Any bedside nurses making over 100K ?

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Hi all,

I would like to know if there are any nurses who make at or over 100k per year just working as an RN - not CRNA, Advanced Practice etc., just bedside nursing... and how do you do it, overtime, premium pay etc. or any other combination that works for you and where are you located? I know east and west coasters tend to make more. I'm asking because I want to increase my income so that I can knock out some student loans before going back to school and piling more on. Thanks for any and all replies.

Specializes in MSc in Anesthetics.
Thing is, a direct comparison of salary, country to country isn't always accurate. In the US you will pay more of your healthcare. At a really sick point in my life I was paying $200 per month for my portion of my healthcare out of my paycheck PLUS $400-$500 per month in copays for medications and outpatient treatment. I had really rich good coverage too. The NY Times did a story a few months ago. They compared two women with nearly identical profiles who developed serious health problems. One in Canada and one in the US. Canada has a better social safety net. The Canadian woman said she was grateful that she just had to worry about getting better and not too much about finances and survival. The US woman struggled terribly (financially) compared to the Canadian woman. Maybe you'll never need this sort of care? Maybe yes maybe no.

I look at my relatives in Canada and the UK. They moan that they make less and pay a bit more in taxes. At the same time, they have better government pensions for retirement. They have better workplace protections. They have more security jobwise and financially. I'll probably move to Toronto from the US in a few years. I'll receive less in my paycheck, but overall but in the end I believe I'll be better off considering retirement and healthcare (among other things).

Anyway, I think it is a trade-off. Just my :twocents:

you may pay for health insurance, however we pay higher tax and alot of national insurance to compensate for are national health service that is crumbling around is. out of my monthly wage i get taxed approx 20% plus natinal insurance is also taken out. i loss around 600-800 pounds per month ( in $ that is 1300)

on another note we do not have security in our jobs as they are cutting nurses left right and centre to save money which puts patient care then in grave danger. our pension scheme has also ran into major difficulties and it turns out that the money everyone thought they where putting away the government has used it for other things because the nhs is in so much debt therefore people may not even get there pension after all.

your right you can not compare other countries as they each have there faults. maybe the saying is true that the grass appears greener on the other side when indeed it is'nt.

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Specializes in med-surg.
you may pay for health insurance, however we pay higher tax and alot of national insurance to compensate for are national health service that is crumbling around is. out of my monthly wage i get taxed approx 20% plus natinal insurance is also taken out. i loss around 600-800 pounds per month ( in $ that is 1300)

on another note we do not have security in our jobs as they are cutting nurses left right and centre to save money which puts patient care then in grave danger. our pension scheme has also ran into major difficulties and it turns out that the money everyone thought they where putting away the government has used it for other things because the nhs is in so much debt therefore people may not even get there pension after all.

your right you can not compare other countries as they each have there faults. maybe the saying is true that the grass appears greener on the other side when indeed it is'nt.

The pension part kinda reminds me of our social security system; the gov't robs this fund daily (reminds me of robbing Peter to pay Paul); I wish I had an answer to our problems......

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Specializes in Critical Care/ICU.

$105,892.80 (not counting overtime, includes 3-11 differential of 10%)

I am barely half-way through this hospital's pay ladder and I'm not counting increases for longevity.

Add in benefits if one were to work per diem and this is pretty good money no matter where you live.

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From a managerial point, when staffing gets really short the nurses have more bargaining power than they think. Where I worked would offer premium pay for anyone who stays or picks up an extra shift....the SMART ones will turn it down, wait for the crunch when nobody else picks up the shift, and say, "double premium? I'll do it for that." Double premium pay plus time and a half is a lot of money depending on where you work. Most hospitals have similar programs. Ladies, if you want to increase the bucks, decrease your niceness. Let 'em sit and wait until it gets tight and up the ante. I was a manager (not director) and have seen a lot of crap that nurses have no idea about. You are manipulated as much as possible folks, and that includes not having adequate staffing (you've heard me say before, I don't believe companies are "short staffed" - they are short staffing. We were told to never say that word, when nurses asked they were told we were, "a little thin today because of call offs". BS. Meanwhile the patients have no idea how scarey it is on the other side of the door. Want really good staffing? Put some executive's mom / dad on your floor - they practically one to one 'em !!! Funny how those nurses can show up just when you need 'em isn't it? Couldn't find one before the CEO's family came on the unit.....

