During your career it is important to periodically take stock of the salary data related to your profession, and the nursing industry is no exception. If you feel you are being underpaid, maybe it is time to look for a more lucrative position somewhere else? For those new to the nursing profession, it serves as inspiration to see how much experienced nurses are making — maybe it is good idea to earn your RN certification?

With more informed medical professionals in mind, here is a look at what nurses are making at the end of 2015. This data — from PayScale.com — is based on nursing positions and not location, so understand an area’s overall cost of living does affect the average salary.

RN Salary by Years of Experience

Registered Nurses enjoy a good starting salary right out of the gate, with an average yearly pay a shade under $50,000 at $49,910. These average earnings stay around the same for the first few years of a nurse’s career. Once five years of experience is attained, the average salary rises to a shade higher than $60,000, with veteran nurses with over 20 years of experience enjoying an average salary of $67,753 per year.

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Salaries

Certified Nursing Assistants obviously make less than other nursing disciplines, with an initial starting salary of around $24,000 per year. More notably, their average salary barely rises based on experience, as CNAs with 20 years of experience only average $25,808 per year. Once again, it pays to earn your RN or LPN certification!

LPN Salaries by Experience

While Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) don’t make as much as RNs, their overall salaries do increase by experience level, unlike with CNAs. New LPNs average $34,747 per year and those with over 20 years of experience average $41,499 on an annual basis. If nurses want to maximize their earning potential, moving into one of the other more lucrative nursing disciplines is a must.

Other Nursing Disciplines that Pay the Best

The PayScale survey noted the other nursing disciplines offering the highest earning potential in the profession. Staff nurses, charge nurses, as well as emergency and operating room nurses with over 20 years of experience all command yearly salaries in the mid-70s. License Nurse Practitioners boast the highest salaries of all nurses, with yearly pay ranging from the low-80s to nearly six-figures, based on their experience level.

If seeing the earning potential of other nurses inspired you to take your career to a higher level, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the top medical staffing agencies in the industry, we can help you maximize your potential. Schedule a meeting with us today!