Highest paid nursing field?

Nurses General Nursing

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  • by NoeIssa
    Specializes in MedSurg/Tele.

You are reading page 5 of Highest paid nursing field?

Johnny Moo Man

26 Posts

People for some reason guard their salaries, even anonymously as in this forum. "You CAN make etc etc..." Visit salary.com for "can makes." I'll try to give you a couple specifics. I'm in California. When I started in 2000 at an Apple Valley CA hospital, I started at 17.16 an hour medsurg nights with a 2.00 diff. My male co-grads elected to drive to the county hospital in Fontana CA, started at 23/hr with a 3.00 diff in ER. After a year I went to San Bernardino, an awful city, and made 22.75 in medsurg at a larger hospital, 10 months in that pit and I went back to my original hospital with almost 2 years experience now, started at 19.22 an hour, 2$ diff. So now it's 7 years in the biz, all medsurg, I'm at an Anaheim hospital and make 34.64 days. Night diff is 4.15. Lots of rumors regarding other hospitals and how they make 5 bucks more an hour. When I follow those rumors the pay appears always about the same. Not 5 bucks more. 50 cents to a buck at best. Some nurses take dialysis, the rumor was 350$ for a 4 hour dialysis; the dialysis nurse told me it's about 200$, same as floor nursing. Which in my calculator is 50 bucks an hour and a heck of a lot less stress. By the way, there are other perks, each hospital will have its own so you'll have to do your own homework and try to cut through rumors. For instance I work weekends only, and I get an extra 8 bucks an hour for that. Per diem I made about 40 an hour, if I recall right, but I had to pay for my own insurance and I got no paid time off. Good luck to you.

Jo Dirt

3,270 Posts

Yet another reason I'm glad I don't owe a dime for my ADN!

I get the same money as anyone with a Master's doing the same job I do. Then again, not sure why someone would go to the trouble and expense of a Master's for a bedside job anyway.

I hear you there. I made it through ADN school paying as I went along with money I got from being a private duty LPN. I sure was glad not to owe anything.

Right now, I'm working two nights a week (once in awhile three nights) at a super easy sitting job (still private duty) at $220/night. Of course, it isn't easy to live on that little and I could go work and leave my baby and make a decent salary but being at home is more important to me right now and I'm glad I at least have that choice.

Also, you don't necessarily have to have a master's degree to do administrative nursing, either, though I'm sure it would help you get your foot in the door over an ADN nurse. I still know plenty of ADN nurses who are in administration, though.

godhelpme

4 Posts

However, I am glad I got my master's degree in nursing. I am presently about to start an online Family Nurse Practitioner program and I can take the post master's option. So within a year and a half of taking classess part time I will be a nurse practitioner. Which all in all will give me more flexibility with my children and more money. And I do believe that higher education is a plus for our field-no matter how much money we make as nurses.

DaFreak71

601 Posts

Obviously people go to school to get better salaries. I was just saying that it seemed like thats all she cared about. I myself decided not to be a baby machine so I can't relate to whole supporting the family thing.

I see no reason why you should characterize the OP as being a baby machine. That is just flat rude and tacky. You don't know her life circumstances and even if you did it's not your place to pass judgment on those who have children to care for. Mother's are not automatons who simply pop out children at will and then scamper around with dollar signs in their eyes. They are loving, devoted, caring, and valuable people.

And no, I don't have children either, by choice. But what sort of total b*tch would I have to be in order to get the gumption up to call mothers "breeders" or "baby machines"? :trout:

SICU Queen

543 Posts

Specializes in SICU.
Obviously people go to school to get better salaries. I was just saying that it seemed like thats all she cared about. I myself decided not to be a baby machine so I can't relate to whole supporting the family thing.

:angryfire

BABY MACHINE? Are you freakin' serious? What kind of asinine comment was that? Sounds to me like you could use some "relating" in being socially adept and not being a jerk who has their head stuck up their own butt. Do you realize how insulting your comment is to every woman on here who has chosen to give birth and/or to raise a family?

How do you relate to your patients? You're not in their shoes either, but you still have to relate to their situation in a caring manner. From your comment here, I'm wondering if you don't. What kind of nurse ARE you anyway?

