimated Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Salary in the US in 2025

According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) salary is $151,587.98 per year or $72.88 per hour.

The wage projections take into account the reported salary averages for Nurse Practitioners (NPs) working in Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals, and Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities, the two industries in which Psych Nurse Practitioners find employment most often.

PMHNP Salary Based on Non-BLS Sources

The estimated salary based on the data from the BLS is also corroborated by the average wages as presented by other sources. 

According to ZipRecruiter, Psych Nurse Practitioners make around $139,486 per year or $67 per hour. Glassdoor reports a higher salary of $178,000 per year, similar to Indeed.com, which reports an average PMHNP salary of $219,708 per year ($94 per hour). Payscale places the average salary for Psych NPs at $124,000 per year ($70.62 per hour), while Salary.com provides the lowest median estimated salary, $116,810 per year or $56 per hour. 

Overall, the average PMHNP salary based on the non-BLS sources sits at $155,601 per year, close but slightly higher than the estimate calculated using the BLS data.

States With the Highest PMHNP Salary Estimates in 2025

The salary of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners varies heavily depending on where they choose to practice in the US. We will explore the best-paying states for Psych NPs in 2025.

Idaho is the state where Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners get the highest net salary ($205,080 per year), followed by New Jersey ($182,022 per year), California ($176,451 per year), Rhode Island ($175,530 per year), and Washington ($173,331 per year).

Here is the list of the 10 top-paying US states for PMHNPs:

 

When adjusting for the cost of living, Psych Nurse Practitioners can make the most out of their salaries in Idaho ($201,059 per year), Louisiana ($182,060 per year), Pennsylvania ($164,970 per year), Arkansas ($164,595 per year), and Missouri ($160,048 per year). 

Here is the complete list of states with the highest PMHNP salary estimates adjusted for the cost of living:

PMHNP Salary by State & Territory: The Full Breakdown

Below you can find the projected hourly and annual salary for Psych Nursing Practitioners in all the US states, with data made available by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. You can also find the value of the projected salary adjusted to the cost-of-living index for each state: 

Psych Nurse Practitioner Salary by Work Setting

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners have different earning potentials based on the industry they choose to practice in. Additionally, the number of Psych Nurse Practitioners working in various settings also differs, making some better-paying industries harder to access. 

Here is the salary breakdown of the industries and work settings where PMHNPs find employment. You can consult the percentage of currently employed professionals and their hourly and annual salaries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners earn the highest wages in Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities, with a salary of $164,290 per year, equivalent to $12,766 or 8.42% more than the national average for PMHNPs. This work setting accommodates relatively fewer Psych NPs (around 8.62%).

Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities are next, with an average Psych Nurse salary of $163,000 annually, $11,476 or 7.57% more than the average. Around 9.21% of all Psych Nurse Practitioners find employment in these settings.

Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals come in third, where an estimated 31.77% of employed PMHNPs earn an average salary of $146,940 per year, $4,585 or 3.12% less than the average. Around 31% of Psych NPs find work in hospital settings. However, their wages can vary, with lower salary estimates (for around 17.86% of Psych NPs working in the industry) being $142,280 per year ($9,245 or 6.50% less per year than the national average). In comparison, the majority (50.38% of Psych NPs employed) earn a wage 4.60% lower than the $151,524.52 national average.

Other work settings and industries have salary ranges equal to or below the national average. A majority of Psych NPs work in Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (35.20% of the total), where they earn $7,104.52 or almost 5% less than the national average.

Psych Nurse Practitioner Salary vs. Other NP Salary Estimates

Specializing as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner will also increase your earning potential compared to the overall pool of Nurse Practitioners in the US. On a national scale, Psych NPs earn $19,524 per year or $9.42 per hour more than NPs in general.

Read more about Nurse Practitioner salaries in the US.

In general, all learners who graduate with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree become either Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) or Nurse Practitioners (NPs). One benefit of furthering your education is the pay increase, which you can learn more about in our BSN vs. MSN comparison. However, choosing the right specialization when advancing your education can make just as much of a difference in your later earning potential.

If you want to advance your education and be certain that you receive the benefits that come with working as a Psych NP, you can enroll in Nightingale College’s MSN PMHNP Program, a hybrid 2-year, CCNE-accredited learning option that combines online instruction, in-person seminars, and on-ground preceptorship experiences to deliver the highest quality of education in the most accessible and accommodating way.

Enroll in our MSN PMHNP Program and reach your fullest potential!

Differences in the salaries of MSN nurses heavily depend on the role they will fulfil in the nursing field. Below, you can see how various roles compare to Psych Nurse Practitioners, from a salary point of view.

FNP vs. PMHNP

Family Nurse Practitioners (FNPs) are MSN-level professionals who provide comprehensive health services to individuals of all ages and walks of life and help bolster the well-being of communities. According to ZipRecruiter, FNPs earn around $127,976 per year or $62 per hour, much lower than Psych NPs ($23,549 less per year and $10.88 less per hour).

Family Nurse Practitioners also represent the majority of NPs (70%), while PMHNPs are a much smaller fraction of the entire pool.

Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNM) vs. PMHNP

Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) play a central role in the industry by assisting in childbirth and caring for women and mothers before and after birth by performing gynecological exams, offering family planning services, and providing prenatal care.

Nurse-Midwives earn $23,415 less per year or $11.29 less per hour than Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners. 

Read more about Certified Nurse-Midwife salaries across the US.

Nurse Educator (NE) vs. PMHNP

Nurse Educators and Instructors (NEs/NIs) are essential to nursing education and play a vital role in preparing future generations of professionals in the field. Although Nurse Educators and Instructors are increasingly crucial for the nursing profession and its continuity, they are also some of the worst remunerated MSN-level professionals in the industry.

With an average salary of $87,090, NEs and NIs earn $64,435 less than PMHNPs.

How to Become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Increase Your Salary?

As you can see, Psych Nurse Practitioners have one of the highest-paying nursing jobs in the industry, with salaries generally surpassing those of other MSN-level APRNs and NPs. We will summarize the process you must follow to enter the PMHNP profession and start practicing.

1. Earn your BSN and Become an RN

To become a PMHNP, you first need to reach the BSN level and earn your Registered Nurse (RN) certification. You can do so by enrolling in our BSN Program, a concept-based hybrid learning option that allows you to graduate in less than 3 years. 

You can also learn how to earn your BSN degree and the essential details about the learning path. 

2. Accumulate Experience in the Field

Once you pass the NCLEX-RN and receive your RN certification, it is recommended that you find placement and accumulate experience in psychiatry and mental health-related facilities. About 61,660 RNs are working in such settings. Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals employ 41,760 professionals, who earn $98,680 per year or $47.44 per hour (slightly higher than the average RN salary). Additionally, Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities employ around 19,900 RNs, who earn $85,160 per year or $40.94 per hour (lower than the RN average).

3. Advance Your Education with the Right Program

Once you feel ready to return to school and advance your education by receiving an MSN degree, you must look for a program that lets you specialize in psychiatry and mental health care. MSN programs often come with specializations you need to consider before enrolling. 

At Nightingale College, you can enroll in the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) MSN Program, a learning option dedicated to learners who aspire to become Psych NPs. This 24-month program combines online coursework, in-person seminars, and supervised clinical experiences to deliver a flexible, accessible path to advanced practice. Once you graduate, you will be prepared to assess, diagnose, and treat patients with mental health conditions across various clinical settings. The program equips future PMHNPs with the knowledge and hands-on skills needed to make a lasting impact in psychiatric and mental health care.

Enroll in the PMHNP MSN Program and reach your career and salary goals!