What Can I Do with a Masters in Nursing?

A Masters in Nursing is a smart move whether you're new to healthcare or aiming for career progression. It can lead to qualification as a nurse for those without one, or open doors to senior roles like nurse practitioner, consultant, or educator for experienced professionals. You'll gain specialist skills in areas like emergency care, mental health, and leadership. According to government data, 91.1% of UK Nursing postgraduates are in full-time work or further study five years after graduating. Plus, they earn more: the median salary for a Nursing Masters graduate is £35,400 compared to £31,800 for those with just a Bachelors – an average boost of £3,600 per year (around 11.3% more).

A Masters in Nursing can be a great option for both aspiring healthcare workers and established practitioners looking to propel their career into higher leadership roles.

In this guide, I'll outline the types of skills you could gain by doing a Masters in Nursing. I'll then go on to look at the potential careers graduates go on to have and their average earnings.

There are two types of Masters courses in Nursing.

The first, often titled Adult Nursing, is designed for students aspiring to become a qualified nurse. These courses admit students with a Bachelors degree in a Science or Health related field. Those enrolled will be able to study a range of core subjects and have the opportunity to gain industry experience. After graduating students become fully qualified nurses. Possible topics students could study on the course include:

• Breast care
• Diabetic care
• Emergency and trauma care
• General practice nursing
• Older adult nursing
• Oncology
• Sexual health
• Renal dialysis

There are also plenty of Nursing Masters courses intended to help working practitioners develop their experience and knowledge, adding to their credentials for future promotion. These courses allow healthcare professions to study specialised topics in a high level of detail. Examples of some of these topics include:

• Caring for vulnerable individuals
• Children’s nursing
• Emergency medicine
• Infection control
• Mental health
• Pain management
• Pathophysiology
• Pharmacology

A Masters degree will also train students in management theories to help them apply for future leadership roles.

A Masters in Nursing, for qualified practitioners, can help open doors to more advanced roles in leadership, consultancy and research. A few examples of potential careers Masters graduates go on to have include:

• Advanced nurse practitioner
• Clinical nurse specialist
• Executive nurse leader
• Nurse administrator
• Nurse educator
• Nursing consultant
• Public health nurse
• Research nurse

A Masters degree is not essential for qualified nurses, but official government data shows that those who have a Masters in Nursing are likely to earn more than those without.

• The median earnings of a Nursing Masters graduate five years after finishing their course was £35,400.
• The median earnings of a Nursing first degree graduate five years after finishing their course was £31,800.

These figures come from UK-based students who went to universities in England

On average, Masters graduates in Nursing earn £3,600 per year more than their Bachelors equivalents. That’s a 11.3% increase.

* This information on this page comes from government data that groups Nursing and Midwifery graduates. For more information about the our data sources, see below.

Tips from the author

• Know your route – Choose between a qualifying course or a career development programme depending on where you are in your nursing journey.
• Specialise with purpose – Pick modules that align with your long-term goals, whether that’s mental health, emergency care or education.
• Use placements wisely – Clinical placements offer invaluable experience and networking opportunities—treat them like job auditions!
• Brush up on leadership skills – Many Masters courses include management training. Embrace it—leadership roles often require this edge.
• Think long-term – An MSc can set you up not just for better pay, but also for roles in research, policy, or higher education.

Frequently asked questions