Nurse practitioners
SOC Code: 29-1171
Nurse practitioners carries a 26% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $129,210 and +40.1% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 320,400 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
AI Exposure vs Industry Growth
Total occupations tracked
832
Covering all SOC major groups
Data currency
2024
BLS Employment Projections
AI exposure avg
40%
Fleet-wide median across all roles
Composite score weighing O*NET task data completeness, BLS projection methodology, and cross-validation with employer risk grades.
Employment Projections
Occupation Insight
Nurse practitioners (SOC 29-1171) carries an AI exposure score of 26%, placing it in the Medium automation-risk tier. This score is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each task an occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The economic context matters alongside the risk score. BLS counted approximately 320,400 workers in this occupation in 2024, and projects a +40.1% change through 2034 — a strong growth outlook that compensates meaningfully for automation risk. Median annual compensation stands at $129,210, reflecting both skill scarcity and the value employers place on the tasks that remain difficult to automate. Entry typically requires Master's degree, plus None of related experience.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Nurse practitioners. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure. Pair the AI exposure score with the BLS employment projection and wage percentiles above for a complete career assessment.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Maintain complete and detailed records of patients' health care plans and prognoses.
- 2. Develop treatment plans, based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and professional practice guidelines.
- 3. Provide patients with information needed to promote health, reduce risk factors, or prevent disease or disability.
- 4. Analyze and interpret patients' histories, symptoms, physical findings, or diagnostic information to develop appropriate diagnoses.
- 5. Diagnose or treat complex, unstable, comorbid, episodic, or emergency conditions in collaboration with other health care providers as necessary.
- 6. Prescribe medication dosages, routes, and frequencies, based on such patient characteristics as age and gender.
- 7. Diagnose or treat chronic health care problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
- 8. Prescribe medications based on efficacy, safety, and cost as legally authorized.
- 9. Recommend diagnostic or therapeutic interventions with attention to safety, cost, invasiveness, simplicity, acceptability, adherence, and efficacy.
- 10. Detect and respond to adverse drug reactions, with special attention to vulnerable populations such as infants, children, pregnant and lactating women, or older adults.
Key Skills Required
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Writing
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
- Judgment and Decision Making
Knowledge Areas
- Medicine and Dentistry
- English Language
- Biology
- Psychology
- Customer and Personal Service
- Therapy and Counseling
- Education and Training
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Nurse practitioners?
Nurse practitioners has an AI exposure score of 26%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Nurse practitioners?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Nurse practitioners is projected to grow by 40.1% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 320,400 workers.
What skills are needed for Nurse practitioners?
Key skills for Nurse practitioners include Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and others. Typical entry-level education is Master's degree.
How much do Nurse practitioners earn?
The median annual wage for Nurse practitioners is $129,210, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Nurse practitioners?
The typical entry-level education for Nurse practitioners is Master's degree. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Nurse practitioners?
Nurse practitioners roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
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Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).