Who do nurses make more than?

Music in My Heart · Dec 1, 2012

One of my coworkers pulled down $133,500 last year... worked insane amounts of OT but the cash is there...

givemeu1 · Dec 1, 2012

I'm just going to say this. My sister is an LPN....she left a $30,000 a year correctional officer job that doesn't require a college education for a $32,400 nursing career. We live in the south so Im pretty sure it's higher in different states. The only thing $200 or a little more a month would get her would be a car note or rent. I wouldn't expect to see a huge jump in pay unless you have more education such as a RN or BSN and then I wouldnt expect to make it being a single parent with all of the expenses you're hoping to get. Also if you do go further, you might wanna add in student loans after you get out of school. Financial Aid will only get you so far.

rngolfer53 · Dec 1, 2012

I don't know if it's possible to gauge the OP's complete reasons for wanting to chose nursing as a career from her post.

Imho, there's nothing wrong with figuring out in advance if a job is likely to provide sufficient compensation to provide for what you need...and a certain amount of what you want, too.

The OP has a child, which means financial responsibilities. People's need for money isn't necessarily constant over a working career. A single person may be OK with less money until it's time to have a family, buy a house, save seriously for retirement, etc.

Money generally isn't considered a "satisfier" in a job, especially if it's a job one doesn't like.

But lack of money is a dis-satisfier, even in a otherwise rewarding job. And if I'm going to be dis-satisfied, I'd just as soon have the money for my trouble. :laugh:

Patti_RN · Dec 1, 2012

If your only reason for becoming a nurse (or pursuing any job, for that matter) is money, you're bound to become a very unhappy person. Money should never be the paramount reason for choosing a career--yes, it can be a factor, but not the most important reason.

You say you want to be a "good nurse caring understanding gentle nurturing", but you never once mention committed, intelligent, selfless, or dependable. There seems to be a huge gap between dreams and reality as far as what nurses actually do. I've never known a nurse who was able to sit for hours with a dying patient, or spend even adequate time comforting a family member or patient. While most of us would love to show our 'gentle, understanding, caring, and nurturing' sides, our days are filled with charting, confirming orders, passing meds, cleaning up all sorts of bodily fluids, and maybe making one run to the bathroom in the course of an 8 hour day.

Moreover, in spite of what you've probably heard about a nursing shortage, that's far from reality. Schools are churning out new grads faster than spots are created or vacated. Competition for jobs is intense. There is downward pressure on wages because of the surplus of warm bodies to fill the jobs. It's only going to get worse. And, the competition doesn't begin with employment, it begins for the coveted spots in schools. It's getting harder and harder to be accepted.

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Dec 1, 2012

My rent is more than that, my car payment is way too high, i pay all my utilities myself and I buy just about whatever I want. Now add a daughter to the mix, I dont think I could do that without sacrificing some for me, which is what kids are about right? So i say yes you can.

duckyluck111 · Dec 1, 2012

I'm just going to be brutally honest here. If this is an example of your communication style, you are going to have a hard time finding any kind of job that is likely to provide the kind of income and lifestyle you describe. I apologize if this sounds harsh, but the job market is tight and projecting a professional demeanor is the key to success in any field. Good luck, whatever you decide to do!

joanna73, BSN, RN · Dec 1, 2012

I'm single. I've lived comfortably on 45-50 grand a year. Not extravagant by any means though. As a new grad, I made 86 000 working full time after my first year of nursing. Cost of living is high, so that's relative. However, as I mentioned in a previous thread, it all amounts to money management, not your income. I still live as though I'm making 50-60 thousand a year, in order to have savings. I also have no intention of working full time forever, so I'd rather not up my lifestyle too much. Whatever you do, with respect to ANY career, be wise about it. 80 grand is also not typical for most new grads or experienced nurses. It all depends where you live and what the market is like.

Fuzzy · Dec 1, 2012

Every profession has people that have champagne tastes on a beer budget. This is why there are so many bankruptcies.

Fuzzy

RockinChick66 · Dec 1, 2012

Ive got my own opinion but Ive decided to keep it to my self. A haha

nurseladybug12 · Dec 1, 2012

As a general rule, your rent should not be more than what you make in a week, your car should not be worth more than half what you make in a year, and you should always have saved 2 or 3 months of income in case something were to happen, such as losing your job, getting sick, etc. You should read up on financial planning and budgeting so that you can plan on not over-stretching your wallet. And realistically, it is also a safe bet to be putting 5-10 percent of your income away into a savings account as well.

nurseladybug12 · Dec 1, 2012

Also, you can go to O*NET OnLine, it is a govt funded website of median salaries by state,job growth, and outlook for every profession you can think of, as well as lists of tasks,skills, and education that is needed for that profession. If you search RN and scroll all the way to the bottom, there is a drop down menu where you can change the state and see what their median salaries are, and it also lists how many current job openings there are. This site really helped cement my decision to move to Florida to pursue my RN career. I had seen that there were about 1600 nursing openings in CT when I graduated, and I knew there were 1500 RN graduates coming out of school May 2012. Just from that alone, I knew it would be tough to get a job in CT as a new grad, and it was, I applied to every single hospital in the state and got rejection emails. I looked at Florida's outlook and current openings and it was about 6400. I moved to FL and got a job within a week of getting my FL license endorsed. It really is a great website :)

kevagonia · Dec 1, 2012

your post is greatly entertaining. please do not go into this field.

-K