When looking for a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner programs in Georgia, you’ve come to the right place. You might be considering a specific degree or specialty that is the best choice for you personally. Get more information regarding Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Programs In Georgia, how to become a nurse practitioner in georgia, how much does a nurse practitioner make an hour in georgia, how much do nurse practitioners make in georgia, can a nurse practitioner practice independently in georgia & psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner programs in georgia
Nurse practitioner programs Georgia exist for those interested in learning more about becoming a nurse practitioner. This post shares information on how much do nurse practitioners make in Georgia and how to become a nurse practitioner in Georgia.
georgia college nurse practitioner program
Few problems are as difficult to diagnose and to treat as mental health issues, and more people around the world suffer from one than we likely know. It takes knowledge, patience, and time to help patients make progress, and the gains may come slowly. The difficulty of the journey makes the effort all the more rewarding for those who dedicate their careers to helping them. If you are curious about the inner workings of the mind and want to help people navigate the difficult, then consider adding training as a psychiatric nurse to your curriculum vitae.
Becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) requires post-graduate study to at least the Master’s level with some schools only offering the training at the Doctorate level. Once the coursework is completed, students take the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) PMHNP exam to receive a certification that carries weight at mental health offices around the nation. In addition to the intrinsic value of helping patients or pursuing research, PMHNPs are highly sought after at hospitals and specialty clinics throughout the country. The median annual wage for a psychiatric nurse practitioner is $52.98, making as much as the median worker in the nation would earn in a week of work in just 16 hours. PMHNPs may work in mental health clinics, inpatient centers, psychiatric wards, nursing homes, or research facilities.
If the idea of becoming a PMHNP sounds intriguing to you, the next step is to find a school that can give you the training you need to become certified and get hired. The following list compiles the best psychiatric nurse practitioner programs available so you can skip ahead from hunting for schools to picking the ones that you like the most.
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Programs In Georgia
Georgia relies on its nurse practitioners. In a 2015 report funded by the Georgia Health Foundation, the Georgia Watch organization stated that nurse practitioners are found in settings across the state; they provide pediatric care, adult primary care, chronic disease management, maternity care, acute care, and mental health services.
Georgia’s nurse practitioners can do many of the things that doctors can, though they don’t have the same level of independence. They are under the regulatory control of both the Georgia Board of Nursing and the Georgia Composite Medical Board.
Nurse practitioner education builds on professional nursing education; the additional coursework takes place at the graduate level. The students complete advanced clinical hours providing direct patient care; much of the coursework may, however, be completed online. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education has accredited plenty of online and hybrid programs!
The nurse practitioner is prepared to serve a particular population which can be as broad as family service. Psychiatric/ mental health is another common population focus. Some nurse practitioners have education that is geared toward a particular age group; the training may be further defined as primary or acute care. Some have training focused on women’s health and gender-related concerns.
Georgia has some well-ranked programs. A prospective student will need, at minimum, to make sure that the program meets the standards of one of the accepted national certification agencies. The certification will correspond with the population for which the nurse has been prepared.
Nurses can earn their NP credential after completing a master’s degree (often comprised of about 50 graduate/ advanced hours). However, there are also plenty of options for earning a Doctor of Nursing Practice, or DNP. DNP students complete additional practice hours; their education culminates in a capstone project that can be quite substantive. The DNP can be a worthy investment. The demand for DNPs has been on the rise around the nation –and Georgia needs leaders as well as very well-prepared practitioners. (More: Nurse Practitioner requirements in Georgia)FIND SCHOOLSSponsored Content
best nurse practitioner programs in georgia
#1: Emory University offers a wide variety of options, from family nurse practitioner to emergency nurse practitioner and even neonatal nurse practitioner. Highly qualified students can pursue joint degree options, such as a combined Master of Science in Nursing and Master of Public Health. Students are eligible for certification as nurse practitioners after completing their master’s but may continue on for a doctoral degree. US News & World Report ranks the Emory DNP program #5 out of all DNP programs in the nation. The family nurse practitioner program, meanwhile, is ranked #5 out of all nurse practitioner programs in the nation.
#2: Georgia College and State University offers online preparation for family nurse practitioner and psychiatric mental health specialties. The Georgia College online master’s program is ranked #39 out of all online nursing master’s degree programs in the nation. A DNP option is also available; Georgia College notes that the DNP program prepares students to be healthcare innovators and influencers of policy – and that graduates have a 100% placement rate.