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Specializes in med-surg.

not really surprised to hear ANY of this, pyrolady, and SOOO true, especially concerning the CEO's family member........thanks for speaking up (hope you're well-cloaked)

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Nursing.

It doesn't pay to work more than 9, unless, you're Uncle Sam.

I'm a staff, bedside nurse.

~faith,

Timothy.

One great way to shelter your income from Uncle Sam is to buy investment real estate (apartment buildings, or condos for those looking for less management intensive property). You buy a few multifamily buildings and you would be absolutely SHOCKED at how many tax advantages you would reap and lower your effective income after you take into account write offs. With the high hourly rates I've seen in this thread it would not take long to save up for a down payment....buy enough buildings by funneling that high income into them and you're looking at a retirement that comes decades before those that didn't choose to buy those buildings.

Any nurses here own any apartment buildings? Just curious.

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Nursing.

Any nurses here make $100K/yr working as a Psychiatric Nurse? Hospital or agency psych work?

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Almost makes me want to fly down to San Francisco from Seattle just to work the weekend shift. Someone could leave Friday and come home Monday. Has anyone ever considered it?

I currently work for an airline. if I SOMEHOW figured out a way to keep my travel benefits while doing my Accelerated BSN or MSN, It might work....

I live in Oakland, CA and my rent is $125/mth--I rent the bedroom of my 1 bedroom apartment to a guy who is never there and made a"suite" out of the dining room and second bath. I'd be a billionaria in no time...

Maybe I SHOULD stay in the Bay Area... :lol2:

Actually, since I am without child, I plan to do CRAZY overtime to save up to buy SOMETHING in the area one day. In the meantime, it's status quo!

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Specializes in ICU, oncology, orthopedics, med/surge.

What a great topic. I'm starting school in Spring and wondered what kind of pay to expect after school. Sounds like 3 figures is doable if you pick the right place to work at, and if you have plenty of stamina to put in simultaneous 12 hrs shifts. What about areas of nursing i.e ICU, ER, HC ect..? Which pays more?

I'll be 46 by the time I finish my BSN and hope to get my MSN by 50. Just curious, how many here started nursing after 35?

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I'm 36 and haven't even started yet. My "eggs" are on the back burner right now, so to speak. I just hope they're not "well-done" by the time I get to use them. This is part of the reason I seek an accelerated degree at 37 years of age. I plan to work like a dog to build a nest egg so that I can have kids before going back to school.

There's always adoption, i guess. :idea:

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From a managerial point, when staffing gets really short the nurses have more bargaining power than they think. Where I worked would offer premium pay for anyone who stays or picks up an extra shift....the SMART ones will turn it down, wait for the crunch when nobody else picks up the shift, and say, "double premium? I'll do it for that." Double premium pay plus time and a half is a lot of money depending on where you work. Most hospitals have similar programs. Ladies, if you want to increase the bucks, decrease your niceness. Let 'em sit and wait until it gets tight and up the ante. I was a manager (not director) and have seen a lot of crap that nurses have no idea about. You are manipulated as much as possible folks, and that includes not having adequate staffing (you've heard me say before, I don't believe companies are "short staffed" - they are short staffing. We were told to never say that word, when nurses asked they were told we were, "a little thin today because of call offs". BS. Meanwhile the patients have no idea how scarey it is on the other side of the door. Want really good staffing? Put some executive's mom / dad on your floor - they practically one to one 'em !!! Funny how those nurses can show up just when you need 'em isn't it? Couldn't find one before the CEO's family came on the unit.....

*sniff, sniff* you are my IDOL! :lol2:

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BUMP

I am also interested in what kind of rate a RN gets when he/she does not need insurance coverage?

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