NP Salary vs. RN salary

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I have a friend who just started working as a NP about a year ago and she said she is really disappointed she didn't go to CRNA school because she is making the same money she made as a RN in the hospital. When she did agency work she made even more, she says another nurse said she should should have looked into travel Nursing, they average around $100,000.00 some years depending on the assignments they choose. I am considering CRNA school cause I want to make a great income too but if you can be a BSN with over time, travel nurse on occasion and do some agency work why bother going into debt? and suffering 30 months in a CRNA or NP program. Could anyone clarify this for me? This just doesn't make sense to me? I can see if you want to open your own clinic as a NP, that was my dream until I found out in Missouri you cannot open a clinic. I'm still investigating if this is true. That's the reason I chose to go the CRNA route. Anyway can someone explain the salary differences to me, I read NP magazine by advance and they are giving salary ranges that are for NPs who have been in the field for a while. I believe I'm confused. Any clear answers will be greatly appreciated I'm also sharing this info with nurses at work who are in limbo about what advanced degree to pursue.

Thanks!

I'll disagree here. I'm a young RN in the midwest (nowhere near Chicago) with 3 years experience, and I make mid $30s base pay without differentials such as shift or charge. And I am a long way from the top of our pay scale.

I'm not clear on what you disagree with. My point was that at least some RNs in Chicago are paid more money than in the midwest and you just proved that.

sorry if i seem crabby in my last few posts but i get tired of reading posts that have nothing to do with the subject heading. i think this thread is starting to get off track. no one cares about being a millionaire; just want advice about being an np or becoming an np and realistic salary. go to dave ramsey's website if you want to become a millionaire.

I will give it to you straight. When I was an RN, I reached exactly $29.00 per hour base pay (no differentials) with three years of experience. Yes, that's peanuts. And I worked about 20 minutes just west of chicago at a very large academic teaching medical center affiliated with a medical school. And I know for a fact that other hospitals pay comprable to what I made as an RN. And I know Northwestern in Chicago pays even less than what I was making as an RN.

So, wherever people near chicago are earning mid 30s base pay, I would like to know where that is because I have not heard of that. Staff RNs don't make $40 per hour base pay around here, maybe registry, but not staff. I am just being honest here.

Jumping in here, but I actually read all the posts...

I've worked in outpt settings for 17+ years as a Certified Med Assistant prior to going back to school. Being a CMA was great while raising my kids and I love working primary care so I can really get to know patients and their family members.

When I went back to school, either PA or NP seemed like the logical choices since I loved what I did, just wanted to do more of it and be better paid. I ended up going the NP route (in school now) even though I knew I never wanted to work as a staff RN in either a hospital or LTC. So I'm specializing in primary care and prevention of chronic disease.

Now the kids are grown but I want my evenings and wkends to spend with the Hubs. I want to hang out with my grandkids on the holidays. My husband is older than I am and, frankly, I hope to make plenty of money to take care of us both after he retires. I also hope to have good benefits to help with my own healthcare and to supplement his Medicare...if it's still around by then!

Specializes in NICU.
I'm not clear on what you disagree with. My point was that at least some RNs in Chicago are paid more money than in the midwest and you just proved that.

Let me emphasize that I said NOWHERE NEAR CHICAGO. I do live in the Midwest, but I'd have to drive several hours to get to Chicago.

Specializes in GI/GU surg,Pacu, ct surg, home care, NH.
I guess it depends on how you view your life and your expectations. I have a very different mindset when it comes to financial well-being than most of the nurses. I have goals that I am working on which include being financially independent( millionaire at 40), retire early at 50 with several millions.

And I don't buy the craps most people sell you about being an NP. I was an NP for a couple years actually making LESS than I was making as an RN. I was offered in high 80s when I was making low 90s WITHOUT OT as an RN with several specialty certifications. The hospital I worked as inpatient NP is a nationally well-known hospital here in NYC so the pay was very similar amoung other hospitals.

