Advice on RN Salary NYC

DoGoodThenGo · Jun 20, 2015

Links to recent articles regarding NYC apartment rents:

New York City Rents Continue Their Terrifying Ascent in 2015 - Rental Market Reports - Curbed NY

Manhattan Studios Set Rent Record as Tenants Go Small - Bloomberg Business

That being said you *may* be able to find a small studio or one bedroom in Yorkville/Upper Eastside of Manhattan, Harlem, Hell's Kitchen and a few other areas for between $1,800 to $2,500 per month. These may or may not be in doorman buildings and probably more likely walkup tenements or small buildings with elevators.

Given a NYC salary range of mid 70K 's to high 80'sK for a RN in NYC take about 30% to 33% off the top for federal, state and local NYC taxes. What you are left with is your net take home *before* deductions such as healthcare, 401K and so forth if any. From this final number is what your apartment budget will come.

Landlords here like to see 30% to 40% income to rent ratio: Calculate Your Maximum Rent | Naked Apartments

Using the above linked information as a guideline for an average NYC RN wage of 80K per year you can afford a rental of 2K per month.

You didn't say where you would be working but that will factor into many decisions. Rents can be cheaper for larger apartments say on Staten Island, but if you are working at NYP or even a hospital deep into Brooklyn or Queens that is going to be along commute by public transportation and or car. In the end you may decide to live closer to your facility even if it costs more in rent to cut down on the expense and hassle of commuting.

If you are moving here without a firm offer of employment, bring money. *LOL* Landlords here do extensive background checks before renting including employment. If you are technically unemployed finding someone to rent you an apartment *may* prove difficult. However if you can offer several months rent in advance coupled with your profession (nursing is still viewed as a safe career choice) some LLs may let you slide. That and or perhaps require someone to guarantee/co-sign the lease.

Finally if you have not done so I'd begin the process of obtaining a NYS license. It will make finding a position (if you do not have one lined up already) much easier. That and you can always to temp/agency work until something fulltime opens up.

Some places like NYP offer assistance with housing for their professional employees, but demand is great and supply limited. NewYork-Presbyterian Careers

JRiestra82 · Jun 20, 2015

Wow, thank you so much for the info! I'm taking a three month travel assignment in order to get me to the city. I'm hoping this gives me enough time to find a suitable apartment and full time position.

Thank you you especially for the info regarding NYP. I have heard great things about the facilities, but had no idea they provided housing assistance. Something I'll definitely look into.

Thanks again! It's all been incredible helpful.

DoGoodThenGo · Jun 20, 2015

Wow, thank you so much for the info! I'm taking a three month travel assignment in order to get me to the city. I'm hoping this gives me enough time to find a suitable apartment and full time position.
Thank you you especially for the info regarding NYP. I have heard great things about the facilities, but had no idea they provided housing assistance. Something I'll definitely look into.
Thanks again! It's all been incredible helpful.

You are welcome.

You can try looking on Craigslist for not only apartments but perhaps a short term rental or even sublet to get you though those three months. Just use EXTREME caution. Far to many scams and schemes. Never hand over cash money to anyone, best to use checks or something you can stop payment if they turn out to be a fraud.

The UES from Lexington Avenue to East End/York/FDR Drive and from about low hundreds to about 59th Street is "nurse central" it seems. There are plenty of small apartments in tenement buildings and the area is close to Mount Sinai, Lenox Hill, New York Hospital, Sloane Kettering and the rest of the UES healthcare facilities.

If you are working in Manhattan then really much of the borough is your oyster in terms of housing. Since our subways and buses run 24/7 getting around even at odd hours is doable. That is if you are working at NYP uptown living in the West Village or even East Village isn't that hard of a commute. Once you learn which subway and or bus to take and how much time to budget the rest is easy. Failing that there are always taxis.

Good luck.

bellemaher · Jun 22, 2015

Wow! This to me is a very helpful information. I admire it. Thanks.

kingofthekicks20 · Jul 1, 2015

Wow, I'm getting deja vu from your post! I'm an ER nurse with 3 years experience (BSN & CEN) that moved to NYC in March. Needless to say, I have lots of advice to offer you.

Where to start, how about this: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=zy2ijQQdGumc.k9TnaW0Zygn4

I applied everywhere in Manhattan, reading stats on US News Best Hospitals regarding ER visits, beds, admissions, etc. I interviewed with 4 hospitals and had my pick of the litter. The NYC hospitals are split up into hospital networks & you also need to consider nursing unions.

NSLIJ: Lenox Hill Hospital & Lenox Hill Healthplex (free-standing)

Mount Sinai: Mount Sinai, St. Lukes, Beth Israel, Roosevelt, & Mount Sinai Queens

New York Presbyterian: Columbia, Cornell, & Lower Manhattan

HHC Hospitals (NY State): Bellevue, Harlem, Metropolitan, Jacobi, Lincoln, NY Downstate

Montefiore: North, Weller-Einstein, & Moses

NYU: NYU Langone & NYU Cobble Hill

Here's my experience touring the ERs during interviews (and ratios): Columbia was an absolute nightmare (12+:1), Mount Sinai had some admission boarding problems (8-10:1), Beth Israel was professional and manageable (7-8:1), NYU was phenomenal (4:1).