#3: Augusta University, the first school in the state to offer the DNP, provides preparation for four nurse practitioner roles: family, pediatric, psychiatric, and adult/ gerontology acute care. The program makes a respectable showing among the nation’s DNP programs, coming in at #97.
#4: Georgia Southern University and Georgia State University represent two more very respectable paths to NP practice; each offers four of the more common specialties
psychiatric nurse practitioner programs by state
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNPs) are tasked with caring for patients with a range of mental health illnesses and disorders. As the demand for mental health practitioners continues to grow, prospective PMHNPs in Georgia can earn their specialized degree by enrolling in one of the 5 online programs below.
MSN-PMHNP Programs
Online – Family Nurse Practitioner with a Concentration in Psychiatric Mental Health (PMHNP)Milledgeville,, GA
/ Hybrid – Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse PractitionerAtlanta, GA
Graduate Certificate-PMHNP Programs
Online – Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)Augusta, GA
/ Hybrid – Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse PractitionerAtlanta, GA
DNP-PMHNP Programs
Online – DNP- Psychiatric Mental Health NPAugusta, GA
how to become a nurse practitioner in georgia
With an active RN license, take the following steps to be granted APRN authority in Georgia.
Step 1. Get Your Graduate Degree
You must have a master’s degree or higher in nursing or in a specialty area of advanced practice registered nursing to be eligible for APRN authority in Georgia.
Qualified Graduate Programs
The graduate nursing program you choose must be Board-approved by the Georgia Board of Nursing or, if it is an out-of-state program, it must be deemed equivalent to a Board-approved program.
The Board approves advanced practice nursing programs from in-state institutions that are part of the Technical College System of Georgia or a unit of the University System of Georgia if accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
A list of in-state Board-approved graduate programs may be found here.
Out of state programs must be accredited by a regional accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) (check Institutional and Specialized or Programmatic Accrediting Agencies).
Complete Board rules specific to program approval and accreditation may be found here.
Course Requirements
The Georgia Board of Nursing requires all APRNs to have completed the following courses:
- Advanced pathophysiology
- Advanced pharmacology
- Advanced health assessment
Additionally, clinical nurse specialists in psychiatric/mental health must also take:
- At least 2 graduate courses in psychiatric/mental health nursing
- Supervised practice for each of the 2 graduate courses in psychiatric/mental health nursing
Certified registered nurse anesthetists should take coursework in:
- Preanesthetic preparation and evaluation
- Anesthesia induction, maintenance and emergence
- Perianesthetic and clinical support functions
- Postanesthesia care
Specialization
Georgia allows APRN-authorized nurse practitioners (NPs) to specialize in a population focus, disease or medical subspecialty, or care type. National certification organizations granting this type of specialized certification may stipulate that the graduate degree you hold be specific to the population focus or medical subspecialty for which you seek certification.
Examples of specializations and subspecialties recognized by the Georgia Board of Nursing include:
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Adult or Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
- Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
Step 2. Earn Your National Certification
The Georgia Board of Nursing authorizes four types of APRN. You must become nationally certified in the APRN general area of specialty in which you wish to practice. Independent national certification agencies exist to facilitate this process, each one setting its own requirements regarding education, experience, and examination.
As an APRN in Georgia, you may become nationally certified in one area or multiple areas.
Advanced Practice Registered Nursing Designation Options
The Georgia Board of Nursing grants APRN authorization in these general areas of specialty:
- Nurse practitioner (NP)
- Certified nurse-midwife (CNM)
- Certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA)
- Clinical nurse specialist in psychiatric/mental health (CNS/PMH)
Certification Programs
The Georgia Board of Nursing has approved these national certification agencies for APRN certification in the respective general areas of specialty, as well as subspecialties:
- ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center):
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Adult or Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Clinical Nurse Specialist in Child & Adolescent Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing
- Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing
- AANP (American Academy of Nurse Practitioners):
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
- AACN Certification Corporation (American Association of Critical Care Nurses):
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- NCC (National Certification Corporation):
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
- Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
- PNCB (Pediatric Nurse Certification Board):
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Acute Care
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care
- AMCB (American Midwifery Certification Board):
- Certified Nurse Midwife
- (NBCRNA) National Board of Certification & Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists:
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
It is imperative that you become nationally certified in at least one APRN specialty prior to continuing with Georgia’s APRN authorization process. Contact the appropriate agency for further information.
Step 3. Apply for your Authorization
Under state and federal law, your social security number must be disclosed on your application for APRN authorization. In doing so, you are granting consent for your social security number to be made available to the National Practitioner’s Databank (NPDB), the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank (HIPDB), other licensing boards, and other regulatory agencies for the purpose of licensure tracking.
File the Application for Authorization as an Advanced Practice Nurse. Be sure to check the box corresponding to the general area of specialty for which you are applying. If you seek more than one APRN authorization, you must submit a separate application for each APRN authorization you wish to obtain. Along with your completed application:
- Have your national certification agency send verification of your certification electronically to the Board at PLB-Healthcare3@sos.ga.gov
- Submit an official, sealed transcript from your graduate program
- Enclose a $60 application fee via check or money order payable to the Georgia Board of Nursing
- Have your signature on the application notarized
Send your completed application packet inclusive of all materials mentioned above to Georgia Board of Nursing, 237 Coliseum Drive, Macon, GA 31217.
Applications are reviewed in the order received. Your APRN pocket card authorization will be issued to you by mail if you meet all requirements. If you are deficient in any requirements, you will be notified by mail. Your application status may be tracked online.
Criminal History Background Check
When you received your Georgia RN license, you should have undergone a criminal history background check. On your application for APRN authorization, you must truthfully answer questions regarding any board disciplinary actions or legal convictions against you and provide documentation as necessary.
Additionally, you must sign a Consent Form (part of the application packet) authorizing the Georgia Board of Nursing to access any of your existing Georgia criminal history records. This also authorizes the Board to perform periodic criminal history checks during the term of your licensure with the state.
Step 4. Renewing Your Authorization
Your Georgia APRN authorization expires biannually on January 31st of odd-numbered years simultaneous with the expiration of your RN license.
License Renewal Notice
The Board will send you an email reminder when your license renewal is approaching. You may renew your RN license and APRN authorization and pay all fees online (currently $65 for RN license renewal and $65 per each APRN authorization renewal).
Continuing Education
The Georgia Board of Nursing does not require APRNs to complete continuing education to keep authorizations active. You must, however, fulfill the continuing education requirements of your national certification agency, as maintaining national certification is imperative to renewing your APRN authorization in Georgia. Contact your agency for details on continuing education requirements.
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
- American Nurses Credentialing Center
- American Association of Critical Care Nurses
- National Certification Corporation
- Pediatric Nurse Certification Board
- National Board of Certification & Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists
- American Midwifery Certification Board
Verification of national certification is not required unless you are subject to a Board audit.
Expired Authorization Renewal Application
If your APRN authorization has expired, you may apply for its reinstatement. This carries a $90 fee.
You must submit a completed Application for Reinstatement, found here, current photograph, verification of your national certification, and documentation of three months or 500 hours of licensed practice as a registered nurse (or advanced practice registered nurse) during the past four years.
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Associations in Georgia
Consider becoming a member of one of the following professional organizations that work in support of Georgia’s APRNs:
- Georgia Nurses Association
- Nurse Practitioner Council of Coastal Georgia
- Georgia Association of Nurse Anesthetists
- Georgia Midwifery Association
Scope of Practice and Career Outlook
The number of nurse practitioners is increasing, but there is still concern that there won’t be enough. In part, this is because nurse practitioners can help offset shortages of physicians. Georgia Watch noted in its report widespread shortages of general primary care doctors, plus lack of access to pediatricians, OB/GYN professionals, and psychiatrists. At that time, Georgia was 49th in the nation with regard to physicians per capita.
Nurse practitioners are particular vital for rural communities. The distribution of healthcare providers is inequitable, and this can contribute to health inequities. The Henderson Repository has assembled data, including a rural/ non-rural map (http://www.nursinglibrary.org/vhl/bitstream/10755/616226/1/81_Eichelberger_L_p79498_1.pdf).
Georgia nurse practitioners who work in counties with 35,000 or fewer residents (according to the most recent national census) may be eligible for loan repayment. The Georgia Board for Physician Workforce has provided a map of these counties (https://gbpw.georgia.gov/).
