Quick answer: The Waterbury metro employs about 290 nurse practitioners (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state board of nursing.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Nurse practitioners are advanced practice registered nurses. The national framework is a graduate degree (MSN or DNP) from a program CCNE- or ACEN-accredited, national certification through AANP or ANCC, and APRN licensure issued by the state board of nursing. How much a nurse practitioner may do independently - full, reduced or restricted practice authority - is set by each state and is one of the most consequential differences between them.
See the Connecticut licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state board of nursing.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
This page lists 9 schools within 44 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 9 of them carry a score.
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Nurse Practitioners in the Waterbury area earn a median $141,530 per year, above the national median of $132,300 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | Waterbury metro | Connecticut | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $141,530 | $138,470 | $132,300 |
| 10th percentile | $109,560 | $109,930 | $101,340 |
| 25th percentile | $117,960 | $124,870 | $117,990 |
| 75th percentile | $160,550 | $160,700 | $156,700 |
| 90th percentile | $173,810 | $173,810 | $174,420 |
| Employment | 290 | 3,750 | 323,040 |
| Location quotient | 0.85 | - | 1.00 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Waterbury-Shelton, CT metropolitan statistical area.
The Waterbury median of $141,530 is above the national median of $132,300, and above the Connecticut statewide median of $138,470 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 0.85 means nurse practitioners are less concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Clinical placement is local: graduate nursing programs require supervised hours completed in person, and preceptor availability tracks the local health system.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Hartford | $135,170 | 1,370 |
| New Haven | $140,880 | 920 |
| Bridgeport | $139,330 | 840 |
| Norwich | $135,930 | 170 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
The median annual wage for nurse practitioners in the Waterbury-Shelton, CT metro area is $141,530, above the national median of $132,300 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The Waterbury-Shelton, CT metro area employs about 290 nurse practitioners (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Nurse practitioners are advanced practice registered nurses. The national framework is a graduate degree (MSN or DNP) from a program CCNE- or ACEN-accredited, national certification through AANP or ANCC, and APRN licensure issued by the state board of nursing. How much a nurse practitioner may do independently - full, reduced or restricted practice authority - is set by each state and is one of the most consequential differences between them. Confirm current requirements with your state board of nursing.
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state board of nursing.
The Waterbury metro median is $141,530 against a statewide median of $138,470 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
