UPS Drivers make HOW much????

Nurses General Nursing

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It has been broadcast all over the news in my area that UPS is hiring, and that the average UPS driver makes around $76,000 annually! :idea: That just totally makes me feel devalued as a nurse. I am not sure what the national averages for nurse salaries are right now, but I am pretty sure it is not that much. I mean, seriously, these people deliver packages (not to devalue them, I have known a few and they work exceptionally hard), but we nurses deliver babies, we keep people alive, we take care of children and the elderly. We are highly educated, knowledgeable, and the responsibility we hold is immense. If the UPS guy screws up, someone might not get their package delivered on time. If a nurse screws up, someone could die. I just cannot reconcile this in my head!!!!

When I first saw this my initial thought was "screw nursing, I'm going to drive the brown truck!" My next thought was, how sad that we are so seriously devalued. What will it take before people realize our value to society? Am I overreacting to this? What are your thoughts?

Again, I want to add that I do not want to sound like I am putting down UPS drivers or similar careers. They work hard and do a great job. It is just that in comparison to the responsibility that we nurses hold, it does not seem that the pay is in line. Not that they deserve less, it is that we deserve at least as much or more for the work that we do!!!

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Nursese can make over 100K a year. I'm in Los Angeles, many make around $40-45/hour and it's around $50/hour in the bay area. You add that with overtime - I know some who are bringing home $120k easily - and they are under 30. It all depends on where you live and work. And while the cost of living in LA is expensive, it doesn't necessarily require this type of salary.

*** Isn't that $40-45 an hour in union hospitals?

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We don't make the money that we should because we allow ourselves to be underpaid, undervalued and in many cases abused. Sorry but thats a fact. Unfortunately Unions are not the answer either.

Used properly, unions have shown to be valuable advocates for nurses from a collective bargaining standpoint. Are they "THE" answer? Of course not, there is no single solution.

One of the issues here is how our society values the work that nurses do. Same with public school teachers. Unions can help keep corporations from unfairly profiting off nursing work, but there is only so much money to go around. The reason the hard work UPS drivers do is compensated as well as it is is that as a group we value the service of getting our packages delivered when we want them. We fork over the cash.

Whether nursing is more difficult, skilled, or harder to get into than driving a truck is not the point.

I tell people every chance I get: "If you are in this for the money, get out. This job is too demanding and your compensation will never rise above your ability to tolerate work you despise." That's why I left my previous job.

I looked at nursing salaries before I decided to change careers. I decided I was willing to accept that amount regardless of what other professions made. I will still do my part to advocate for fair compensation for nurses, but I knew the score going in.

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I agree with the last post, I'm definitely not in nursing to get rich. While I still need to pay the bills, I feel like I've made a difference (esp. after 8hr sleep). The union I was in at UPS was great for negotiating higher wages. I did know a few ups drivers w/ overtime making 80-90k yr, the most I made was 60k. The problem I had w/ our union is they could not secure your job. This sounds weird but if co. policy was for example any accident ='s termination the union couldn't do anything for you if you were in an accident. You could appeal the company's decision @ the local, state and federal level, but in the end the company almost always won.

As far as unionized nurses, again I think a union could help raise wages but I think more importantly would be the ability to negotiate certain practice standards, how many patients you can have, how many hours in a day you can work...when I retire from where I work now I will have no health benefits...well maybe thats changed with the new health care policy but it would be nice if someone could take care of me after taking care of everyone else for 30yrs.

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Specializes in Endoscopy.

Nursing & UPS: heavy lifting, customer driven, very reliable. It's all good. :smokin:

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Please. This is reported by the same news outlets that report that nurses can make above 100K a year.

My sister drives for UPS, for about the last year. While she does have fabulous benefits, her actual salary is right at about 40K. Hardly 75K. Be discerning in your media consumption.