Nurse practitioners who choose to work in rural communities can take satisfaction in knowing they are needed. They should be prepared for some challenges, though, and not just the challenges of working with populations that have greater unmet health needs. Georgia is among the states with the most regulatory controls on nurse practitioner practice. Georgia nurse practitioners enter into protocol agreements with physicians. In order to prescribe medications, a nurse practitioner needs a protocol agreement with a delegating physician. This doesn’t mean that a physician must ‘rubber stamp’ every medical act. In fact, the Georgia Composite Medical Board notes, in its FAQ, that a nurse practitioner with prescriptive authority does not need to have a physician co-sign.
Still, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners classifies Georgia as a restricted practice state. Circumstances – and aspirations – will determine the impact. A Georgia nurse practitioner may set up a clinic in a rural county but find practice more difficult because of the need to obtain physician consent for various radiology tests. One of the nurse practitioners quoted in a Tifton Gazette news story was running her own clinic, which specialized in diabetic management, amidst what she saw as unnecessarily burdensome regulatory hurdles (http://www.tiftongazette.com/news/senate-bill-would-expand-role-of-rural-nurses/article_36323c54-101c-11e8-bd8b-c3c26d2307c3.html). There have been attempts in recent years to ease some hurdles. In the 2017-2018 session, a bill that would have eased some regulatory burdens in rural/ underserved areas made it through the Senate but not the House.
Rural health clinics – official ones – have their own set of standards.
Georgia’s Coalition of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, a state professional association, can provide information about what’s going on in the world of advanced practice nursing – and APRN regulation (http://caprn.org).
how much does a nurse practitioner make in georgia
The BLS reported an average full-time salary of $105,670* for Georgia nurse practitioners in 2019 – higher than most neighboring states. *Salary conditions in your area may vary.
What is the Starting Salary of a Nurse Practitioner in Georgia?
To a large degree, entry-level salaries are determined by demand. On average, the entry-level nurse practitioner salary in Georgia is $34.76 an hour, which multiplies out to $6,030 a month or $72,310 annually. This is more than 25 percent less than the average entry-level NP salary for all parts of the U.S. ($90,925). Since NPs in the Peach State can’t practice independently without physician oversight, their effectiveness as primary care physician substitutes is hampered, and demand for their services may be lower than it might otherwise be.
The starting nurse practitioner salary in Georgia is also influenced by NP specialty. Neonatal nurse practitioners, for example, make an average entry-level salary of $75,658, which is 5 percent higher than the average entry-level salary for all NPs in the Peach State.
What is the Average Salary of a Nurse Practitioner in Georgia?
What is the average salary of a nurse practitioner in Georgia? The average salary of a nurse practitioner in Georgia is $106,220, which breaks down to $8,850 a month or $51.07 hourly. While this is nearly 8 percent less than the average salary of all NPs working through the U.S. ($114,510), it’s still 61 percent higher than the average salary for all occupations across the U.S. ($65,906). NPs are among the Peach State’s highest-paid workers. Georgia ranks 24th out of the 50 states in terms of NP salary.
Average salaries in a particular location reflect the local cost of living. One of the perks of living in the Peach State is that the cost of living is approximately 1 percent below the national average. As an NP in Georgia, you may make less than the national average, but the dollars you earn will stretch farther. The median cost of housing in Georgia, for example, is 24 percent lower than it is in the rest of the country.
Other considerations that affect the average salary of a nurse practitioner in Georgia include experience, practice setting, NP specialty, and local demand. Experienced NPs earn higher salaries than NPs straight out of school because education is no substitute for practice when it comes to hands-on clinical skills. In practice settings like outpatient care clinics where nurse practitioners end up making a bigger contribution to the bottom line, they end up being paid more. And in cities like Atlanta where multiple healthcare employers are competing for their services, NPs also end up with more money in their pockets.
| Hourly | $51.07 |
| Monthly | $8,850 |
| Annual | $106,220 |
| (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
Nurse Practitioner Salary in Georgia by Years of Experience
By the time you’ve worked as a nurse practitioner in the Peach State for four years, you can expect to earn approximately $90,270 annually, which is 25 percent higher than the average NP entry-level salary of $72,310. As a nurse practitioner with two or more decades of experience, your annual $143,090 salary will be nearly twice what you earned as an entry-level nurse practitioner.
