I would vote for the Indianapolis area. I know several RN's who earned over $24.00 per hour right out of school (ADN program). Furthermore, the cost of living in Indiana is very reasonable. You can buy a nice house for about 120K, or rent a decent two bedroom apartment for around $600 to $700 a month. Now it's true that maybe in Chicago you might be able to start at $28.00 or so per hour, but housing is MUCH more expensive (250K minimum for the same house that would be 120K here, and the same probably applies to apartments). My point is that for good pay relative to low cost of living you CAN'T beat the heartland cities like Cinncinatti, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Nashville, Salt Lake City, and others are tops. I suspect that those on the coasts really lose out big time. Sure they might earn a BIT more, but the costs of living are exponentially higher.
Also, while we are on the subject, wouldn't it be neat if websites like Salary.com would provide a "job availability quotient" to give you an idea how easy jobs are to get in various fields, and various locales. Thus, a fairly "in demand" job like nursing or pharmacy might get a job availibility quotient of say eight or nine. While a job that might appear high paying such as museum curator might receive a low number like two or three. It would be useful information in helping people not only to choose career paths, but also AREAS of the nation where they might live and further their careers.
Congrats to you for staying in the profession as long as you have! I mean that! I'm not sure I will still be in the nursing field in 6 more years! It is frustrating I agree .
Honestly, I really can't complain about my salary in relation to my cost of living here in Philly. Of course I wish I made more money, but don't we all? The truth is, I make more money then many of my friends, all college grads (except for my engineer friends who make MUCH more then me). I'm just a new grad though, so we'll see if I'll be happy with my salary in fifteen years!!
I started in 1982 also, I think I made a little over $9
As mentioned form someone else, I stay in my job because I love nursing. I believe(as corny as it sounds) I was "called" to this profession. But I would like to have comparable pay. Hell, we work very hard for our 8-10-12 hours a day. Very strenuous, back breaking work. We are always thinking and can be quite stressed. If we make a mistake, someone can get harmed or even die. It's not like at a job when you can just be told to "do it over". Nurses need to be on the job 24/7 I give credit for the nurses who remain working IN THE HOSPITAL setting. To me...these should be the ones that get paid the MOST! Not the ones in an office on the phone with insurance companies(just an example). These jobs often offer, more pay and weekends/holidays off...AND PEOPLE WONDER WHY THERE IS A NURSING SHORTAGE? WTF?
Hospital nurses should be the HIGHEST paid nurses. Why do you think the others leave the hospital? It is very hard work...CONPENSATE THEM...GIVE THEM COMBAT PAY!
Sigh. the ongoing debate. It never ceases to amaze me the newer nurses think we should all thank our lucky stars cuz we make "such a good living" and have it better than most. I guess i may be slightly jaded, but i don't see it that way.
yes other college graduates get laid off more, make less overall, etc..etc...but they get the weekends/holidays off (in general of course), they get the big packages of benefits, etc..etc...i'm not saying they have it WORSE or BETTER than we do, i'm saying they made a choice just as nurses have.
We all have student loans like they do. We all have to pay them back. But in a city like Chicago, Philly, NY or wherever, how is it justified b y paying a few more bucks an hour that's "good pay". Its not. Cost of living in places like that is much higher, the commutes are longer, there are tolls to pay to GET to work, and public transit isn't always an option. However that said, i feel that nursing IS more than the pay, but the pay is #1. Then you have benefits, working conditions, hours, etc..etc...and the list goes on. For WHAT WE GET overall as a nurse, the pay is NOT enough. Not for what we give back. Believe me when i say after some of the newer nurses have been battling this age old wars for longer than a few years, they will feel the same way.
Nursing is my "calling" as well. But i have to have GOOD health insurance for my family, and put food on the table for my kids. I have to find adequate child care that will accomodate a nurses crazy working hours which SO far has been fruitless. So what's the answer? i don't know. But its not a big surprise to me that this question still lingers in everyone's mind and noone has come up with a plausible solution. Very frustrating.
