Job Opportunities after Nursing - Career Options, Scope, Salary

Jayita Ekka

Updated On: May 24, 2024 06:54 PM

Courses, Fees and Career Prospects of Nursing in India. Popular nursing courses in India include Auxiliary Nursing & Midwife, General Nursing & Midwife, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing etc.

Career in Nursing

There are several job opportunities after Nursing degree programmes. Every year, several recruitments are organized for professional graduates of nursing courses. Nursing is one of the noblest professions and one of the best fields if you want to serve the community. Medicine, being one of the most recession-proof industries, offers very good career prospects and job opportunities for doctors and nurses alike.

There are various types of nursing courses at undergraduate, postgraduate as well as doctoral levels. Admission to most of the nursing courses is done on the basis of entrance exams, however, there are colleges that amidst students to UG nursing programmes on the basis of class 12 board exam score. If you aspire to enter the nursing field, here’s all you need to know about the courses.

Table of Contents

Type of Nursing Courses Fees of Nursing Programmes
How to apply for the UG Nursing Programmes Job Opportunities in Nursing
Salaries Offered in the Nursing Field Top Nursing Colleges in India

Type of Nursing Courses

While looking for nursing programmes, make sure that you pick colleges that offer courses certified by the Indian Nursing Council (INC). Some of the popular nursing programmes are listed below.

Type of Course Name of the Course and Duration
Diploma Courses
Undergraduate Degree Courses
Post-graduate Degree Courses
Doctoral Courses
  • Master of Science in Nursing (M.Phil Full time) – 1 year
  • Master of Science in Nursing (M.Phil Part time) – 2 years
  • Doctor in Philosophy (Ph.D.) – 3 to 5 yrs

Fees of Nursing Programmes

  • The fees of the programmes may vary from college to college depending on the type of the institute.

  • Usually, government colleges charge less fee as compared to privately/ society-owned colleges.

  • B.Sc Nursing programmes will cost you from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1,80,000 per annum.

  • However, the fees for the GNM course will range from Rs. 45,000 to Rs. 1,40,000 per annum.

How to Apply for the UG Nursing Programmes

  • Auxiliary Nursing & Midwife (ANM): You can apply for the ANM diploma after passing class 12th.
  • General Nursing & Midwife (GNM): In order to take admission in this course you will have to pass class 12 board exam with Physics, Biology and Chemistry and a minimum aggregate of 40% marks. Different universities offering GNM programmes may conduct their separate entrance exams for admissions. Admissions to some regional universities are also done on the basis of state-level entrance test.
  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.Sc. Basic): To take admission in this programme you will have to pass class 12 with at least 45% marks and Physics, Biology and Chemistry as compulsory subjects. Candidates must be at least 17 years of age in order to apply for B.Sc. Nursing basic programme.
  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.Sc. Post Basic): Students can either pick a two-year regular course or distance learning programme. In order to apply for the B.Sc. Post Basic regular programme, candidates must have passed successfully completed 10+2 along with GNM. For the B.Sc. Post Basic distance programme, students must have passed 10+2, GNM along with two years of working experience.
  • Nursing Vacancies in Indian Armed Forces: Female candidates from the age group of 17 to 24 years can apply for the B.Sc. Nursing programme provided by the Indian Armed Forces. In addition to this, candidates must have passed 10+2 with a minimum aggregate of 45% for subjects including Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Admissions are done on the basis of Military Nursing Services (MNS) entrance exam.

Job Opportunities in Nursing

With surplus private as well as government hospitals in India, there are various job opportunities for nursing graduates in both sectors. The rapid growth and privatization of the healthcare industry have enhanced employment in this sector. Each year the government hires 22,000 nurses. There is still a requirement of 4 lakh nurses in the country. Graduates can also apply for nursing posts at private healthcare centres. Following are some of the profiles that are available in this field:

  • Staff Nurse
  • Nursing Service Administrators
  • Assistant Nursing Superintendent
  • Industrial Nurse
  • Department Supervisor
  • Nursing Supervisor or Ward Sister
  • Nursing Superintendent
  • Community Health Nurse (CHN)
  • Director of Nursing
  • Military Nurse
  • Deputy Nursing Superintendent
  • Teacher of Nursing

Job Profiles After Nursing

There are several lucrative job opportunities after the Nursing degree programme that are offered to these professional graduates. They have the provision to work in both the public and private sectors of the country. The demand for Nursing graduates in the medical field has been constant from the beginning and is rising in recent years.

