Am I getting paid appropriately?

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Specializes in ER.

I am getting kind of frustrated because it seems like every assignment I go on I find other travelers from different companies on my same assignment that are getting paid a lot more than I am. Mind you, this is only my second assignment.

I ended up switching companies and ended up looking at the West Coast with American mobile. I was trying to work with different companies and it seems like American mobile was going to give me more than travel nurse across America (who I was with originally) But maybe I wasn't negotiating the right way? Because somehow I am ending up with less than I thought. I have several questions.

First at of all, is a verbal contract legally binding? If it is then I guess I am stuck.

And second, can anyone tell me if this sounds like a sufficient/best/appropriate pay for ER nurse at Kaiser in Downey CA?

36 hours/week 13 week assignment

reg: $28/hr (first 8 hours)

$42/hr (last 4 hrs)

conposite= $32.67/hr

per diem $35/day untaxed

take home= 997/week. Housing included.

Now if if I took the housing stipend, I would end up with $1600/week.

Of of everything ive seen advertised, this seems astonishingly low. I should've checked out other agencies and had them quote me their rates before agreeing to this assignment. Darn it. What was I thinking. Now I am wondering if I am out of luck and too late?

I didnt sign sign anything written, but I've heard that agencies try to trick you by agreeing to a "verbal contract" that way they can tell the hospital you're in, but if you back out before signing the written one, that hospital won't want you anymore as a traveler.

Is this true? Am I stuck with this contract because I verified a verbal agreement?

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Hmm..It's hard for me to say specifically with CA pay because my sepciality isn't ER and I haven't been to CA yet. At first glance though it looks ok. I have worked with TNAA in the past and they treated me well and their pay was competitive, with that said, I did end up switching companies after a few assignments and ended up going with a smaller more personable company which I love. What I do want to point out is that I took an assignment with TNAA up in WA state but it was through AMN. AMN is such a large network that they hire smaller agencies to help fill their needs but this comes as a pay cut to the middle man, like TNAA. So there may very well be a difference in pay but they may not be trying to get over on you if that makes sense. Hope my input was helpful in some way! :)

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Pay is less in Southern California than in the north or the Central Valley. Seems roughly in line. If you shop around, you may do better and you should (next time) check out options before you get hardballed into verbally accepting. Having done so, you probably should keep your word. AM will blackball you if you don't.

Your key phrases here are: (to the interviewing manager), "I'm very interested, just need to check with my agency to see if the details are acceptable"; and to your agency, "I'm very interested and will take the assignment pending review of the contract."

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Specializes in BMT.

$1600 take home for so cal is very good pay. Shoot... Maybe I need to get back to traveling!

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Specializes in ER.

Mind you I pay my rent back home still and will have to find rent in LA as well. Making 3200 bi weekly. So that's why it doesn't sound like enough to me. Isn't LA expensive??!

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Specializes in ER.

Thank you, nedrn. Does "pending review of the contract" just mean/let them know I'm not accepting officially until I review the written contract?

Also, would I still be able to ask my recruiter for more money at this point?

Thanks for for all your input!

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Yes, and yes. Your power to negotiate at this point goes way up but you shouldn't abuse it. Ideally you would have already negotiated acceptable compensation before getting this far. You can only negotiate if you have a plan B and know from other agencies what your fair market value is in that location.

Negotiating how how you compensation is divided up while keeping the same total compensation is always fair game at any point. For example, lowering your taxable hourly and raising your non taxable stipends will increase your net pay at no cost to the agency. Easy! PanTravelers calculator makes juggling compensation components a bit easier.

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Mind you I pay my rent back home still and will have to find rent in LA as well. Making 3200 bi weekly. So that's why it doesn't sound like enough to me. Isn't LA expensive??!

Without paying rent, you are not eligible for special tax consideration at all, all your housing, per diems, and travel should be taxed as ordinary income.

Money should not be the first reason you travel (with allowances for underpaid nurses in the South). So if you believe the money is marginal and don't want to travel for the adventure or professional development, forget about it now!

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First, leave American Mobile now. I won't get into all the reasons why because well you already know most of them. Second, AMN can't do anything about backing our of a "verbal contract". Nor will they burn you in the future. I know from personal experience because I did that once w/them. Well they are still calling and e-mailing me every week trying to get me to work for them. Lastly sign on w/ a honest company. Look into FlexCare. Don't know about any crisis rates for ER, but they sent me an offer for ICU in LA County for $1500/wk stipend + $32/hr. The money is out there for So.Cal, but you have to stop working for AMN immediately. And you need to find your own housing if you want to maximize your earning potential. good luck!

Thank you, nedrn. Does "pending review of the contract" just mean/let them know I'm not accepting officially until I review the written contract?

Also, would I still be able to ask my recruiter for more money at this point?

Thanks for for all your input!

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Specializes in Emergency, Med/Surg.

If you want to work any overtime, I HIGHLY suggest you steer clear of AMN. Their "My Time Bonus" is absurd and they will not budge on a their ridiculously low OT rate.

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Specializes in ICU.

Hate to say this to you but I just took an ICU position at Downey and got a significantly better rate

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Specializes in ICU, and IR.

I would try negotiating with them now BEFORE you sign a contract. Get your own housing you are losing money there. Is there a completion bonus?

$997/week is about what I make here in Nashville (the south) CA should be higher than that but I don't know for sure. What is the GSA for that area?

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