Salary for new nurse in St. Louis

U.S.A. Missouri

Published

Can anybody give me an idea of what a starting nurses salary might be coming out of school in the St Louis area? Any help is appreciated.

Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.
$28-$32 for grad nurses in nj!! i can't imagine going to nursing school and making less than $25 an hour.

yes, and in ca in some hospitals they're making $50/hour....however a home costs 5x or greater what a home here costs....i just came back from there -- a gallon of gas is $2.35 or better....we're around $2.10 today....it's all relative...in addition, i understand that because we have a number of nursing schools in this area, the shortage isn't as horrible as some areas, so that will help keep wages a bit low, too....

comparing wages vs. cost-of-living here to another state -- particularly the coasts -- is like comparing apples to oranges...you really can't do it....

0 Votes
Specializes in NICU, High-Risk L&D, IBCLC.

Yes, here in Southern California I am making $27/hour as a new grad, and my hospital does in-house registry with a rate of $50/hour. Gas today was $2.65/gallon, and our median home price is about $600,000.

With the ratio laws in California, not many nursing programs pumping out students, high cost of living keeping people away, etc. etc., the shortage is alive and kicking out here.

0 Votes

I am in rural NJ. Gas today was 2.19 a gallon. You can find a house for under $300,000 around here no problem. I have the flexibility to work in 3 states NJ, NY and PA. I chose NJ because the pay was good and they gave me a work commitment schlolarship.

0 Votes
Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.
I am in rural NJ. Gas today was 2.19 a gallon. You can find a house for under $300,000 around here no problem. I have the flexibility to work in 3 states NJ, NY and PA. I chose NJ because the pay was good and they gave me a work commitment schlolarship.

I paid $2.04 today for gas; you can buy a nice house for $150,000 (maybe even less; I'm not in the market). We border the state of Illinois, although I don't know how many nurses work there, because I think the majority of the large hospitals are on the MO side -- and there are plenty....a movie costs $6.50 for a matinee; $8.50 for an evening show....again, the wages are usually pretty reflective of an area's cost-of-living more than anything else...and ours is relatively low compared to many areas...

0 Votes

Stormmaker, I'm not sure what your point is. Should we all move to NJ? You cannot compare NJ to MO. Different lifestyles, home prices, everything.

0 Votes

I am just shocked at how little they are paying nurses in MO !!

0 Votes
Specializes in NICU, High-Risk L&D, IBCLC.

It may be shocking how low the pay is, but sometimes it's not all about pay. I probably made some of my classmates say "wow....I'd kill for $27/hour!" However, these classmates are already buying homes in the St. Louis area on their $18/hour starting salary, and I will probably NEVER be able to own a home here even when I throw in my SO's salary as well.

And dang it, I miss St. Louis and my family! :o Hopefully when SO retires from the military in 5-8 years, he'll be open to living there. ;)

0 Votes
Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.
And dang it, I miss St. Louis and my family! Hopefully when SO retires from the military in 5-8 years, he'll be open to living there.

Ah....and we'd LOVE to have you back!! Funny, 'cause sometimes I miss CA so much, but I don't know that I could ever actually live there again...I sure do miss my friends and family...and some of the BEST Mexican food in the world!! Oh, and strawberry stands....and Northwoods Inn, and In and Out, and the ocean (when the sewers haven't backed up in to it!!), and San Francisco....and...sheesh, don't get me started!! :)

0 Votes
Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.
I am just shocked at how little they are paying nurses in MO !!

Yeah, well go spend some time on the Arkansas boards....I believe I've heard they make less than we do....and I'm sure there are others besides them...but then again, their cost of living is much less in many areas....so it's all relative...

0 Votes

I received a job as a new grad making $16/hr. That was 5 years ago and now new grads (at the same hospital) make $18/hr. We are about 45 minutes from KC. And this is at a small hospital.

I can't believe St. Louis pays so low...

0 Votes
When I graduated from nursing school in S.E Missouri in 1991 I started out at $10 something an hour. I'm sure it's more now. You can make more money in other states, but more isn't always better. I make more in NC but the cost of living is outrageous, & I'm away from my family.

mid 80's $9.89 an hour Barnes Hospital. The pay is pathetic in St. Louis

0 Votes

The pay in St. Louis is ridiculously low. I recently moved here from the Central Valley California and took quite a pay cut. People say it's because it's so much cheaper to live in St. Louis. The truth of the matter is, it is not so much cheaper to live out here to warrant such low pay. Then, when I found out about the nurse to patient ratios it just blew me away. $18/hour to care for 10 patients. That is crazy no matter where you are. As a new grad in the Central Valley you start at $31. The median income for a family of 4 in the valley is only about $43,000. Sure homes are more expensive and gas is about .50 to .75 more but everything else seems about the same. There really should be something done about the low pay out here. And definately something about the nurse to patient ratios. That's just downright dangerous.

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment