HRN and SoCal per diem pay

[mursinary]

Hello, I'm a traveler in SoCal right now. (Inland empire)

I've been talking to HRN about picking up per diem shifts at other hospitals. I was surprised at their rates. Even taking into account the last 4 hours being time and a half, the pay is less than what I was making per diem in Milwaukee. ($46-50/hr)

Is the standard per diem rate in this area really mid $30's?! Or are they low balling me?

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I'm also in SoCal. My agency only pays in the low-mid 30s, so you are not necessarily being lowballed. Agency pay generally blows around here.

I make far more as a per-diem employee for the hospital itself than I do through the agency.

[mursinary]

Thanks for the reply.

I wonder why agency pay is so low around here?

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I think it's because we have plenty of nurses to spare but not enough jobs to go round. Plus SoCal is in demand for travelers, especially those tired of being frozen during the winter months.

[mursinary]

I'm here as a traveler. Per diem hourly pay is the same as what they offered me hourly as a traveler with housing provided.

It just seems odd to me.

[NedRN]

Agency bill rates are generally lower for per diem than travel. Thus lower overall compensation.

As Meriwhen mentions, in-house per diem with the hospital as the direct employer are higher than agency per diem. In fact, if you look at the union rate book at your travel hospital you will see probably better pay as an employee than as a traveler - plus the benefits of being a full time employee will far outweigh any tax advantages of being a traveler.

Lots of hard to get your head around issues out here in the working world! Some of them are rational if you think about them from the employer perspective long enough.