Beginning RN Salary in Louisiana

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Hi everyone,

I am just starting clinicals this fall at LSUE, and I know I am kinda jumping the gun here :rolleyes:, but I was just curious as to how much new RN's actually make just starting out around the Lafayette or Baton Rouge areas.

I know that you can look up salaries at www.salaries.com, but that would be averages for all RN's in the area. Not beginners like I hope to be some day.

I am thinking around $40,000/yr, or $18-$20/hr. If any of you new nurses can let me know, I would appreciate it!

THANKS,

Penny

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I'm not a nurse yet, nor am I a Louisianan (??) yet, but I can hopefully answer your question. I will graduate in May 2005, and I am moving to Church Point, LA the week after graduation. I have spoken to nurse recruiters at Lafayette General in Lafayette and Southwest Medical Center in Lafayette and this is the information I was given:

Lafayette General

Pay: $16.09/hr, $4 evenings, $5 nights; weekend program available after 1 year experience where you work 12 hours each Sat. and Sun. and are paid for 36 hours/week

Internship for 12 weeks, all areas of hospital are available, all service lines except transplant

NCLEX/Skills classes each Friday for 6 weeks; Paid NCLEX review off-site

Loan repayment of up to $12,000. (Send documentation of loan amount and monthly payment info and monthly payment amount will be added to your paycheck).

Clinical Ladder program offers bonuses of $1500, $3000, or $4500 annually depending on place on clinical ladder.

No contract to sign

Apply at the beginning of your final semester

Southwest Medical Center

Pay: $16/hr, $4 nights, $1.25 weekends

Preceptorship lasting at least 6 weeks, available in all areas except rehab

No loan repayment available

Apply a couple of months before graduation (around spring break is fine)

Hope this helps, and good luck in your schooling! My sister-in-law is working on her teaching degree at LSUE right now, I hear it's a good school.

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Specializes in Peds ER.

$16/HR? Ouch that's low...

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Thanks for all the info ShyViolet!

$16/HR? Ouch that's low...
$16 may sound low, but Louisiana's cost-of-living is relatively low when compared with other areas, such as Florida, East & West Coast, New York, Hawaii, etc.

You really have to look at the big picture when comparing salaries.

Also, $16 is base pay, there is always additions, extra for certifications, evenings, nights, and probably an increase after orientation, when you go on shift. Remember this pay is for NEW nurses right out of school. I'm sure within a year or so, it would be more. It sounds pretty good to me!

I have been asking around, however most of the nurses I know have been out of school for a couple of years. One said she only works nights and its around $24/hour, she's been a nurse in Baton Rouge for 2 years. Another one said that she only does prn work with no benefits (to get max pay) and she only works nights and weekends and she makes $24-$26/hour. Of course these are two cases with experience that take the nights and weekends for the extra money. I have not run into any that work straight days yet. I'm sure it would be alot less money for straight days.

Thanks for the info,

Good Luck!

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$16 may sound low, but Louisiana's cost-of-living is relatively low when compared with other areas, such as Florida, East & West Coast, New York, Hawaii, etc.

Yes, the cost-of-living is extremely low, if you don't live in "the city", such as Lafayette. Our house will be about a 20-30 minute drive to Lafayette, and the rent is unbelievably cheap. I live in the suburbs of Dallas, TX and pay over $700 for rent on a 2bdrm, 1bath apartment. Our rent on the house in Louisiana will be $225, 3bdrm, 1bath on an acre and a half of land!! New grads in this area are starting at around $18.50/hr, which is only $2.50 more than the Louisiana pay. So we figure we'll come out with more money after bills, rent, etc. living in LA than if we stay here in our neighborhood, where a small, 30 year old house costs $200,000!

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Specializes in Peds ER.

Louisiananurse~ I'm born and raised in Louisiana and I know what the cost of living is, either way you look at it, $16 is low.

As for $225 a month for a 3 bedroom, that is AWESOME. I pay 4 times that in New Orleans for the same size.

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As for $225 a month for a 3 bedroom, that is AWESOME. I pay 4 times that in New Orleans for the same size.

You're right on that. The reason the rent is so low is because it's in country. I don't mind a commute, though. I live in the city now, and it still takes me 45 minutes to drive to work. If I lived inside Lafayette, or even as close as Duson or Scott, my rent would probably be 2-3 times as high, if not more. I'm sure NO has a higher cost of living than even Lafayette. Is the pay much higher in NO?

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Specializes in Peds ER.

Lowest starting pay I've heard is $21/hr, days though. Most starts that I've heard from recent graduates are between $21 and $25, differentials are pretty good though. If you can do PRN that's even better.

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Lowest starting pay I've heard is $21/hr, days though. Most starts that I've heard from recent graduates are between $21 and $25, differentials are pretty good though. If you can do PRN that's even better.
$21 BASE Pay for DAYS for fresh out of school RNs!?! Wow!! I can't wait to graduate! That has got to be in the larger cities if you are quoting Louisiana pay! (Such as maybe New Orleans.)
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Specializes in Peds ER.

That is New Orleans and surrounding area hospitals, and here I was thinking that $21 was kind of low too. hehe I think I've been in school too long.

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I have been looking around and i have found in NO about 19.50/hr

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16$/h is low.. also, when shopping for the jobs, check for sign on bonuses, as alot of hospitals in LA are offering this. Also, check for school repayments on loans, and read all the fine print on the contracts! A hospital app 20 min outside of NO was offering a 10K sign on, and all payments of school loans for a 2 year contract..... ALSO, don't rule out other facilities like rehab units, LTACs, and specialized clinics, (like endoscopy or chemo), as they offer a higher hourly rates. (If the $ is what you are looking for at first). AND last, but not least, different areas of hospitals offer different rates also. For example Med/Surg at my hospital offers the lowest rates with the highest patient ratios, and the telemetry floor is 2$/h more. ICU, stepdown units, L&D,more specialized areas, pay more.

Oh...and I was born and raised in New Orleans too, and all of my family live outside of Lafayette, and 225$/month is probably not what you are thinking.....!!!:)

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