How much do Nurses really make?

U.S.A. Georgia

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Yes, it definitely matters where you live and who you work for. I am in Texas and starting pay for a floor nurse can range from $20-$28/hr (plus differential pay) depending on the facility. As an office nurse, I think the range is more like $60-$80,000/yr depending on years of experience. Then, not to mention if you get hired as an agency nurse. Those folks are making $35-$40/hr (plus diff) in the hospital. I have heard ppl have made anywhere from $50,000- $110,000 in a year as a bedside nurse (low end is employed at the hospital, high end is an agency nurse in the hospital). Here in Texas, ADN's and BSN's (2 yr v. 4 yr.) don't get paid differently. I know of a APRN/Nurse practitioner who started in the $100,000 range right out of school working in a doc's office. Wish I had info for you in other parts of the country. My only other reference is a nurse I went to school with who started travel nursing in California. He was making $90,000 almost right off the bat as a traveler, then has only gone up from there. Now he's a flight nurse and God knows what he's bringing home

Specializes in Med-Surg, Oncology, Neurology, Rehab.
Cuezee2 said:
I live right outside San Francisco and you should expect at or above $100,000.00 when you are an established RN (meaning you have been in the field for a little while/not a new grad). But the cost of living is crazy high too. I live in Marin, just 20min north of San Francisco, and the AVERAGE house cost is around a million dollars. New grads can make about $80,000.00 starting (plus sign-on benefits if you're lucky). My friend is a nurse practitioner in CT and she only makes like $70,000.00 a year, which is crazy low compared to what nurse practitioners make here ($150,000.00+). If you are a nurse anesthesiologist, you can make over $200,000.00 a year. The bad part is that we get a LOT of traveling nurses here and other nurses from other parts of the country because the San Francisco Bay Area pays higher than any other area in the US. So, if you are a new grad, it's practically impossible to get a job here. Hospitals would much rather pay for a traveling RN than pay to train a new grad. I know several new grads who are still working as CNA's because they can't get jobs. It's sad. I graduate next year and I know my chances of getting a job where I live are very slim.

I came to the bay area as a travel RN and signed on to permanent staff. The hospitals are not even hiring new grad b/c it's easier to get a traveler because they hit the floor runing ( already trained). So for now it is cheaper in the long run to hire a traveler. Even though the company I worked for(Aces) paid for a rental car, housing and round trip airfare, it is still cheaper to hire a travel RN, because the hospital don't have to pay benefits. Keep your head up the nursing business is cyclical and will rebound again. Best wishes!!!

Jess77

4 Posts

I am sorry but in this economy, if you have a family to support, you do need to be worried about your wage. Worry about how much money your bringing in to feed your family does not predict that you will be or are a BAD nurse. I find this extremely offensive. I wanted to be a nurse because I had bad and good experiences while in the hospital. However, if it only paid 10.00 per hour, I absolutely could not do it. At the end of the day, I am responsible for feeding and taking care of my family and my wage DOES matter. But guess what, I can be a good nurse at the same time.

Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
maddie567 said:
i meant that is an insult to the RN for only making as little as that, when LPN's make 29/hr and RN's make 40/hr here in CT.

I graduated from a CT school in 2007. I was offered 25/hr at the time. Many of my classmates three years later only make about 30/hr so unless you have lots of experience, 40/hr is exaggerated, imho.

Maddie-LPN

18 Posts

Specializes in Homecare-Pediatrics.

depends where in Ct, like any other state.....

Maddie-LPN

18 Posts

Specializes in Homecare-Pediatrics.

well, i am an LPN in Ct making 28/hr

Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
maddie567 said:
well, i am an LPN in Ct making 28/hr

How many years experience and in what setting? FT, PT, PRN, per diem? Again, 40 bucks an hr for an RN without many yrs experience is steep even for CT.

I make a little over 40/hr presently in TX but I work PRN status. Not something realistic for a 'regular' FT nurse in this area.

GtownhoyasDC

40 Posts

Is it true that the pay in Southern States are generally worse than in other regions? I mean, 25-32 dollars an hour sounds great to me, I would take that in a heartbeat, but from the posts I've seen, it's seems like the pay's lower down south...

But, I really don't about what job I start out with in the nursing field. Any job in the nursing field is better than none, and as long as I have enough to pay back the loans and support myself, I'll be fine...

TwinMommyX2

8 Posts

In Albuquerque, NM starting salary $60,000/yr with a BSN and no experience. The shift differentials and overtime bring it up to the $80,000/yr range. Outpatient RN's make about 20% less, largely due to the lack of differentials and overtime.

Maddie-LPN

18 Posts

Specializes in Homecare-Pediatrics.

how would you know what is steep for CT if you live in TX? my point exactly!!!!

Maddie-LPN

18 Posts

Specializes in Homecare-Pediatrics.

do your research..

Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
maddie567 said:
how would you know what is steep for CT if you live in TX? my point exactly!!!!

I'm not playing tit for tat. I JUST moved away from there and my entire family of nurses lives there. ?

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