What RNs REALLY earn $$

[Hellllllo Nurse]

I have been reading that many feel most RNs make about $60,000. a year, or $25-$30/hr.

Here are the stats on what nurses really earn from The U.S. Dept of Labor:

Earnings [About this section] Back to Top

Median annual earnings of registered nurses were $44,840 in 2000. The middle 50 percent earned between $37,870 and $54,000. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $31,890, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $64,360. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of registered nurses in 2000 were as follows:

Personnel supply services $46,860

Hospitals 45,780

Home health care services 43,640

Offices and clinics of medical doctors 43,480

Nursing and personal care facilities 41,330

Here's alink to the site:

http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos083.htm#earnings

[pwp1289]

work for fed gov in northeast--making $37.11 an hour as base pay--get 10% more for shift diff PLUS 25% additional for weekends (working full time perm eves or nights you really see a difference) double time for holidays--earn 1 al day per 2 weeks and 4 hrs of sl per 2 weeks ---so we get 26 vac days and 13 sick days/year

[pwp1289]

work for fed gov in northeast--base rate is $37.11/hour (been there 13 years) but make additional 10% shift diff and 25% diff for all weekend tours so if you work perm evev/nights and alot of weekends you do better--double time holidays and you earn 1 al day and 4 hours sl / 2week payperiod-total 26 vacation days/13 sick days/year--paid time off for seminars or comptime given

[lisielurn]

i live in Nebraska and graduated in 2002 with a BSN start pay was 14.92/hr for new grad in every hospital in the city. (worked in er for 4 years as a tech during school and made 13.75) you read that right.. 13.75!!! just over 1 dollar more an hour for so much more responsiblity.

the hospital i ended up at in the trauma center ICU only staffed 3 RN's for a 20 bed unit over night. not safe care. i left hospital care (because of the unsafe practice) and now work for the health dept making almost $30 and hour because the county pays more for higher degrees and you must have BSN to work for them... i don't plan on leaving anytime soon..

i do occassionally work for an agency making around $38-40/hr.. to keep up my skills since i am working on my NP.... when i graduated girls who lived in other states were going home and making nearly doulbe what NE is paying...

[pickledpepperRN]

Where I work we have a contract. I usually work only 2 or 3 12 hour shifts a a week, only 2 are on the schedule.

A friend works 6 12 hour night shifts. That is $42.00 per hour plus $4.00 /hr shift differential, time and 1/2 after 8 and after 80 hours in a two week pay period, $100.00 a month for her BSN, and another $100.00 for her CCRN. She is well worth it.

I could not do it, but she does. She has family who clean, pay the bills, wash and iron her uniforms, and pack a meal for her. She is wonderful to patients and no more grumpy than anyone else.

Her family enjoys the big house she makes payments on. Kids are grown. Isn't that almost $5,000.00 a week before taxes.

Of course she only gets $36 hours pay on vacation. Worth it because our patients and her co workers get this fine nurse.

[jdsantee]

I live in the San Diego area and work in a hospital, OB/GYN. I work 12 hour night shift/perdiem. $30/hour.

[jgg765]

I work in the computer field.

Make 47K I have only recieved one raise.

Also, we do not get paid overtime at all after 40 hours.

[MHauck]

I'm a Nursing Supervisor under contract to the state of Indiana thru a consulting firm and make 80,000 + benefits

[tru2self]

I will never understanding the ignorance of our leaders. If we have no nurses left then where does that leave the doctors' and the hospital? Nowhere, exactly, this is the most ridiculous concept I have ever heard of...

[hogan4736, BSN, RN]

Originally posted by spacenurse

A friend works 6 12 hour night shifts. She is well worth it.

I could not do it, but she does. She has family who clean, pay the bills, wash and iron her uniforms, and pack a meal for her. She is wonderful to patients and no more grumpy than anyone else.

Her family enjoys the big house she makes payments on. Kids are grown. Isn't that almost $5,000.00 a week before taxes.

More power to her...

We all have a drum whose beat we follow...

I have two young kids and only work 2 days/ week...60,000/year...

I like my (away from nursing) life...

600,000/year of working, eating and sleeping...No thanks!!!

BUT...

You do your own math...

Maybe in 20 years I will want what she has...

Now, no...That's the beauty of nursing...

I just left 7+ years in the ER for long term care...

Do THAT math!

Sean

[asher315]

I must be doing something wrong...I've been nursing 20 years and make about $12/hr more than when I started in '83. I'm really not complaining, I really make enough to enjoy what I want but who wouldn't like to get paid more, esp concerning the jobs we do. My mother always said that nurses, fireman, cops and teachers should be paid in proportion to their importance and actors and sports stars on an hourly basis. I wouldn't mind 20 million a year.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Originally posted by mattsmom81

I guess I'm a little concerned that $$$ seems to be such a motivator for so many nurses and nurses to be.

There's a whole lot more to this career and nursing jobs than $$$. Not just quality of life/cost of living of the area; but culture of the hospital, staffing, support...the whole environment of the place and how it feels to the individual. Knowing what makes you tick and where you are happy is a biggie in this field!!

Money shouldn't be the main motivator. But given the current deteriorating conditions in hospitals and the abusive working conditions, it may be.

I would like to know the difference that I make in my patients' lives. I would like to see the progress that they make. With current HIPPA regulations, we cannot find out their progress, with floating we have little continuity of care. I enjoy collegial friendships with my coworkers. Due to floating, shortstaffing, and nurse having to be better than each other to be promoted, there is little collegiality. I like a stable working situation and with "flex" staffing, that it hardly possible. I like to separate my work life and my home life - How many phone calls did I get for required meetings on my day off, and to work OT?????? I like to have patients that want to get well - How many junkies did I have to act as legal drug dealer for last week? When you see your patient on his smoke break meeting with the local drug dealer at the corner of the hospital - or he mugs you on the way to your car - or the dying pt whose family breaks in to cars in the parking lot -then begs to not be arrested, because "Daddy's Dying!", you tend to lose some faith in making things better.

And in some cases, the money provides a nice "save" for the days that you feel beaten up by the system. Especially, when the fractured ribs from the mugging hurt so much that they keep you from sleeping.

Sad but all to true.

[nursemelanie]

I am a student going for ADN at the community college here in California. Does having a BSN make a big difference in your pay compared to an ADN.

This discussion is very interesting to me cause I have heard of new grads starting out at about $28-30 here, but I have called some Hospitals and they say they pay new grads about $24-28. So I guess you just have to shop the closest hospitals to you and see which one you want to work for, which one is worth it.