The last straw was when I confided a senior NP about my salary(94k) and career advancement/raises/bonues. She told me she's been there for 14+yr as an NP, her salary was 113K plus 1.5K bonus after 10 yrs . I was floored. I couldn't believe it. I could make that salary as an RN and I didn't have to work that hard.

so I finally went back to work as an RN like some other NPs on my floor. now as an RN, I don't have the same responsibilties, very flexible work schedule, less headaches and MORE money. I made 122K last year. I did some OTs maybe 1-2 a month. My love for travelling is increased since I am able to travel more working 3-4 days/wk. I take care of 4-5 pts on a regular floor, 1-2 in critical care. Since I am a senior nurse, I precept 1-2 new student a year( $750 extra per preceptorship), act as a charge nurse( $2hr/hr extra), do some OTs ($72/hr). I get almost all the holidays off including thanksgiving,xmas but I choose to work on xmas bec I am not christian. I know plenty of senior RNs 15+ yrs + who make 100k WITHOUT doing any OTs.

for me, life is better for me as an RN. I can save and earn a whole lot more. I don'tcare when people say why are you working as an RN when you are an Np? bec it's financially better for me.

I would say that your exp is definitely different than mine. I too work at a well renowned NYC hospital but my pay with no NP exp is $111,000, that includes 6 yrs RN exp pay, night shift and cert pay and that does not include over time which for me is $84/hr. Even if I worked days my shift would still be $105,000. I only work 3 shifts a week so I still enjoy the flexibilty. Also at my hospital we get yrly 3% raises as well as a yrly experience increase of about $1,000 and they pay for RN exp. So to me that beats RN work with OT. So far the headache is no less or more than working as a RN, its just a different level of stress.

I think if you looked at other hospitals you could have found a NP job that was more financially rewarding. It took me over a year to find a NP job that fit my salary and benefit requirements. So if you ever decide to go back to being a NP just be patient in looking.

Exactly. NY nurses get paid alot more b/c of cost of living-just like some places in California.

NP is definitely the way to go. Nursing is a jealous profession-it's interesting to witness RNs bashing advanced practice nursing and how the money sucks, etc. Talk with some NPs in real life and not these virtual beings lol-they singing a different tune.

Notice how it goes down the line in hospitals: Nurse aides become jealous/judgmental when another aide decides to pursue nursing school, RNs are unsupportive of each other when another pursues a master's level career, and so on. . .

Notice how it goes down the line in hospitals: Nurse aides become jealous/judgmental when another aide decides to pursue nursing school, RNs are unsupportive of each other when another pursues a master's level career, and so on. . .

I didn't notice it at all in the two major hospital systems I worked at. The RNs had great respect and really liked the NPs that came around the floors. Both my RN and nurse aide coworkers encouraged me to go to nursing school and thought it was great that I desired to. A few RNs I worked with were in NP school part-time and got nothing but great feedback from everyone. Definitely no jealousy at all in that regard.

I work in central ohio too and work for a university hospital and staff RN's are not making that much unless they are working tons of overtime, holidays and weekends. New grad NP's make 75,000 at the hospital I work at.

Specializes in FNP.

I am a BSN and have been a CCRN for 15 years. I work 24h weekend nights, plus have 2 part-time jobs during the week, totaling an average of 48-56 hours/week. Just did my income taxes, and in 2009 I grossed $60,421.53 at that pace. :down:

My friend has been an ANP for 5 years after being a floor nurse for 2y, and made 88K salary in a Doc office, working M-Thursday, 8a-6p, no call, no weekends, no holidays. :up:

This is SE US

Specializes in Critical care,Psyciatric (family).

I live and work in the southern part of the US and have been out of bedside nursing for about 3 years. In this part of the country "nurses continue to eat their young." As an educator I have even had problems with the nursing staff treating my students badly.

hey reno what program are you in.....Im thinking about going back to school online/parttime

thanks

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