Everyone is so secretive about pay? New nurse and I have no idea the average pay

Nurses General Nursing

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Had 3 job interviews this week all of which are promising, and I have already done the drug test at 2 of them. At all three, when asked the salary, they told me that they do not divulge that for specific reasons until I am offered the job. I get that but I have no idea what I may make at either. One is home health, the others at a hospital in acute care and SNF. So confusing, and don't you DARE ask a nurse around here what they make because they will not tell you. I worked as a PCT in the hospital the last 3 years in nursing school and never would any of them tell me what they made, and I know its rude to ask, but googling gets me nowhere because it varies so. I am left wondering does home health RNs make as much as bedside, or would it be better to take on 3 12's with the possibility of overtime because there is no opportunity in HH? I am in West Texas BTW. I have a feeling the hosptial makes around $20.00 starting off, but then again, I am not sure since nobody will tell me anything. Is it normal for companies to not give you the salary?

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

IMO people are secretive about pay because it can be a bone of contention.

Let's say you and a classmate are hired together: same unit, same shift. You get $20 an hour. You think your partner in crime is getting $20 an hour too. But the reality is that she's getting $23 an hour...and you find this out.

You're going to feel angry, hurt, resentful at the hospital for giving someone with the same experience more than you. You're going to feel angry, hurt and resentful towards HER. You're going to question why she got so much more. You're going to question if she's a better nurse...or you're a worse nurse than she is and so doesn't deserve more. And so on.

You're going to think all sorts of unkind things about her: did she flirt her way to $3 an hour more? Does she know someone there? Did the manager like her better than you?

Neverminding that there could be many valid reasons why she got a higher rate than you: perhaps she speaks a second language. Perhaps she has related healthcare experience. Perhaps her schedule will be more erratic than yours. Perhaps she tried to negotiate whereas you just grabbed the $20 and considered yourself lucky to land a new grad job in the first place.

There's a good reason people tend to keep salaries to themselves...and a good reason why you shouldn't be snooping about other people's salaries. Because you may not like what you hear.

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My personal experience is that some of the lower-paid ancillary staff (PCTs, unit clerks, housekeepers, dietary aides, etc.) become resentful and indignant once they find out how much floor nurses earn.

I have even heard some of them griping about 'that lazy nurse' who earns three times as much money as the harder-working techs. However, many of the lower-paid staff fail to realize that nurses are not paid for how much we do; we're paid for what we know.

Sounds like all the nurses I know who complain about physician (or even pharmacist) salary.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Well we aren't allowed to discuss our pay rates with other employees.

It is one of those rules that they make up.

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Have you considered that possibly they don't know what new grads make? I have no idea what new grads make. I don't care, I'm not a new grad. Why WOULD I know what a new grad makes?

Or maybe they do want to claw your eyes out. After all, never attribute to ignorance what you can attribute to malice.

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Specializes in LTC, Agency, HHC.
IMO people are secretive about pay because it can be a bone of contention.

Let's say you and a classmate are hired together: same unit, same shift. You get $20 an hour. You think your partner in crime is getting $20 an hour too. But the reality is that she's getting $23 an hour...and you find this out.

You're going to feel angry, hurt, resentful at the hospital for giving someone with the same experience more than you. You're going to feel angry, hurt and resentful towards HER. You're going to question why she got so much more. You're going to question if she's a better nurse...or you're a worse nurse than she is and so doesn't deserve more. And so on.

You're going to think all sorts of unkind things about her: did she flirt her way to $3 an hour more? Does she know someone there? Did the manager like her better than you?

Neverminding that there could be many valid reasons why she got a higher rate than you: perhaps she speaks a second language. Perhaps she has related healthcare experience. Perhaps her schedule will be more erratic than yours. Perhaps she tried to negotiate whereas you just grabbed the $20 and considered yourself lucky to land a new grad job in the first place.

There's a good reason people tend to keep salaries to themselves...and a good reason why you shouldn't be snooping about other people's salaries. Because you may not like what you hear.

