Average salary

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Hello to all,

I am considering a position as school nurse. What is the average salary?

Thanks in advance!

Specializes in Med-surg, school nursing..

Also, in our district getting your certification does not increase your pay. I checked.

Specializes in School Nursing.

I have the same contract that the teachers have so I get paid what a teacher gets paid. I had 3 years of experience as a pediatric RN (home care and NICU) when I started in the schools and they offered me year 1 pay as a school nurse. I made the argument that many of my home care and hospital skills would translate to the schools so I felt that I should start as year 4. They, amazingly, agreed so I started as a year 4 nurse. It's not what I would consider horrible pay. My yearly salary is a lot less than what I made in the hospital but if you break it down by hours worked (considering I basically only work 8 months a year with school breaks and summer vacation) my hourly pay in the schools is just a bit below what I made at the hospital. It definitely sucked taking a big yearly pay cut but I'd do it all over again. I was miserable in the hospital by the time I decided to make the leap to school nursing. I don't love it every day but it's growing on me and when I go back to the hospital (I work per diem in NICU) and see the micromanaging of the nurses (seriously, why do you care what report worksheet I want to use?!?) and how worn out and exhausted they are I'm more grateful for my school nurse job. For me the pay cut was worth it!

Specializes in med/surg, home health, hospice.
I am so jealous of your pay!!! Mine isn't even close.

Really? Maybe I should be more appreciative of my salary as compared to others here, but I'm still a little bitter over what I consider to be a minuscule salary for what we do.

Really? Maybe I should be more appreciative of my salary as compared to others here, but I'm still a little bitter over what I consider to be a minuscule salary for what we do.

I hear ya! It's hard to know how much we COULD be making elsewhere. Plus, I get so frustrated knowing that other licensed professionals (physical therapists, psychologists) in the school are paid higher than nurses. Why is their expertise worth more than mine? Very sad.

Specializes in IMC, school nursing.

Supply vs. demand, there are millions of nurses compared to thousands of PT and psychologists. Same as teachers.

Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

This depends on your state. In my state school nurses require a special certificate and they make more than teachers generally.

We make a little over $47k a year and we are not paid what the teachers make. We are paid by the county health department and have virtually no benefits as we are considered contract employees. And there are no merit raises or anything based on experience or years of service. I took a job working for the State as a school nurse this year trying to find a way to bring home a little more $$ and not have to work prn nightshift at the hospital anymore. State nurses are given ok benefits, but they were not given the Cost of Living increase that county nurses were this school year, so that was a nice slap in the face. It wasn't a huge raise, but it was something. Add to that the fact that State Nurses have a mandatory 6% contribution towards their pension system, and my paycheck this year as a State Nurse for the schools (which is a year round 40hr week job) is less than I was bringing home as a county employee. Thanks for nothing.

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