I've been with UPS for 15 years and a full time driver for the past 8 years. My sister has been a nurse for the past 20 plus years and she makes more per hour but doesn't work as many hours as i do. I work Monday thru Friday and average 11 to 12 hours a day. My sister makes around $65000 a year working 40 hours a week. On the other hand, I make $90000 to $100000 a year working 55 plus hours a week with almost 2 months of vacation. If you add in our benefits package/pension I make around $125,000 a year. There are drivers in my Hub who make less then I do because they work less. There are also drivers who make more then I do. My friend who is also a UPS Driver and rents a room from me due to a recent divorce made $107,000 last year not including our benefits. I would say the average driver where I work makes around $75,000 plus benefits. Being a driver is hard work and it's not for everyone but for me it's been a blessing.

Upset

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Specializes in geriatrics.

Many US nurses are grossly underpaid, which is a shame. Canadian nurses make between 26 to 50 dollars an hour, plus differentials. As it should be. If the post man makes more, I'd have an issue with this.

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Specializes in LTC.
Many US nurses are grossly underpaid, which is a shame. Canadian nurses make between 26 to 50 dollars an hour, plus differentials. As it should be. If the post man makes more, I'd have an issue with this.

Your issue should be with how little you are paid, not how much someone else is.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

My issue is that nurses, who are responsible for lives are not paid very well as a whole. As I said, when the post man makes more than a nurse, that's not acceptable IMO.

Personally, I am very content with my pay. I'm a Canadian nurse and we are paid well across the country, because employers do not have a choice in this.

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Specializes in Infectious Disease, Neuro, Research.
First, I agree with other posters that although making $75K a year at UPS is possible, it takes many years and also even a bit of luck to get there. I certainly don't begrudge other WORKING class men and women the pay they get. If you want to be outraged at how much money someone makes look to the corporate thieves that run our country. There is no excellence there.

I would be curious as to how many "working class men and women" can maintain =/>20% net return annually, manage competing vendor contracts in compliance with "fair-practice" laws, maintain overall salaries at +/- $35K/annum for 50 or more employees, and maintain a 5 year lead in any given industry.

Sorry, by any standard, most Americans won't (not "can't") live within their annual wage, and most of us are not "impoverished". Leonid Brezhnev once rather acidly observed that America was the only country where the poor went to protest their poverty, driving their own cars. Obviously a bit exaggerated, but not much.

If one is disciplined and modestly educated, one will (statistically) have a better standard of living, and generally more income than one's parents. Unfortunately, we are taught that, "whatever you dream to be, you can be...!"(sung out in a shrill Squeaky Fromm/Tim Leary voice)

Dreams don't require discipline, education or reasoning; realizing them does. Wealth-envy is cute and makes us feel justified in our dissolute natures, and is a valuable tool for social totalitarians.

High-performers are paid for what they know, as much, if not more, than for how they perform a given task.

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Specializes in ER, PACU, Med-Surg, Hospice, LTC.

There are some lifeguards in SoCal making $200,000. Yes TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND a year.

The non-union Hospitals in my area try to pay very little....benefits are even worse. A few years ago they were paying new Nurses $21 an hour. HORRIBLE...considering the average rent is about $1,600 a month. Definitley an underpaid profession, IMO.

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Argo - making 130K with 3 years experience??? Does your hospital have any job openings Lol?!

To make this kind of money, means no life, and I mean it, I know nurses who work 3'12 in hospitals and do home health on the side, basically killing themselves for great income, is it worth it? Maybe for a little while but in the long run it really isnt, I recently started working on saturday to make extra cash, but I'm single, fairly young and in good shape and condition, have no kids just a boyfriend, 3 dogs and parents, I really dont see how you can work so much while having small kids.

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I made $130 last year and am happy with my job. I would not mind being a ups driver.... USPS letter carriers make the same and have a pension and free insurance. ....who cares I'm not wanting to do that either.

Now tell us how much you have to work 70 hours a week? I really dont buy it, sorry.

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