The purpose of this article is to present the results of a survey of practice characteristics, salary, and benefits of 1,763 nurse practitioners (NPs) from the eastern United States who attended national NP conferences in Chicago, Illinois, and Boston, Massachusetts, in the fall of 1996 and in San Diego, California, and Orlando, Florida, in the spring of 1997. Specific data are presented on the demographics of the population; practice characteristics and responsibilities; benefits for full- and part-time employees; and salary by region, years of practice, type of certification, and location of the practice. The salary data were compared with the 1995-1996 NPACE practice characteristics, salary, and benefits survey for the eastern United States.