Average hourly pay for per diem agency RN?

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Hi,

I jst recently became a per diem agency RN in LA. I have a BSN, work tele/ms, and have two years experience in a acute care teaching hospital. I know we really don't discuss numbers here, but I can't help feeling like I'm being ripped off. I won't mention the agency I'm with but I will say that I am making $36/hour + time and a half for every 4 hours I work over 8 hours during a 12 hour shift. I typically work 3-12's/wk. I don't have benefits or any other incentives. I love working for my agency, but feel that I should be making a bit more. It would be great if you guys could disclose some known rates/hr!

Thanks,

Victoria

AtlantaRN said:
I just spoke with an agency that wants to do a contract in Atlanta. They say they pay $25-$30/h med/surg with a housing stipen of $1500/month additional.

Is that the going rate in Atlanta? The hospital is 70 miles from my home.

THanks! I don't have any experience in the agency realm.

Anything else I should know? thanks!

linda

I have heard, the south pays less then the coast (east and west). I am unfamiliar with the area, specifically. In general the rate sounds a little low. Hopefully we will hear from someone directly working in Atlanta. There is a Georgia Nurses Forum, here on AllNurses, that might give some info on rates of pay or you could post a query there also (please do not duplicate this post but post another question on that Forum). Ask about rates of pay and Agency or Travelers rates of pay.

Georgia Nurses Forum

Oh and it is not considered per diem if they are paying you a housing allowance. It sounds more like a Travelers Contract with a blended rate. Do you have a set time frame?

I hope that helps.

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Specializes in LTC, Rehab.

:offtopic: :smackingf this may be a bit off the subject but we as nurses need to wake up and smell the coffee,this is 2007 not the age of Florence Nightingale. You are no less professional than the corporate world who talk about the millions they make every week on wallstreet. WE should get credit alone for chosin and stickin with this profession with all the grusome things we have to encounter everyday and still find satisfaction from it.SO TALK ABOUT THE PAY AS MUCH AS YOU WANT, WE DESERVE TO. We do one of the most dirtiest jobs and only do it because of our character to love the patient and help make people well. WE are noble People and we deserve to feel good and appreciated, not only by the fulfillment of making our patients feel better but we deserve a reward for our efforts, dont ever forget NOt JUST anyone can do what we do. If i couild Lobby for Nurses to get a 5$ increase I would. By the way postal worker here who work in the office get paid 25/hr with no degree required..I'm hatin:angryfire :smiley_ab

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Specializes in ICU's,TELE,MED- SURG.
CowsRGreat said:
Hi,

I jst recently became a per diem agency RN in LA. I have a BSN, work tele/ms, and have two years experience in a acute care teaching hospital. I know we really don't discuss numbers here, but I can't help feeling like I'm being ripped off. I won't mention the agency I'm with but I will say that I am making $36/hour + time and a half for every 4 hours I work over 8 hours during a 12 hour shift. I typically work 3-12's/wk. I don't have benefits or any other incentives. I love working for my agency, but feel that I should be making a bit more. It would be great if you guys could disclose some known rates/hr!

Thanks,

Victoria

I make $40.50/hr. in Fort Lauderdale,Fl. as local agency. I am also a licensed RN in Calif. and with All About Staffing I was making around that $50/hr. mark. Trust me, you're being severely underpaid IMHO.

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For the person asking about atlanta, agency PRN is 36/hr at nursefinders. Not sure about OT.

If it is 36 in atlanta, I can only imagine that 36 in LA is a total rip-off. Cost of living is too high there to survive on 36/hr.

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I work IN AZ as agency/registry and pay varies 40-50/hr. But the need for registry staff has slowed up signifigantly this winter. Unusual for AZ. Was wondering about registry pay and names of registries in Southern CA, Bay Area CA, Dallas TX, Portland OR, or any from the compact states. Thanks:)

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I am looking for my first RN job. Is it possible for me to work for an agency? I am asking because wouldn't I need orientation? When working for an agency is it by the day, week or month? Is working for an agency the same thing as working per diem?

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Hello, I am looking for information on anyone doing contracts in Alaska. I am considering taking an assignment I wouldn't mind knowing the ball park pay before discussing that point.

Thank you for your help.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

does anybody know what is the going rate of agency nurses in NJ & NYC? Fulltime or per diem.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
deb123 said:
I am looking for my first RN job. Is it possible for me to work for an agency? I am asking because wouldn't I need orientation? When working for an agency is it by the day, week or month? Is working for an agency the same thing as working per diem?

*** I would say no. I am not an agency nurse but the hospital where I work does use agency nurses. We staff nurses pretty much expect agency nurses to know their stuff and only require orientation to where we keep things, our policies, and our documentation system. We do not expect to have to teach agency nurses to do basic or even advanced nursing skills.

Thats the trade off. Staff get paid less but can expect the hospital to invest in their skills and education. Agency gets paid more but shouldnt expect the hospital to invest a lot in their education. At least thats the way I see it.

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Specializes in Nurses who are mentally sicked.

It depends on which agency you are working for...and which facility the agency send you to work...it also depends on the type of facility.

For example, if you are working for 10 different agencies, and two of them might call you about the same time and try to send you to the same place, Agency A might offer you $38/hr; however, Agency B might offer you $45/hr....it depends on how they signed the contract with the facility.

In New York, the agency offer you less if you are working in a nursing home....you will get more if the agency send you to the hospital. $500 for a 12.5 hours shift in a "specific hospital."

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Sorry to say it, but you got hosed. $36 an hour for per diem in LA is a rip-off! You can easily get much more than that.

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Nightngale said:
Hopefully we will hear from someone directly working in Atlanta.

I'm not in Atlanta, but chat regularly with a good friend who lives there and she tells me she's making in the low $30s per hour for per diem. I'm currently doing per diem work in different hospitals between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, and I'm making $41 (which was a shock to me when I first heard it). BUT, let me be quick to say it depends on which agency you are working with. I know there are some of them out there offering MUCH less for per diem work in the same hospitals if you don't know better and are willing to take it.

Nursing pay is bad all over the south, but especially if you are working staff. You can 'clean up' quite well down here in FL now though because its the busy season and the hospitals are busting at the seams.

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