Registered Nurse Career Path: Staff RN to Advanced Practice and Management
Updated · By Andrew Johnson, OneTwo Resume
Data: BLS OES May 2025 (national median annual wage), BLS Employment Projections education and training table (2025), O*NET OnLine. Sources checked .
What is the typical registered nurse career path?
Each row below is a step documented by BLS or O*NET. Pay is the national median for the step’s whole occupation across all experience levels; where a step is a level inside an occupation, BLS publishes no separate figure and none is shown.
| Step | Typical education and experience | Median pay (May 2025) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| EntryLicensed practical nurse (optional first step) | Postsecondary nondegree award; no related work experience typically required | $64,400Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (SOC 29-2061) | BLS |
| EntryStaff nurse (RN) | Bachelor's degree; no related work experience typically required | $97,550Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141) | BLS |
| Mid-careerCharge nurse or specialty-certified RN | Experience, good performance and continuing education (BLS); specialty certification is usually voluntary, though some employers require it | Not published separately; counted in Registered Nurses | BLS |
| Senior / leadNurse manager or director of nursing | Bachelor's degree; Less than 5 years of related work experience | $123,860Medical and Health Services Managers (SOC 11-9111) | BLS |
| Senior / leadNurse practitioner (NP) | Master's degree; no related work experience typically required | $132,300Nurse Practitioners (SOC 29-1171) | O*NET |
| Senior / leadNurse anesthetist (CRNA) | Master's degree; no related work experience typically required | $236,590Nurse Anesthetists (SOC 29-1151) | O*NET |
| Adjacent moveHealth planning, quality assurance or consulting | Nursing expertise and experience on a healthcare team (BLS) | Not published by BLS | BLS |
Education and experience columns for steps with a BLS occupation are the BLS Employment Projections assignments (typical education needed for entry; work experience in a related occupation; on-the-job training). Steps without their own occupation are described from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
How do you become a senior registered nurse?
BLS describes advancement as experience, good performance and continuing education: staff nurses can be promoted to charge nurse, head nurse or assistant clinical nurse manager, and from there to director of nursing, vice president of nursing or chief nursing officer. Management-level positions increasingly require a graduate degree in nursing or health services administration. The clinical route up is advanced practice, which requires at least a master’s degree.
What can a registered nurse move into?
The documented moves are advanced practice (nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife), nursing management (a medical and health services manager role in BLS data) and the business side of healthcare — health planning, marketing, consulting, policy development and quality assurance. O*NET also lists physician assistants among the related occupations.
How long does it take to become a nurse practitioner?
BLS describes three stages: RN education (bachelor’s programs typically take 4 years; hospital diploma programs typically take 2 to 3 years), RN licensure, then at least a master’s degree in an advanced practice specialty and a national certification exam. Nurse anesthetist programs also require 1 year of critical care experience as an RN before admission. BLS does not publish a typical total length for the whole path.
What does each step involve, and which skills does it use?
What the sources say about each step, with the skills listed on our resume example for that role where we have one.
Entry
Licensed practical nurse (optional first step)
Not required, but one documented way in: BLS notes an LPN may complete an LPN-to-RN education program to become a registered nurse. LPN programs typically take about 1 year and are followed by a licensing exam.
Skills from our resume example for this role
- Patient Assessment
- Medication Administration
- Wound Care
- Vital Signs Monitoring
- Patient Education
- Electronic Health Records (EHR)
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Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses · O*NET OnLine: Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses · BLS Employment Projections, Table 5.4 (2025)
Entry
Staff nurse (RN)
RNs take one of three education paths — a bachelor’s degree in nursing, an associate’s degree in nursing, or a diploma from an approved program — and must graduate from an approved program and pass a qualifying exam for a state license. BLS lists a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry education and notes that employers, particularly hospitals, may require one. Most registered nurses begin as staff nurses in hospitals or community health settings.