Somewhere between 10 and 19 years of experience, you’ll hit the $106,220 mark, which is the average salary for NPs at all levels of experience in Georgia. Thereafter, your salary differential won’t increase as dramatically. NPs with five to nine years of experience only make 15 percent more than NPs with one to four years of experience while NPs with five to nine years of experience only make 18 percent more than NPs with 10 to 19 years of experience.
| Years of Experience | Hourly | Monthly | Annual |
| Starting (Entry-Level) | $34.76 | $6,030 | $72,310 |
| 1-4 Years of Experience | $43.40 | $7,520 | $90,270 |
| 5-9 Years of Experience | $50.04 | $8,670 | $104,090 |
| 10-19 Years of Experience | $59.25 | $10,270 | $123,250 |
| 20 Years or More Experience | $68.79 | $11,920 | $143,090 |
| (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
Total Annual Nurse Practitioner Compensation (Including Other Benefits) in Georgia
But salary alone does not tell the complete story of nurse practitioner compensation in the Peach State. Nurse practitioners also receive generous benefits from their employers. Benefits are compensation over and above salary.
For NPs working in Georgia’s private sector healthcare industry, these benefits on average are equivalent to $44,918 annually, an amount that equals 42 percent of the cash value of their average annual salary. NPs working for state and local governments in Georgia get an even better deal: their average benefits are equivalent to $64,702 annually, an amount that equals 62 percent of the cash value of their average annual salary. In contrast, benefits make up 32 percent of an employee’s total compensation across all occupations in the U.S.
Nurse practitioner compensation falls into two categories: legally mandated benefits and benefits that are provided at an employer’s discretion. The former category includes things like workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance; the latter category includes things like medical insurance, retirement contributions, and paid time off as well as perks like liability insurance and paid leave for professional activities.
When you’re evaluating a salary offer, it’s always advisable to look at the benefits that are bundled with that salary. For example: At first glance, a job at a local municipal community clinic that pays $105,120 a year may not appear to be as good a financial bet as a job at a hospital that pays $106,320 a year. But when you add the value of the associated benefits to the compensation package, the government job pays $169,822 a year while the private job pays $152,238.
| Component | Private Industry | State and Local Government |
| Paid Leave | $11,192 | $12,906 |
| Supplemental Pay | $5,293 | $1,698 |
| Insurance | $11,797 | $19,869 |
| Retirement and Savings | $5,142 | $21,058 |
| Legally Required | $11,494 | $9,340 |
| Total Benefits | $44,918 | $64,702 |
| Average Annual Salary | $106,320 | $105,120 |
| Total Compensation | $151,238 | $169,822 |
| (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
Nurse Practitioner Salary in Georgia by Practice Setting
Outpatient care centers are the practice settings that pay the highest average nurse practitioner salary in Georgia. Outpatient care centers include in-and-out surgery centers, outpatient clinics in hospitals, and urgent care clinics. They are one of the biggest revenue generators in today’s healthcare environment, and NPs who work for them are well-compensated: On average these Georgia NPs make $55.24 an hour, which works out to $114,880 a year. Hospital-based nurse practitioners in the Peach State earn $52.72 an hour or $10,650 annually, which is 5 percent less than their counterparts who work in outpatient care settings.
The majority of Georgia’s practicing nurse practitioners work out of physicians’ offices, which makes sense given the restrictions the Peach State places on NP scope of practice. These NPs make $49.64 an hour or $103,250 annually, which is 6 percent less than hospital-based NPs in Georgia. It is likely that nurse practitioners affiliated with physicians’ offices are the lowest compensated NPs in Georgia because even though nurse practitioners working in educational settings are paid lower salaries, these NPs probably have much more generous benefits, making their total compensation packages quite competitive.
| Type of Practice Setting | Hourly | Annual |
| Outpatient Care Centers | $55.24 | $114,880 |
| Hospitals | $52.72 | $109,650 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $49.97 | $103,930 |
| Offices of Physicians | $49.64 | $103,250 |
| Colleges, Universities and Professional Schools | $48.19 | $100,240 |
| (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) |
Nurse Practitioner Salary in Georgia by Specialty
1. Adult Gerontology-Acute Care Nurse Practitioner: Adult gerontology-acute care nurse practitioners specialize in the care of patients whose critical illnesses or injuries require hospitalization. Many Georgia residents are high utilizers of hospital services— one in 10 Georgia adults has diabetes, and Georgia has the 14th highest rate of cardiovascular disease in the nation—so AG-ACNPs have plenty of job opportunities in the Peach State. The average adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner pay in Georgia is $51.45 an hour or $107,010 a year.