I accepted an offer so I never had a chance to interview with Bellevue, Lenox Hill, Lenox Hill Healthplex, St Luke's, Roosevelt, and Cornell. Ratios are roughly 8-12 patients per nurse. The hospitals I missed on the long list above I didn't strongly consider after researching them or d/t location (Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Harlem).

As far as pay, my lowest (with NOC shift differentials) was 82,000; my highest was 89,000. The NY state hospitals pay less than this but have a pension. Your offers will be a little less since I have a year up on you. My NYC budget looks like this:

Gross Salary 89000 = 7167/month (34% Taxes)

401k (3%)= 2670= 222/month

Insurance/Benefits= 1500= 125/month

-------------------

Net Pay= 54570= 4547/month

Rent= 25200= 2100/month (split a one-bedroom with my gf on the UWS for $3500)

Roth IRA= 5400= 450/month

Utilities/Cable/Cell= 2400= 200/month

Subway Pass= 1440= 120/month

Groceries= 4800= 400/month

Gym= 720=60/month

â€”â€”â€”â€”â€”â€”â€”

Extra= 14910=1242/month=287/week (Eating Out, Movies/Shows, Vacation)

I wanted to start off with a travel assignment & went through the whole process talking to recruiters, BUT the offers flat-out sucked. I would make the same as staff nurses (even after considering housing stipends), have to deal with all the tax BS, get no orientation, sign a contract that restricted my permanent job offers, and get stuck at a miserable hospital like Metropolitan. FYI, you're stuck with AmericanMobile, CrossCountry, or Fastaff (Montefiore) who have exclusive contracts with the NYC hospitals.

As far as getting interviews, you're at the mercy of the online application process. Fortunately, when you apply to a hospital network you can submit a few applications at once. There are a couple 'experienced RN interview days' if you want to look into it. Turn around on phone calls was roughly 3-4 weeks for me. Hospitals tend to do the most hiring 1st quarter (Jan-Mar) and in September after management gets back from summer/Labor Day vacations.

Questions? Hope I helped.

01103130 · Jul 1, 2015

Thank you . This information is very helpful as I'll be moving to NY next month. I do have NYS license but for someone from overseas, I think that can be a bit daunting, but yeah, everyone started as not know what to do ..

kingofthekicks20 · Jul 1, 2015

Glad I could help. Many of my comments are tailored to ERs here in New York City. Although I wasn't impressed with Cornell or Columbia's Emergency Department, I have heard good things about the medical centers as a whole (ie the inpatient side may be more tolerable).

Added note: trauma in NYC ERs have different rules than other states. When practicing at a Level II in Denver, we would see a ton of MVCs, traumatic falls, etc (everything but GSW, stabs, and TBIs). In NYC, you either are a trauma hospital or you're not. My hospital is not trauma, therefore we get zero MVCs. Trauma hospitals in/near Manhattan include Cornell, Bellevue, St Luke's, Harlem, Lincoln, St Barnabas, NY Hosp of Queens, Kings County, Lutheran, Brookdale. I personally wouldn't consider anything but the first three because many of them are HHC New York state hospitals and I can imagine the horror stories r/t patient ratios, unions, and socioeconomic issues.

Undone · Aug 17, 2015

Bellevue, I believe, is HHC. NYhospital Queens is a terrific hospital, not HHC, now called NY Presbyterian Queens.

DoGoodThenGo · Aug 18, 2015

Glad I could help. Many of my comments are tailored to ERs here in New York City. Although I wasn't impressed with Cornell or Columbia's Emergency Department, I have heard good things about the medical centers as a whole (ie the inpatient side may be more tolerable).
Added note: trauma in NYC ERs have different rules than other states. When practicing at a Level II in Denver, we would see a ton of MVCs, traumatic falls, etc (everything but GSW, stabs, and TBIs). In NYC, you either are a trauma hospital or you're not. My hospital is not trauma, therefore we get zero MVCs. Trauma hospitals in/near Manhattan include Cornell, Bellevue, St Luke's, Harlem, Lincoln, St Barnabas, NY Hosp of Queens, Kings County, Lutheran, Brookdale. I personally wouldn't consider anything but the first three because many of them are HHC New York state hospitals and I can imagine the horror stories r/t patient ratios, unions, and socioeconomic issues.

Health and Hospital Corporation is New York City, not state.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Health_and_Hospitals_Corporation

While it may not be everyone's cup of tea for long term career plans both for medicine and nursing far as emergency, critical care and a few other specialties many choose to start out or spend time at a HHC facility. Quite simply you will likely see more in one year at a say Lincoln Hospital's ER than five or more somewhere else.

Socio-economic issues? Well yes, you are seeing a populace often ranging between destitute to working poor going up to the lower middle classes. These range from immigrants (legal or otherwise), Medicare, Medicaid, persons who cannot or do not have insurance of any sort. They will often present with a host of co-morbidities and social problems that require an army of professionals to address. How many times do you have to see Mr. X who is diabetic but refuses to give up boozing and shows up at the ER like clock work after being found passed out on the street?

DoGoodThenGo · Aug 18, 2015

Bellevue, I believe, is HHC. NYhospital Queens is a terrific hospital, not HHC, now called NY Presbyterian Queens.

IIRC with the closing of Saint Vincent's, Bellevue is the only trauma care ER of any sort below 14th Street.

Undone · Aug 18, 2015

Can you believe I had to look up IIRC...ha.

It's on 26th - 28th st.

That is an HHC that a lot of people would like to get into.