SoCal Vs. Nth Cal Salary?

RNinSoCal · Jul 14, 2006

ER4U2-

Yes, it is true. I left a job in Glendale on med/surg in a large hospital in November 2005. I was making 27 an hour then. I moved to the Bay area and my hourly pay started at 47 an hour. I have had 2 raises since then. The night shift differential in LA was 4 dollars an hour. The night shift differential here is 15% of my hourly wage. I only had 2.5 years experience in the hospital when I moved. You would be making over 50 dollars an hour here base pay with your years of experience. Most hospitals are union here (CNA). Apartments here are about the same as in LA. I do not miss the smog or the traffic in LA and I get to be paid well for what I like to do!!

Sheri257 · Jul 14, 2006

Average pay in the Bay Area is higher ... averaging $38 to $42 an hour. Southern California is lower ... more like $32 an hour but, of course, it depends on the area. However, house will cost you $150K more in Northern California also.

http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcma.htm

Even though SoCal pays less, I've never heard of RN's making less than $20 an hour in even the smaller towns. Where are you located because less than $20 an hour is pretty pathetic in California.

:typing

mommy2boys · Jul 14, 2006

The only thing that I can add to this is that when you say NorCal you must be refering to the bay area. You won't make that kind of money outside of the bay area.

I live about 2.5 hours away from the bay area (north and east) and you won't make $50 and hour. My neighbor is an RN and makes between $50-60,000 a year, but our cost of living is lower.

Community Care · Jul 14, 2006

mommy2boys, where do you live, I'm in Ukiah.

mommy2boys · Jul 14, 2006

mommy2boys, where do you live, I'm in Ukiah.

I'm in Yuba City, it's about 40 miles north of Sacramento and 45 miles south of Chico.

Erin

happygrad06 · Jul 16, 2006

Okay...that's good money.But what does it cost per month to live there? In the bay area.:mortarboard:

smile123 · Jul 16, 2006

Recently, a work friend of mine accepted a full-time staff ER position in a Union based hospital in the Bay area. He told me his rate will be $54/hr.
He is a very experienced RN with 20+ years experience. I am wondering is this acurate the way things are going in Ntn Cal. I have been an RN working in SoCal with 13 years experience, I also work in a Union based hospital and make $20 less per hr.
Is this accurate between the North and South?
I look forward to some input.
Thanks.

I agree with the other posters. For example, new grads who are working in Los Angeles are making $24 to $27/hr. In N. California (San Francisco, Bay Area), the new grad rate is $35 to $38/hr. This does not include the evening or weekend shift differential. These are union hospitals in large metropolitan areas.

1)You say your friend is in the ER; what is your speciality? Experienced ER nurses are paid more (in general) than say, med-surg nurses. It also depends on the hospital.

2) Are you at a smaller community based hospital or a large teaching hospital?

3) Are you in Los Angeles or more in the outskirts of LA?

4) Are you in a union-based facility?

If you can answer those questions, that may explain part of the difference.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 20, 2006

Average pay in the Bay Area is higher ... averaging $38 to $42 an hour. Southern California is lower ... more like $32 an hour but, of course, it depends on the area. However, house will cost you $150K more in Northern California also.
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcma.htm
Even though SoCal pays less, I've never heard of RN's making less than $20 an hour in even the smaller towns. Where are you located because less than $20 an hour is pretty pathetic in California.
:typing

She makes $34 per hour, $20 less than what her friend is getting in the Bay Area. Not $20 per hour.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 20, 2006

I agree with the other posters. For example, new grads who are working in Los Angeles are making $24 to $27/hr. In N. California (San Francisco, Bay Area), the new grad rate is $35 to $38/hr. This does not include the evening or weekend shift differential. These are union hospitals in large metropolitan areas.
1)You say your friend is in the ER; what is your speciality? Experienced ER nurses are paid more (in general) than say, med-surg nurses. It also depends on the hospital.
2) Are you at a smaller community based hospital or a large teaching hospital?
3) Are you in Los Angeles or more in the outskirts of LA?
4) Are you in a union-based facility?
If you can answer those questions, that may explain part of the difference.

Sorry, but wrong. A nurse with 10 years experience, whether ER or med-surg gets the same pay per hour. Same thing even pertains to the OR, and other specialties. Each has different jobs and responsibilities, but as fas as experience, that is what the pay is based on.

A nurse that has worked fifteen years at a hospital and switches into another area, will noy lose any pay because they will be new in that area, but will be paid at the same rate that they were getting. Or even more.