Yep. I worked in a facility for 4 years, at the same rate of pay as a new hire. I never knew until one day the new hire was talking about it, and I overheard. She was getting $2 an hour more than me....with no experience, whereas I had been there longer. I went to the administrator and told her, and she adjusted my pay accordingly, and apologized. Some of us want to know so we aren't severely underpaid! The range would be nice if it were listed. But, unfortunately, if they can get away with hiring for less, they will!

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Specializes in ED.

I work in a union facility and pay rates are listed in the union manual. Also, you can go to salary.com and look up salary information for your area. This will give you a possible range of new hire rates. It is possible that HR did not give you a salary range, because they are waiting for the results of your drug screen and maybe even responses from you references before they give out that information. If they say the ranges are comparable to those in your areas, than I would google for that information to give you a general idea.

I was taught that discussing salary with anyone is crass. My father taught me that personal finances are just that, personal. Discussing pay or finances outside of anyone but your spouse or significant other is just plain rude and not a conversation for idle chit chat. I may talk about my salary on this forum, but it is in an anonymous way. I would never discuss it with coworkers or even family members. That is just how I was raised.

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Specializes in ICU.

In most parts of Texas a new grad makes between $19-$25/hr in a hospital setting. Larger cities like Dallas and Austin tend to pay more because the cost of living is significantly higher.

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

When I interviewed for jobs, the pay rate was discussed at the end of the interview so there was no question. All 3 facilities. I did not discuss pay with other nurses, but if you are talking about HR and the hiring process, they should tell you up front. They know. Es[ecially if you are a new grad. If not, then they should give you a range. I

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Specializes in Orthopedic, LTC, STR, Med-Surg, Tele.

Let's say you and a classmate are hired together: same unit, same shift. You get $20 an hour. You think your partner in crime is getting $20 an hour too. But the reality is that she's getting $23 an hour...and you find this out.

You're going to feel angry, hurt, resentful at the hospital for giving someone with the same experience more than you. You're going to feel angry, hurt and resentful towards HER. You're going to question why she got so much more. You're going to question if she's a better nurse...or you're a worse nurse than she is and so doesn't deserve more. And so on.

You're going to think all sorts of unkind things about her: did she flirt her way to $3 an hour more? Does she know someone there? Did the manager like her better than you?

That's exactly why I use a Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy about how much I make. My friend who was a year behind me in nursing school asked, and I told her, because she was my friend, and she just went Ooooh, uh huh. So that sets my mind racing: is that a lot? Not enough? Did they offer her something better? And so on and so on. It's not anyone's business but my own.

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Here is my experience with my agencies.

Home visits in NJ = $25

Peds PDN in NJ = $26

Peds PDN in Philadelphia = $24.50

Also there is often a bonus rate of $45 an hour for last minute PDN shifts.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
Yep. I worked in a facility for 4 years, at the same rate of pay as a new hire. I never knew until one day the new hire was talking about it, and I overheard. She was getting $2 an hour more than me....with no experience, whereas I had been there longer. I went to the administrator and told her, and she adjusted my pay accordingly, and apologized. Some of us want to know so we aren't severely underpaid! The range would be nice if it were listed. But, unfortunately, if they can get away with hiring for less, they will!

I remember finding out that my new grad was making more than me. In all fairness, she had far more related experience (non-nursing but still related) than I had, and she was more aggressive about negotiating a salary whereas I--like in my example--was content with what was offered just to have a job in the first place.

I was on my way out the door anyway, so I didn't raise any fuss with management. I also didn't have any ill will or resentment either towards her or the facility...but still, my initial reaction upon hearing it was "ouch!"

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This year marks my 9th year working as a PCT at a local hospital in central Texas and a few years ago I asked the nurse recruiter questions regarding LVN and RN. I was able to find out that with all my experience I was only may a little over a $1 more then LVNs at the facility plus find out that if I wanted to go to LVN school I would more then likely work for an LTAC instead of an acute hospital. I was also able to find out the GNs start rate.

Fast forward almost three years and a close friend just graduated from the same RN program I'm currently attending and obtained a RN position at the same hospital I'm currently working. Curiosity got the better of me and I asked the question. I didn't actually go and say "hey how much are they paying you?" I just asked based on information from three years ago are you making more then $xx.xx an hr? My friend responded with yes, but also informed me that other friends she started with are making less then she is. Apparently with her experience as a PCT the facility felt she deserved more.

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