First RN job & it's pay

Nurses New Nurse

Published

Hello everyone,

I would like as many responses as possible. I am located in Houston, Texas but looking to working to work anywhere in the US. I am about to get my RN license and I have started looking for a job. What should I expect my salaray or my wage/hr at my first job as a RN with no experience? If people would tell me their personal pay they received at there first job would be helpful. I've researched the web and found just a scattered range of pays. Your responses will be very appreciated. Thanks!

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
I know California has some of the highest paid nurses in the country because of the cost of living but also because they have one of the most difficult NCLEX exams. Illinois is very picky too. It was definitely worth graduating. :eek: :yeah:

My understanding is that the NCLEX is a national exam. States do not have any ability to alter or compose the exam.

Am I wrong?

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
My understanding is that the NCLEX is a national exam. States do not have any ability to alter or compose the exam.

Am I wrong?

You are correct, Roser. NCLEX is the same national exam, regardless of where you take it. Therefore, the NCLEX in Indiana is not going to be any easier or harder than the NCLEX in California or Illinois.

What people have to realize is that, for the most part, the rate of pay is different compared with cost of living. Of course someone in rural Tennessee is not going to be paid as much as someone living in NYC, DC, Boston, Connecticut, etc. I mean a $400,000 house in CT, is probably $250,000 in the south (or maybe even less than that). That doesn't mean it is an incorrect pay for them. However, saying that, when you start off somewhere high range (ie NYC, DC, Connecticut)-I would recommend that you are aware of the decrease in pay that you will be getting because your floating bills (credit cards, car payments, etc) will not change.

For example, I have a friend who lived in Connecticut (made $36+/hr, after some years of experience). She wanted to move to the south. She did research and was showed that she would take home less of course. Which is neither good nor bad perse but she prepared herself for her bills. She paid a number of those floating bills off or down before relocating because she knew her income would decrease.

26.50 an hour in a psych hospital in central, Pennsylvania

I am working in Indianapolis. I started at $21 an hour on nights with a BSN on an ortho inpatient unit. It pretty much sucks. Crappy job, crappy pay. It's all I could get though. There are no jobs here

Specializes in Med Surg, Ortho, Acute Care Rehab.
i know california has some of the highest paid nurses in the country because of the cost of living but also because they have one of the most difficult nclex exams. illinois is very picky too. it was definitely worth graduating. :eek: :yeah:

huuuuh?

Specializes in OB/GYN, Psych.

Correct me if I'm wrong...but don't all the states take the exact same NCLEX?

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Correct me if I'm wrong...but don't all the states take the exact same NCLEX?

This is correct. NCLEX is a national exam, and its difficulty is not dependent on the state where you take it. It is the same exam from the same pool of test questions, regardless of whether you take it in Hawaii or Hong Kong.

I know we all need to make a liveable wage and deserve to be paid fairly...But these types of questions always irk me a little bit. I feel so grateful to have a decent job in this economy and I feel like people often forget to add in benefits as part of their compensation, it's not all about $/hour. Don't forget to add in things like tuition reimbursement, vacation time, possible overtime, health insurance, employer paid certifications etc, etc...Also, as a new grad, i feel that I am basically being paid to really learn nursing, far beyond what school was able to teach me. How great is that?

*also, NCLEX = NATIONAL council licensure examination. It's funny to me that people take this exam and don't bother to find out what the acronym stands for.

Specializes in OR.
I know we all need to make a liveable wage and deserve to be paid fairly...But these types of questions always irk me a little bit. I feel so grateful to have a decent job in this economy and I feel like people often forget to add in benefits as part of their compensation, it's not all about $/hour. Don't forget to add in things like tuition reimbursement, vacation time, possible overtime, health insurance, employer paid certifications etc, etc...Also, as a new grad, i feel that I am basically being paid to really learn nursing, far beyond what school was able to teach me. How great is that?

*also, NCLEX = NATIONAL council licensure examination. It's funny to me that people take this exam and don't bother to find out what the acronym stands for.

You are very peppy and have a positive attitude :) That's Awesome. However, I'm not even a nurse yet and I read your post thinking "Well, it has a little bit to do with the money - first and foremost loving what you do and the lure of the money helps." Nursing isn't easy, as you know...it's not always 'fun', but it's always 'important' work (at least that is how I view it).

I make 25.00/hour but I have to work 6 days a week for it. Some think I have the perfect job...medical transcriptionist, work at home, my kids have never had to go into daycare. Even so, I am expecting to get paid around the same when I become a nurse because I have bills to pay and a household to keep up...hopefully working 3 shifts of 12. PRN. Also, it's a more 'stable' profession in the long run. If I don't get near that amount, for all the time and effort I put into it, I just won't change professions once I'm done. So, for me, money is a factor as well. Life is too short...one needs to love what they do and get rewarded appropriately for their hard work. Not sure how old you are, but as a mom of a family of five (three young children), money definitely is a factor :)

Specializes in Med Surg - Renal.
I'm in the outskirts of Minneapolis/St. Paul area. I work in home care and started at $23/hr but after 1.5 years am making 27.50/hr. Local hospitals range from about $27-29/hr starting for ADN

Yup. MNA ADN in the Twin Cities here and we start at $28.50. $2 diff for nights ($4 if you are straight nights) plus $1.25 on top if it's a weekend. Various other sundries.

Specializes in Emergency, Med/Surg, Vascular Access.

Starting in Southaven, MS tomorrow! Base pay WITH BENEFITS is $21.21; base pay WITHOUT BENEFITS is $27. Don't forget to factor in cost-of-living...yeah, $30/hr or w/e sounds pretty dang good, but how much does it cost to buy a 3-BR house? To go out to eat a decent meal? To further your education?

+ Add a Comment