[ethelbsnrn]

Originally Posted by TX RN

Thanks again Commuter!!

WOW! Yep, rates in Cali are much lower.

The thing that evens it out is the state income tax that you are paying in California which we don't have to pay here in Texas.

According to salary.com...."if your income range is $40,346 and over, your tax rate on every dollar of income earned is 9.3%." - data as of December 31st, 2004.

The California state income tax is even way higher than the 3.1 % property tax that I pay for my Texas house (the property tax ranges from 2.1 to 3.7% depending on where you live). But with that same property tax, I am confident that it is being used appropriately by my school district (exemplary schools in my neighborhood).

[TX RN]

Originally Posted by ethelbsnrn

The thing that evens it out is the state income tax that you are paying in California which we don't have to pay here in Texas.

According to salary.com...."if your income range is $40,346 and over, your tax rate on every dollar of income earned is 9.3%." - data as of December 31st, 2004.

The California state income tax is even way higher than the 3.1 % property tax that I pay for my Texas house (the property tax ranges from 2.1 to 3.7% depending on where you live). But with that same property tax, I am confident that it is being used appropriately by my school district (exemplary schools in my neighborhood).

Salaries in California are typically much higher than here in Texas so that in turn really changes "NET" pay (take home). Using allowed provisions to invest in 401k, IRA's and others would lower federal and state income tax.

I have a friend that lived in California for a few years, made much more NET income there than here in Texas. However, he moved back to Texas because as he explained, home prices tend to be much higher. My interest was in this thread was how much property values have dropped in California. Property taxes do not affect home prices as much as they do here in Texas. As you stated, one of the key things to consider when purchasing a home is what county the home resides in as tax rates do vary.

[TheCommuter]

I'm aware this is off the original subject of "Houston RN Pay," but here's another link about crashing home prices in the greater Los Angeles area that might interest a few of the more recent posters. Click to read the article if you are interested.

http://www.mybudget360.com/southern-...ef=patrick.net

[ethelbsnrn]

Property tax in Sacramento, California (for example) as stated below: 1% -1.1% of assessed value.




"Under Proposition 13, the property tax rate is fixed at 1% of assessed value plus any assessment bonds approved by popular vote. As a result of various assessment bonds in addition to the 1% rate, property tax rates in Sacramento County average roughly 1.1% countywide."

[jbitakis]

I live in the Chicago area. I have 14 years experience as a telemetry nurse in the cardiac stepdown unit. I also have some IR/GI/MRI/CT/ICU and Home Health experience, as well as Med-Surg. and Psych experience.
I work at the Univ. of IL. Hospital (State Employee).
My 14 year base pay for day shift is $40.50/hr with anything over 8hrs in a day being time and 1/2 OT.
I saw someone quote $37/hr for one Houston facility with only 7yrs. exp.
Would I be able to fetch $40/hr base pay at a Houston area Hospital with my 14 years exp.??
The reason I ask is that I want to move down there to be close to family.
James

[hypocaffeinemia]

Originally Posted by jbitakis

I live in the Chicago area. I have 14 years experience as a telemetry nurse in the cardiac stepdown unit. I also have some IR/GI/MRI/CT/ICU and Home Health experience, as well as Med-Surg. and Psych experience.
I work at the Univ. of IL. Hospital (State Employee).
My 14 year base pay for day shift is $40.50/hr with anything over 8hrs in a day being time and 1/2 OT.
I saw someone quote $37/hr for one Houston facility with only 7yrs. exp.
Would I be able to fetch $40/hr base pay at a Houston area Hospital with my 14 years exp.??
The reason I ask is that I want to move down there to be close to family.
James

I don't know of anybody making base of $40/hourly as a staff nurse around here.

The caps seem to be in the $35-38 range from my anecdotal experiences with co-workers. I know that the (falling apart) VA hospital was paying a bit higher due to a lack of applicants, but I wouldn't want to work there.

Obviously, a nurse recruiter could give you exacts.


However, I want to mention that the cost of living in Houston is significantly lower than in Chicago, and we have no income tax in Texas. The result is that $37/hour here may be much more purchasing power than $40/hour in Chicago.

[MeghanRN]

Agree with the above from methy, and just wanted to add, its mostly 12 hour shifts down here that you will find. The last 4 hours are not time and 1/2. They are base pay.

Also to echo, it is cheaper to live down here.

You can make 40 an hour as a agency nurse, or supplemental for the hospital.

[hypocaffeinemia]

Originally Posted by MeghanRN

Agree with the above from methy, and just wanted to add, its mostly 12 hour shifts down here that you will find. The last 4 hours are not time and 1/2. They are base pay.

I don't quite grasp what you mean. We typically work 36/48 at my facility, and the 8 on the second week is indeed time and a half-- of course, in reality the 36 week is closer to 40 counting pre/post shift and the 48 week is close to 52...

[MeghanRN]

sorry, should have been more clear.

The above poster said anything over 8 hours a day is time and a half for him.

I havent seen a hospital down here yet that does that. Now, once you reach over 80hours in 2 weeks, then it it considered OT and you get paid time and a half. (Or over 40 hours /week in some hospitals)

I get a shift differential though, so for the last 4 hours of day shift (3p-7p), we get a small evening shift differential.

But, to get 4 hours time and a half each day you work over 8 hours? I've never heard of that or seen it in texas..

was just trying to explain to the poster that I dont think that what he/she is getting now will be the case once he/she moves..

[hypocaffeinemia]

Okay, I see what you mean. I've never heard of a hospital giving time and a half for the last 4 hours every day-- we just get a small differential (I think the RN evening diff is like $2.00/hr here).

My facility is one of those that does overtime on a weekly basis instead of a biweekly one.