Another Pay Question!

Wow, that's a really big payrange...

I work in greeneville and the pay here is about $13-$20 per hour depending where you go. Greene Valley is also here, its a state run facility for the developmentally disabled. It has a great salary and state benefits. The average 3 bedroom home runs from like $70,000-$100,000 dollars give or take a few thousand dollars.

I've been a CNA for 5 years, about to start nursing school. I live in Anderson Cty, just 20 miles north of Knoxville. I work in LTC. I make 11.50/hour. My mother-in-law is an LPN at another facility in Anderson Cty, works 12 hr shifts on weekends and makes 19/hr.

Hearing what other people make around here is really discouraging. 18-20/hr for RN doesn't seem like enough for all the work & education. My husband works in a sit-down office job and makes more money than that, and gets better benefits.

Makes me think "why bother with nursing"

April - do remember that is starting pay. Also, there is a lot more flexibility with nursing. Pick up a night weekend - your pay just went up $6-9/hr. Hubby has great benefits? Work per diem. Your pay just went up ANOTHER $6-9/hr. Don't have those types of options at many jobs. Granted nights may not be for you and if you work strictly straight days with bennies the pay isn't so hot. But there ARE options for more money that you may not have with other jobs. And you don't stay "entry level" forever. Get some experience and you are more marketable. There is also agency work, travel work, etc. Plus the perk of having various specialty options down the road. You can always find a good fit and not have just a one dimensional "job" which was a big reason I chose to pursue nursing.

I know it doesn't sound like big bucks. But you have to take in the low cost of living. There is a thread on the news section here at allnurses that shows a study done with COL factored in. TN was overall #32 in pay, BUT when you factor in the COL it moved all the way up to #7. I can make $20/hr in Memphis + shift diffs.. a new nurse can actually make close to $30 working nights/weekends. If you can get on a Baylor program exclusively weekend you can make 40-45/hr.

Unless you are single, the so-called low cost of living isn't going to help compensate for making $17-18/hr. Even though you *can* get a house for $70,000, it won't be much of one, and if you are the sole wage earner with a big family, you may as well go home searching at the trailer park.

And I've never seen, around here, anyway, where a nurse willing to work nights and weekends can make $30-45/hr, more like they might pay .50/hr more. That is, if you can even get into the hospitals in the hick areas where cliques rule. In my case, if I want a hospital job I will more than likely end up driving 140 miles round trip to Nashville...to make $17-18/hr.

I really want to get out of this area but I'm stuck with an old man who won't leave and who depends on me financially. I know there are worse places to live but don't fall for the low cost of living spiel as a reason to come to Tennessee. No matter what part of the country you are in, most of the time the wages for that area will equal you out in terms of cost of living.

No matter where you are you will still have bills and insurance and taxes and food and goods are taxed pretty high in my area-right at 10%-to make up for low property taxes.

Yes, I've heard about the legend of cushy shift differentials and comfortable incomes but they seem to be as elusive as the Loch Ness Monster. I've not found this anywhere.

In my area 70k can buy a decent 3br..Nashville...no.

I remember that you are in a pretty rural area MM and I know the small hospitals so not pay so well. As I mentioned in Memphis the hospitals all have a base of 20-22/hr plus 3.75-4.50 for each night/weekend differential. So a new grad can make $28-30 nights/weekends.

I opted for per diem because my husband has insurance so that I can make roughly 25% higher base. I received my first check today and was fairly pleased. I guess we have a lot of competition here. Hopefully the rise in pay here will eventually help raise it across TN.

PS...how is the baby?

I am a graduate nurse in Knoxville. I started at 17.25 and will be up to 18.65 at a year. Weekend/night diff is $3. My hospital also gives $500 annual bonuses for certification.

I know RNs straight out of school in Nashville making $30/hr + diff with full benefits (nice benefit package), but not everyone is cut out for working with MR/DD.

I have been an LPN for 16+ years now and have been working toward my BSN. Unless I were to take the aforementioned position, it isn't hardly worth (financially) making the transition from LPN to RN as I am making ~$25/hr base right now.

And I've never seen, around here, anyway, where a nurse willing to work nights and weekends can make $30-45/hr, more like they might pay .50/hr more.

It does exist. Weekender programs pay a premium on days and on nights.

im working in jackson, icu. base is 21.19 plus shift diffs. im making a bit more since they are factoring in my 16 yrs. of lpn experience. worked at the "big house" in jackson 6 yrs. pay not good. experience is good for a new grad. but turnover extremely high. we are using a lot of agency/travelers at both hospitals at the present. that seems to be way to go right now. hope this helps.

Turnover at the big house is d/t poor wages, benefits, and working conditions. Why not fix your internal problems and then you wouldn't have to have to staff your hospital with agency. Why would you want to work at the big house's rates when Memphis is a short 1 hour drive and you can make more and be treated somewhat better. I know of people that drive from Missouri and Alabama to Memphis to work.

I ended up working in Memphis but only because I could do per diem. Jackson new grad rates are extremely competitive with Memphis now. I think it's 19.40/hr 3.50 nights, 2.00 weekends. I think staffing depends on the floor. There were some floors I was on (in school) with very good staffing, long term nurses, and excellent nurse to pt ratios. Ie on days they had 4-5 pts on tele (albeit they don't use monitor techs which still perplexes me) where i work now it's very frequently 6-7 on days, a number I'd like to see go down! But we do staff very well with supplementary staff, more so thank jackson.