Austin Pay for Experienced Med/Tele RN? Need to know what I'm worth here

[jab3da]

The posts I've found seem to be started years earlier. So anyone know the going rates for a staff RN with 2 years of RN experience med-surg/med-tele (and 4 years LPN experiece med-surg)? I have a prospective place in mind, but I don't want to low-ball myself because I'm not familiar with the area. I'm from MO and I was making 22.25 base pay plus night shift diff. Cost of living calculators show it is lower to live here than Kansas City, but I just don't see how that's possible since apartments and gas are more here. A supervisor has hinted that pay is generally a little higher than $30/hr plus shift diff. Where does that fit in the Austin area? An agency nurse is saying I should start asking for $35 and negotiate to around $31. Thoughts please??

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Wage deflation has taken place in the Austin metro area over the past couple of years due to several factors, including the economic situation and the surplus of nurses who have moved into the area.

I know of someone with several years of critical care experience who was offered less than $25 hourly to work at a hospital in Austin within the past month. She attempted to negotiate for more money, and the interviewer told her to forget about the job offer altogether.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I would imagine that the cost of living calculations are factoring in the absence of state income tax in TX as well as other 'background' costs that may not be apparent in day-to-day living expenses. Austin housing costs are pricier than other Texas cities. But salaries are lower because of market forces - seems like Texas 'immigrants' all want to live in Austin, so there is a surplus of labor supply in pretty much all professions right now.

[TexAus]

I was paid several years ago $22/hr as a new grad in a Med-Surg unit at a St.David's hospital. The pays for Seton, St. David's and Scott & White are generally the same. With your experience, you should expect a little more and $30/hr would be a really good offer. It is hard to find jobs in Austin nowadays especially for new grads and even experienced nurses at times.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Yup. The popularity of Austin has driven housing prices up and wages down.