With the development in the health sector of the country, candidates can assuredly choose to start their career in the Nursing field without much hesitation. Some of the top job opportunities after Nursing are mentioned below

Job Profiles

Job Roles

Average Annual Salary

Staff Nurses

  • They are highly trained professionals that provide healthcare treatment to patients in hospitals, nursing homes, and company employees.
  • They assist medical professionals in their diagnostic procedures

INR 2,00,000 to INR 4,75,000

Military Nurses

  • They are employed in the defense sector of the country.
  • Their primary job is to take care of all the medical needs that are suggested by medical practitioners for any wounded soldiers or army employees.
  • They are eligible to work both in army hospitals and on the ground for the military group

INR 2,00,000 to INR 5,50,000

Home Care Nurses

  • Professionals in this field are mainly employed for the in house treatment of patients.
  • Most of their patients are either severely ill or elderly people.
  • Home care nurses can be or cannot be associated with any particular hospitals or health care centers

INR 1,00,000 to INR 3,00,000

Nursing Executives

  • This profession is best for those who do not wish to interact with patients on a long term basis.
  • They are given the responsibility to manage and oversee all the operations related to nursing staff, in any medical establishment.
  • They take all the administrative decisions, train and lead the nursing staff

INR 2,50,000 to INR 6,00,000

Industrial Nurses

  • Professionals specializing in this field are employed by companies to look after the health and safety of their employees.
  • Industrial nurses offer treatment and aid in order to ensure the safety of the people at their workplace.

INR 1,50,000 to INR 5,00,000

Note: The pay scale of these professionals varies depending on a lot of factors. Some of the prominent determinants are total work experience, highest educational qualification, active skill set, and subject knowledge.

Government Jobs After Nursing Courses

Government job opportunities after nursing are varied. Candidates interested in working for government hospitals and other medical organizations, have to sit for the state or national level entrance examinations that are specifically designed for this purpose.

Some of the designations with their average annual pay scale are:

Job Profiles

Average Annual Salary

Registered Nurse

INR 2,50,000 to INR 5,00,000

Military Nurse

INR 2,00,000 to INR 5,50,000

Psychiatric Nurse

INR 3,00,000 to INR 7,50,000

Supervisor

INR 3,00,000 to INR 6,00,000

Private Jobs After Nursing Courses

The demand for government jobs is very high. That is why the entrance exams for this purpose have become very competitive. However, there are several job opportunities after Nursing in private hospitals and nursing homes as well.

Some of the popular job roles along with their average yearly pay scale is mentioned below:

Job Profiles

Average Annual Salary

Nurse - Intensive Care Unit

INR 2,50,000 to INR 4,50,000

Nursing assistant

INR 1,50,000 to INR 3,00,000

Junior Psychiatric Nurse

INR 3,00,000 to INR 5,00,000

Staff Nurse

INR 2,00,00 to INR 4,75,000

Salaries Offered in the Nursing Field

  • Freshers in this field can expect a salary ranging from Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 15,000 per month.

  • The salary improves with experience. Candidates can expect their salary to be Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 30,000 after 2 to 3 years of experience.

  • Highly experienced nurses may also get a salary package of Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 72,000.

Job Profile

Minimum Salary

Maximum Salary (with experience)

Average Salary

Lecturer or Speaker

INR 1.5 LPA

INR 6 LPA

INR 2.9 LPA

Nurse Educator INR 1.9 LPA INR 10.2 LPA INR 2.5 LPA

Nursing Instructor

INR 1.3 LPA

INR 5.1 LPA

INR 1.8 LPA

Nurse (ICU) - Intensive Care Unit

INR 68,000 Per Annum

INR 3.1 LPA

INR 4.3 LPA

Marketing Executive

INR 1.1 LPA

INR 3.1 LPA

INR 1.8 LPA

Nurse/ Midwifery

INR 1.8 LPA

INR 4.2 LPA

INR 8.6 LPA

Top Nursing Colleges in India

Here are some of the top nursing colleges in India where you can get admission by simply filling our Common Application Form (CAF). You will then be assigned an education expert to assist you throughout the admission process. You can also avail instant counselling by dialling our Toll-Free number 1800-572-9877.

Shobhit University, Meerut Yamuna Group of Institutions (YGI), Yamunanagar
Sagar Group of Institutions (SGI), Barabanki Rayat Bahra University (RBU), Mohali
Sigma Group Of Institutes (SGI), Vadodara P P Savani University, Surat
Dr. M.G.R. Educational And Research Institute (DRMGRERI), Chennai Swarrnim Startup And Innovation University (SSIU), Gandhinagar
SEA Group Of Institutions (SEA College), Bangalore Sankalchand Patel University (SPU), Visnagar

Hope this information helped you. Good Luck!

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