I can think of a lot more to say to you, and in a much harsher manner, but seeing as this isn't that sort of forum I'll keep it to myself.

joeld311

14 Posts

Ugh, give me a break. None of us would have jobs at all if we didn't need to get paid! Get over all that "love what you do" BS. It's about the money. Anyone that tells you it isn't is full of ****. Nursing is a ****** job. Bottom line. Pay, benefits and job security are most likely the top reasons people decide to become nurses. Don't be ashamed to let people know its about the money. And **** people who give you **** about it being that way. I'll do it for you... piss off miss "like what you do"!

Are you a nursing student? I'd focus more on what you LIKE doing rather than what will pay you the most. :)

Also, are you talking about as an RN, LPN/LVN? Master's prepared, nurse practitioner, etc? It makes a big difference.

I work in research and that is well paid, nurse managers and administrators can do very well too, depending on the setting. I'd wager though nurse anesthetists probably make the near the top but require a lot of education and training. My daughter is a new nurse practitioner and she and several of her colleagues have received offers in the neighborhood of $80,000 a year for a new grad. Nurses who work in the OR, ICU and other highly skilled specialties can also make a good salary. Much depends though on the state you work in and the type of institution.

All the money in the world though won't make a bad job good! :nurse:

joeld311

14 Posts

Yes! Money is all that matters

Is money all that matters? I agree with wren that you should do what you like. I doubt you'll starve being a nurse of any kind.

judyblueeyes

149 Posts

Sure, money won't buy you happiness, but it will allow you to have a comfortable life which can get you closer to happiness sometimes.

Try "O-Net"...not sure if it is a dot-com or dot-net. It has a lot of information about jobs including pretty accurate job descriptions, education required, payscales across the country, and future outlook (such as more or less of those jobs needed in the future).

Best wishes.

mistydave

109 Posts

yep everyone works for money, or they wouldn't be working. duh--funny how many people try to make others feel down for that. Everyone gets paid....leave her alone

judyblueeyes

149 Posts

Onet says about registered nurses:

Wages & Employment Trends

National

Median wages (2006) $27.54 hourly, $57,280 annual

Employment (2004) 2,394,000 employees

Projected growth (2004-2014) Faster than average (21-35%)

Projected need (2004-2014) 1,203,000 additional employees

You can check your state for pay rates also.

judyblueeyes

149 Posts

More Onet info..the 25 top paying jobs:

Top 50 Highest-Paying Occupations by Median Hourly Wages

These are the occupations with the highest median hourly wages in 2006. Annual wages are considered if the hourly wage is unavailable. Select an occupation to learn more about it in the Occupation Profile.

Displaying Records 1 - 25 of 50 ( Next ) Show All Records

# Occupation Median wages, 2006 State

Rank

Hourly Annual

1 Anesthesiologists $70.01+ $145,600+

2 Chief Executives $70.01+ $145,600+

3 Family and General Practitioners $70.01+ $145,600+

4 Internists, General $70.01+ $145,600+

5 Obstetricians and Gynecologists $70.01+ $145,600+

6 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons $70.01+ $145,600+

7 Orthodontists $70.01+ $145,600+

8 Physicians and Surgeons, All Other $70.01+ $145,600+

9 Prosthodontists $70.01+ $145,600+

10 Psychiatrists $70.01+ $145,600+

11 Surgeons $70.01+ $145,600+

12 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers N/A $141,100

13 Pediatricians, General $66.41 $138,100

14 Dentists, General $63.53 $132,100

15 Air Traffic Controllers $56.37 $117,200

16 Podiatrists $52.03 $108,200

17 Engineering Managers $50.69 $105,400

18 Lawyers $49.26 $102,500

19 Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates $48.89 $101,700

20 Computer and Information Systems Managers $48.84 $101,600

21 Natural Sciences Managers $48.11 $100,100

22 Marketing Managers $47.46 $98,700

23 Petroleum Engineers $47.30 $98,400

24 Astronomers $46.03 $95,700

25 Pharmacists $45.44 $94,500

BBQvegan

180 Posts

Specializes in Medical-Oncology.

Funny...of course money matters. Otherwise this thread would not be so popular! Viewed nearly 10,000 times!

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