california nursing salaries

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Apr 26, 2005

Jonathan,

You have to keep in mind that it does not cost as much to live in most other areas of the country as it does to live in CA. From what I have been told by people who live there, the cost of housing alone is enough to drive up salaries.

Jo Dirt · Apr 26, 2005

I have a friend from California who has a house you could call a dump. It has more than tripled in value in the last few years, and was recently appraised at over $375,000.

Don't get too excited when you see salaries for nurses in California, it is barely enough to keep them afloat.

fergus51 · Apr 26, 2005

I think the regular staff rates in our hospital are about 25-38 an hour. I rent cause I can't afford to buy a nice home down here.

NurseFirst · Apr 27, 2005

I think the regular staff rates in our hospital are about 25-38 an hour. I rent cause I can't afford to buy a nice home down here.

In Spring 2003 I was told by a hospital on the Monterey Peninsula that they were hiring new grads at $30/hr.

NurseFirst

JoniL&DRN · Apr 27, 2005

Here in the California Central Valley new nurses make $27 an hour. The cost of living is higher than one would think. Our house (in a little farming town) that is 1400 square feet and over 50 years old is now valued at over $200,000. Though we didn't pay that for it, our mortgage is still about $1000 a month. That's a lot of cheddar. Being a nurse might just save me from poverty!

Nurse2B2005 · Apr 27, 2005

It's seems amazing to me to see such low salaries for nursing in certain states... If I'm not mistaken, California rates (especially in the Bay Area) are very high. Just out of curiousity, if you work in California as a nurse let us all know what you're making (try and include what part of California you're in, what type of nurse you are and how much experience you have). I think this will be interesting for everyone to see...
Jonathan
(I would put mine, but I'm still finishing up school :)

I live in the SF Bay Area. New grad pay (once you have passed the NCLEX, not IP rate) is roughly $36 for days $40-41 with PM diff and of course, more for nights (depending on the facility). Housing prices are through the roof now. A cute 2 bedroom 1 bath home that I was looking at is about $575 (right outside of SF), so just because the wages are higher in the Bay Area doesn't mean you can afford to buy a home on a single RN salary (however, 5 years ago you could). I rent now, and just save my pennies - hoping to win the lotto :chuckle . I wouldn't think of moving away from the Bay Area for anything, though.

mandykal, ADN, RN · Apr 27, 2005

I'm very curious about the rate in Modesto area, although my siblings are trying to convince me to move to Concord, then my inlaws are in Sacramento......I'm still debating where I should move. Graduation is in July.....Then I plan on working for a few months before reciprocity......Any thoughts?

Did I mention I live in Connecticut...the pay here is excellent but...no family here.

*PICURN* · Apr 27, 2005

new grad, $25.36/hr....however cost of living is higher than you may think.

shodobe · Apr 27, 2005

I have friends who have lived for many years in Concord and can't afford to move away from there because the housing in that area is just obscene. Their house is nice and is in a older area, but when I heard how much it was appraised for I almost died! Concord has to be one of the most expensive areas to live in over by the bay. I am not sure what rent woulf go for but usually follows the pattern of mortgage rates.

Mimi2RN, ASN, RN · Apr 27, 2005

Our new grads now start at $28.50, I'm in Central Cali. I work nights, so I get 15% above my base pay. We max out at less than $40, after that anything you get is a lump sum after your eval.

Housing costs have really increased in the last couple of years. Minimum for a new house is now over $200,000, and we have new housing going up all over town. The one next door to us sold for over $260,000 last year, they had bought it for $157,000 a year before that. The new owners had moved from the coast, and thought that was a good price!

begalli · Apr 27, 2005

Nurse2B2005 already pointed out new grad rates in the SF Bay Area. I will add this...

The SF Bay Area is a VERY expensive place to live BUT....I am a single parent who receives $850/month in child support and I work only two 12 hour night shifts per week and the occassional, but rare overtime. I make it. I have a nice house, a nice car, my son and I have nice things, a full refrigerator, a dog and none of us go without in the nice neighborhood in which we live.

I think pay in the Bay Area is very very good even after factoring in the cost of living. The even bigger pay-off is that the area in which I live is absolutely gorgeous and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else (well except maybe Santa Cruz or Capitola [in my future plans]).