Skills from our resume example for this role
- Patient Assessment
- Critical Care
- Medication Administration
- IV Therapy
- Triage
- Care Coordination
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Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Registered Nurses · O*NET OnLine: Registered Nurses · BLS Employment Projections, Table 5.4 (2025)
Mid-career
Charge nurse or specialty-certified RN
BLS: with experience, good performance and continuing education, nurses can be promoted to positions with more responsibility; in management they may advance from assistant clinical nurse manager, charge nurse or head nurse to senior administrative roles. Charge nurse is one of O*NET’s reported titles for registered nurses, so it shares the RN median. Nurses may also certify in areas such as ambulatory care, gerontology or pediatrics.
Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Registered Nurses · O*NET OnLine: Registered Nurses (reported job titles, related occupations)
Senior / lead
Nurse manager or director of nursing
Nurse manager and nursing director are among O*NET’s reported titles for medical and health services managers. BLS says management-level nursing positions increasingly require a graduate degree in nursing or health services administration, and that the path continues to assistant director or director of nursing, vice president of nursing, or chief nursing officer.
Skills from our resume example for this role
- Healthcare Management
- Budgeting & Financial Planning
- Regulatory Compliance
- Team Leadership
- Process Improvement
- Strategic Planning
Resume example · Interview questions · Cover letter example
Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Medical and Health Services Managers · O*NET OnLine: Medical and Health Services Managers · BLS Employment Projections, Table 5.4 (2025) · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Registered Nurses
Senior / lead
Nurse practitioner (NP)
Advanced practice registered nurses must hold an RN license, earn at least a master’s degree in their specialty, pass a national certification exam and hold a state APRN license. Most APRN programs prefer a bachelor’s degree in nursing, and some offer bridge programs for RNs with an associate’s degree or diploma.
Skills from our resume example for this role
- Patient Assessment
- Diagnostic Testing
- Chronic Disease Management
- Telehealth Services
- Clinical Decision Making
- Patient-Centered Care
Resume example · Interview questions · Cover letter example
Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Nurse Practitioners (profile) · O*NET OnLine: Nurse Practitioners · BLS Employment Projections, Table 5.4 (2025)
Senior / lead
Nurse anesthetist (CRNA)
The same APRN requirements apply, and BLS adds that prospective nurse anesthetists need 1 year of experience as a registered nurse in a critical care setting before admission to an accredited nurse anesthetist program.
Skills from our resume example for this role
- Anesthesia Administration
- Patient Assessment
- Intraoperative Monitoring
- Anesthetic Pharmacology
- Crisis Management
- Patient Safety
Resume example · Interview questions · Cover letter example
Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Nurse Anesthetists (profile) · O*NET OnLine: Nurse Anesthetists · BLS Employment Projections, Table 5.4 (2025)
Adjacent move
Health planning, quality assurance or consulting
BLS: some nurses move into the business side of healthcare. Hospitals, insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers and managed care organizations need registered nurses for jobs in health planning and development, marketing, consulting, policy development and quality assurance.
Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Registered Nurses
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How much do you earn at each step of the registered nurse career path?
National median annual wages from BLS OES May 2025, for each step's whole occupation across all experience levels: Licensed practical nurse (optional first step): $64,400 (Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses); Staff nurse (RN): $97,550 (Registered Nurses); Nurse manager or director of nursing: $123,860 (Medical and Health Services Managers); Nurse practitioner (NP): $132,300 (Nurse Practitioners); Nurse anesthetist (CRNA): $236,590 (Nurse Anesthetists). BLS does not publish pay for levels inside an occupation, such as senior or lead titles.
Do you need a BSN to advance as a nurse?
Not to start: licensed graduates of bachelor’s, associate’s or diploma programs all qualify for entry-level staff nurse positions, though hospitals may require a bachelor’s degree. BLS says a bachelor’s or higher degree is often necessary for administrative, research, consulting and teaching positions, and RNs with an associate’s degree or diploma can earn one through an RN-to-BSN program.
Can an LPN become an RN?
Yes. BLS gives the LPN-to-RN education program as an example of how licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses move into registered nursing; the RN license still requires passing the qualifying exam.
What does a nurse practitioner need beyond an RN license?
At least a master’s degree in the advanced practice specialty, a national certification exam and a state APRN license, according to BLS. Some nurses go on to a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or a Ph.D., but a master’s degree is the most common entry-level education.
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