I was on MSN today and there was an article about jobs for $30+ an hour. I read it to see what was there and RN's were listed as making $34/hour.
I have not seen anywhere near that for RN's except if you live in Boston, San Diego, New York City etc.
They also included airplane mechanics making $30+/hour. My husband is/was one and he looked for employment for 6 months all over the US after being laid off when the economy tanked and the best he could find was $17/hour. Not sure where they are getting these numbers?!?
Sometimes these media assessments are including the value added by a benefits package. As some workplaces are offering fewer, or no, benefits, I think this is a reasonable reminder to count the value of the benefits in the avg salary. However, they ought to mention when they have done so for clarity.
Specializes in Infectious Disease, Neuro, Research.
As with any publication: evaluate the source.
The modern economy is "fluid", the value of the dollar (and basically all other currencies) is entirely relative. As long as people have confidence that greenbacks are acceptable to exchange for goods and services, the economy rolls along. The Great Depression occurred (largely) because people quite buying and selling, and reverted to localized barter economies (i.e., 20% of the people had minimal resources, so they reverted to barter amongst themselves; the middle class was afraid to use their resources, and so were dragged into the same system. Those in the upper class, with significant secured resources (paid-for land, gold/silver, no investments bought on margin) noticed very little standard of living change. In fact, some came out ahead, being able to buy properties and commodities at below-cost levels. That's pretty simplistic, but reasonably true.
Soooo...all that to say, the Gubmint mouthpieces have a vested interest in keeping people shopping, refinancing, and so forth.
Some of those jobs are out there, but few and far between. Its a pep-talk.
The simple fact that silver has gone up in value something like 275% in the past 3 years is indisputable evidence that "the economy" isn't all that, as it were.
In NYC when I started there 4 years ago my annual salary was 71K on day shift, don't remember the hourly though. As per diem on nights I made $60/hr but no paid time off or benefits. Now as staff I am at 43/hr with night differential but not even including the added money for charge RN, preceptor, certifications, etc, which all add to our salary. So yea, those numbers they mentioned seem like a national average and not just one state or region.
It depends where you live. I'm a new grad and that's my base rate. 4 dollars more for nights (which is what I'm working) and 1 dollar more for weekends. It seems like a lot of money but I live in Los Angeles and everything is so expensive here.....
I have been a nurse for 7 years and I make 34Hr base pay, no matter how long you been in nursing. plus shift differential 3 for nights then another 2.50 for weekend shifts. I live in maryland and work in DC.
They were probably listing the median wage which would be grossly inaccurate for many areas. Here where I'm at in the Pacific NW $34 is accurate. A new grad would make roughly $32/hr without differentials in the metro areas.
I think they usually base these numbers on relatively large cities. I have lived in rural areas in Cali and RN's start at about $27/hr. In a bigger city, $34 is not far off at all, a new RN I know was started as a new grad working nights in a big hospital on tele unit making $33/hr plus $3 night differential.
linearthinker, DNP, RN
1,688 Posts
Sometimes these media assessments are including the value added by a benefits package. As some workplaces are offering fewer, or no, benefits, I think this is a reasonable reminder to count the value of the benefits in the avg salary. However, they ought to mention when they have done so for clarity.