Pay Scale for Flight Nurses?

Specialties Flight

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Just interested in how much flight nurses usually make, as I am interested in being a flight nurse someday in the future. Is it more than say, a hospital ER nurse would make? I would love if some of you experienced flight nurses could give me an idea of how much flight nursing positions pay. Thank you!

I think that flight nursing is an important job and needs to be one that is done from the heart

I think nursing in general is a profession that you must have your heart in to succeed. By the same token, I don't think anyone should starve to death because they're doing something "because of his/her heart."

-Ed

1 Votes

My experience has been that the salaries are competitive with what you will make in an emergency department. I have worked for both a stand alone company and a hospital based flight program and salaries did not vary much. I hate to admit it but I would do it for nothing if I had to. I just enjoyed it that much.

If you work in a program in which you do 24 hours you can actually make more money overall because you will get 2 shifts done in a day.

good luck!!!

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I'm an flight nurse in a rural area and I get paid alot less than what I do working in ICU or the ER.

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Sad as it is I make about 9 dollars more an hour in the ER. Flight Nursing pays allot less here. The perk is that we work, (as full timers) two 24hr shifts a week, so that is 8 hrs of OT a week. Sometimes we work one 24 and two 12s but still the OT is there.

I love my job as a Flight Nurse and would never leave but the pay is horrible. Fiqure that one out.

:balloons:

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A few quick thoughts:

One colleague works a Baylor & jets out of a Regional Level I Trauma Center in the Southeast USA. While on break around 4am one morning she remarked that she couldn't believe she was getting paid time & a half plus 15 for "doing this." She didn't mention her base, but I'm sure she's over $50k.

Another colleague - different day, different place - said she was offered $800 per flight as a Neonatal Critical Care Flight Nurse. She has the MSN.

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I make $4/hour less flying than I do in the ER. It's worth it!! I get great benefits at the ER also.

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I have the pay scale for Flight Nursing and I am sure it is the one used by all flight company's.

Cut your current hospital hourly wage in half and double your hours worked in some cases triple hours worked = your flight nurse pay.

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Specializes in ICU, Trauma, CCT,Emergency, Flight, OR Nursing.

I have been a Full time flight nurse for 5 years for the USA's biggest Helicopter EMS provider and get paid approx $10 less an hour than what I make in the Level 1 Trauma Unit at the University hospital here in California. If we worked more shifts on the helicopter (ie more than 8-9 per month) it would be financially viable to stay Full time in that line of work as it is what I love, however doing only 7 x24hr shifts a month does not pay enough. So I decided to go part time on the heli and work FT at the hospital. This works out great for me as I fly for the love of it and for the challenge that it presents and earn my good salary at the hospital . Flight programs generally will pay considerably less money (hourly) but then you are not on your feet for 12 hours and are paid to sleep if you work 24hr shifts. Also there are literally hundreds of applicants who want these very sought after positions so the Flight programs can afford to pay lower wages. There will always be RN's and paramedics willing to do the job. Most Full time flight nurses that I know, have secondary part time/ per diem positions at hospitals in ICU's or ERs.

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Hello Sunnysideup09,

I apologize for answering to a post that was so long ago, but I found this after googling

information regarding flight nursing. I read the post and it sounds like you do flight nursing

along with being a NICU nurse? I'm starting some prerequisites for a master's in nursing and find NICU work interesting and also flight work, which I gather takes experience before considering of course.

Kind Regards,

Patty

Chicago

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Hi Patty. I was very fortunate that I was given the opportunity to start a nurse based flight team for our NICU in Illinois. I graduated with an ASN and was working towards my BSN when I made the decision to join the team. I finished my BSN during that time, but I didn't have any more knowledge at a master's degree level. I only had 2 years of NICU experience, but received great training from the NPs and MDs to perform the skills necessary like intubaiton, umbilical catheter placements, chest tube placement. On our flights it was a NICU nurse and a paramedic/ critical care adult flight RN. It was not a prerequisite to have a master's degree. Just experience working in the NICU.

Feel free to PM me!

pawriter123 said:
Hello Sunnysideup09,

I apologize for answering to a post that was so long ago, but I found this after googling

information regarding flight nursing. I read the post and it sounds like you do flight nursing

along with being a NICU nurse? I'm starting some prerequisites for a master's in nursing and find NICU work interesting and also flight work, which I gather takes experience before considering of course.

Kind Regards,

Patty

Chicago

1 Votes
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