Is graduate school better for your nursing earnings? Truth be told, nurse educators do not make more than clinical nurses on average.
Believe it or not, it may not help your earnings at all. Because many nurses get yearly increases of 5% due to a union contract agreement, after many years of service it may not be a worthwhile investment to go back to school and spend money on tuition to make money. For instance, you may get a jump start in earnings as a nurse practitioner at a rate of say $55 per hour, however you may already be at $53 as a simple registered nurse and without the responsibilities and headache. Remember, many NP’s work independently and are a step down from a physician.
However, if your hospital or employer are willing to pay for a good portion of your tuition, then it is worth the investment depending on your salary.
Conclusion is if you have many years of experience in a unionized facility then take a good hard look at your earnings schedule laid out in your contract and determine how many years to recover where you left off.