Here in St.Louis the pay really stinks for RN's and the cost of living is high. My friend who just graduated in Dec. 03, got a starting salary of 15.00 hr. With all that you have to pay to live here the starting salary should be 20.00 hr. Rent is high here and the price of homes is extremly high. MO. is one of the lowest paying states that I have seen for nurses. Something really needs to be done to increase the salary of veteran RN's. Salary I think is one of the contributing factors to the nursing shortage.
I agree I work in St Louis too. But I have to say you need to tell your friend to look elsewhere because starting RN hospital pay is around $20 at most of the area hospitals. I get frustrated though when I see how much administrators and the IT folks make when I am busting my butt for 12 hours, getting exposed to who knows what illness, being verbally berated by unfriendly patients and family members, all the while trying not to make a mistake that might kill someone.
I know there are pockets throughout the country (especially the rural south) where RN pay is abissmal. I actually grew up in one of the worst paying states, Oklahoma, even though I haven't lived there in over ten years. Nevertheless, I have never failed to make a good salary as nurse. In fact, I have usually been payed more than most of my peer group. Also, my salary has increased with my experience. When I first graduated, I made around $20.00 per hour living in Downtown Dallas. Looking back, it wasn't very much money, but, after having lived on bologna sandwiches for the previous four years, I thought I was rolling in it! Ten years later, I make closer to $40.00 per hour, and I still live comfortably in a large metropolitan area.
I also know that the benefits in nursing are better than most. I still get more vacation time than most people my age, my 401K is matched at 100%, I have good medical and dental coverage, etc. Some people feel that they have to work all the time and be on "24/7", but I haven't experienced this. I work 36 hours per week (as do most of my friends). Most other professionals who make what I make work a lot more than that. If they call me for an extra shift that I don't want, I just say no.
Everybody's situation is different, and I would never say being a nurse is easy, in fact, somedays it is physical, intellectual, and emotional grind. Nevertheless, nursing has always provided me a good living with more options in life than most.
I started in 1982 also, I think I made a little over $9
As mentioned form someone else, I stay in my job because I love nursing. I believe(as corny as it sounds) I was "called" to this profession. But I would like to have comparable pay. Hell, we work very hard for our 8-10-12 hours a day. Very strenuous, back breaking work. We are always thinking and can be quite stressed. If we make a mistake, someone can get harmed or even die. It's not like at a job when you can just be told to "do it over". Nurses need to be on the job 24/7 I give credit for the nurses who remain working IN THE HOSPITAL setting. To me...these should be the ones that get paid the MOST! Not the ones in an office on the phone with insurance companies(just an example). These jobs often offer, more pay and weekends/holidays off...AND PEOPLE WONDER WHY THERE IS A NURSING SHORTAGE? *****
Hospital nurses should be the HIGHEST paid nurses. Why do you think the others leave the hospital? It is very hard work...CONPENSATE THEM...GIVE THEM COMBAT PAY!
OK...I am off my soap box...sorry
I'm actually kinda hurt by these words. I do hh and its just as hard. Reading this makes me feel kinda unimportant. Nurse are needed in every type of setting besides the hospital. As I wrote on another thread,in 5 years the hospital will no longer be the main employer of nurses anyway. I have never worked in the hospital setting. Also,if hospitals need nurses then why are there so many new grads who can't get hospital jobs?
Some of you may have good benefits but I don't have a 401k,no health benefits,no sick or personal or vac. I do agency private duty and have none of those "perks" of being a nurse. There are some fields of nursing that are pay poorly. What goes me is when someone would say"oh,you don't do much" as if I don't deserve decent pay and benefits because that field is less stressful. What about all nurses getting paid the same regardless of field? I don't see surgeons saying generalists should get paid less because surgeons do more.
pinkpalaceRN
8 Posts
pghfoxfan:
Congrats to you for staying in the profession as long as you have! I mean that! I'm not sure I will still be in the nursing field in 6 more years! It is frustrating
I agree .