| Hourly | $51.45 |
| Annual | $107,010 |
2. Adult Gerontology-Primary Care Nurse Practitioner: The average adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner salary in Georgia is $48.65 an hour or $101,190 a year. Georgia is facing a serious shortage of primary care providers, particularly in rural areas. It’s been estimated that more than 80% of Georgia counties contain areas where residents are without a single primary care provider. While AG-PCNPs have the training and the skills to help bridge that healthcare gap, until the state grants them more practice authority, they won’t be able to do so effectively.
| Hourly | $48.65 |
| Annual | $101,190 |
3. Dermatology Nurse Practitioner: Most of the Peach State’s dermatology nurse practitioners work with dermatology practices throughout the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. The average dermatology nurse practitioner salary in Georgia is $50.74 an hour or $105,540 annually. Dermatology NPs make relatively high salaries because, over time, they attract their own patient following within the dermatology practice with which they are affiliated. They are compensated highly because of the role they play in generating revenue for the practice.
| Hourly | $50.74 |
| Annual | $105,540 |
4. Family Nurse Practitioner: Georgia’s family nurse practitioners specialize in front-line healthcare services such as health maintenance, disease prevention, and health education. Collectively, this bundle of care is referred to as “primary care.” FNPs are trained to work with patients across the lifespan, from infants to senior citizens.
There are no physicians in these areas, in other words, with whom Georgia nurse practitioners can enter into protocol agreements. This means that despite their extensive training and skills, Georgia’s NPs can’t provide necessary healthcare services to the residents who need them the most. The average family nurse practitioner salary in Georgia is $50.47 an hour or just under $105,000 a year.
| Hourly | $50.47 |
| Annual | $104,970 |
5. Neonatal Nurse Practitioner: Neonatal nurse practitioners specialize in the care of medically fragile newborns in intensive care nursery settings. The average neonatal nurse practitioner salary in Georgia is $54.17 an hour or $112,680 a year, making NNPs the highest-paid nurse practitioners in Georgia. The incidence of pre-term births keeps rising in the Peach State. In 2013, 10.7 of Georgia’s births were premature; by 2019, that number had grown to 11.7 percent. Georgia’s NNPs make high salaries because the demand for their services is high.
| Hourly | $54.17 |
| Annual | $112,680 |
6. Pediatric-Acute Care Nurse Practitioner: Pediatric-acute care nurse practitioners work with critically ill children and teens in intensive care hospital settings. Many of them have the skills to work in intensive care nurseries as well, which makes them effective substitutes for neonatal nurse practitioners. Most P-ACNPs in the Peach State are employed by health systems in Atlanta, Augusta, Savannah, and Macon. On average, the pediatric-acute care nurse practitioner salary in Georgia is $52.79 an hour or $109,810 annually.
| Hourly | $52.79 |
| Annual | $109,810 |
7. Pediatric-Primary Care Nurse Practitioner: Pediatric-primary care nurse practitioners are trained to provide front-line health services such as health maintenance and disease prevention to children and teenagers. Many children in Georgia outside the Atlanta metro area face real challenges when it comes to accessing high-quality healthcare. Making the P-PCNP scope of practice independent of physician oversight would help these children get the care they need. The average pediatric-primary care nurse practitioner salary in Georgia is $48.88 an hour or $101,670 a year.
| Hourly | $48.88 |
| Annual | $101,670 |
8. Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP): Georgia has a shortage of mental healthcare providers: 78 counties don’t have a single practicing psychiatrist. The state ranks 47th in the nation in terms of access to mental healthcare providers. It’s also one of the top 11 states for prescription opioid deaths. The Peach State is facing the type of mental health crisis, in other words, that psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners are qualified to address since these professionals work with patients who have mental health issues or substance abuse disorders. Like other NP specialties, however, the effectiveness of Georgia’s P-MHNPs is greatly hindered by the restrictions placed on their practice authority. The average psychiatric nurse practitioner salary in Georgia is $53.15 an hour or $110,550 a year.
| Hourly | $53.15 |
| Annual | $110,550 |
9. Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner: Women’s health nurse practitioners are trained in the provision of gynecological care and wellness. In Georgia, most WHNPs are working in OB-GYN practices, women’s health clinics, and community clinics throughout metro Atlanta and its suburbs. The average nurse practitioner salary in Georgia for women’s health nurse practitioners is $48.88 an hour, which works out to $101,670 a year.
| Hourly | $48.88 |
| Annual | $101,670 |
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