How much do RNs make in San Francisco Bay Area? Is it hard to find employment there?

U.S.A. California

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I'm expecting to graduate from a BSN program soon. I have a friend who lives in St George Utah and is certain he can help me get my first job as a nurse at a detox facility where he works, but they said they would only pay me like $24 an hour as a new grad. I recently travelled to San Francisco and met an ER nurse who told me he takes home $120k and could help me get a job there. He also told me that he had been working as a nurse for 14 years before moving to cali. My question is, do SF nurses really make that much money? Is it feasible for people with little or employment history to land a position in california? It seems ludicrous to me to make so much even though the cost of living there is very high.

BART "bay area rapid transit" provides cheap and fast transportation all around the SF area. I personally went from San Jose to San Francisco for $6 and in under 45 minutes.

Hi there! im a new grad. I'm from the bay area. I can tell you from my experience from job hunting and living here, It is over saturated with new grads/nurses in general. There are new grads in this area who graduated and did their preceptorships in the area that are having a hard time finding jobs. I wasnt able to find a job here. I have experience in the healthcare field and connections. I graduated top of my class, went to a reputable school, did a senior preceptorship in critical care, and have a ton a certs and so on. If you have a connection great! It doesn't hurt to try. I would say go for it. Just wouldnt advise moving here in hopes of getting work, unless you can afford it of course. Its very diffcult to get a job here. I have talked to recruitors and hiring managers, they told me they get over 1000s apps for there new grad positions.

Just to let you know....People I know who have managed to get a job in the bay area as new grads do not get paid 120k. That salary is for experienced nurses. Nurses who get that salary have a ton of experience. My friends salaries are like less than 70K range. Even though 70k is alot, That salary is very difficult to live on here. The way my friends are able to manage is because they dont have to pay rent and live at home. So if your gonna have to be paying your own rent, It may be difficult to find an affordable option. The housing is very competitive here, especially if it is reasonable. =/ In addition, the cost of living is expensive like gas and food.

Overall the bay area is a great place to live if you have the means $$$ too!

Hope this information helps!

Specializes in ICU.
BART "bay area rapid transit" provides cheap and fast transportation all around the SF area. I personally went from San Jose to San Francisco for $6 and in under 45 minutes.

You were on Cal Train...just trying to clear up any confusion for those reading.

Bart only goes as far south as SFO.

Which Bay Area hospitals only pay nurses 70k a year? That seems off

As new grad nurses,My friends take home pay is around 70k. They work for kaiser, hca hosp, and sutter.

Interesting!

Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.

The 70k would be after taxes and sounds about right because a new grad would expect around 100k gross. Doesn't go very far in SF. The person saying he is only paying 300 a month rent sounds fishy because my sister lives in mountain view about 30 minutes south of SF and her 400 sq ft apt is 1900 a month and right next to a motorcycle shop/Harley store. It's possible....it's just your not going to be living it up in SF at all.

I know someone working in tech in Contra Costa who earns about $70k and rents a small apartment on Market St and is able to afford many other expenses. From my experience SF area has fairly cheap options for food, entertainment, transportation, going out, and other things. I would think $70k would be a good salary. I was in SF for a month and spent less than $1k, but I had someone to stay with. I know housing can be brutal if you pay rent.

Specializes in Ambulatory.

I work for Stanford health care & our pay is openly posted at our union website ( CRONA.org ), under "SHC contact 2016 - 2019". But the range is between $66.48 - $98.5 per hour, depending on various qualifications & experiences. We also have differential pay for afternoon, evening, and weekend shifts. Per-diem RNs are paid a bit more.

As far as housing, I was living in a less than 10 year old condo/town house community at the edge of San Francisco, between 2014 - 2016. I was paying $1020/ month for a single bed room (not sure about measurement but it fit a double size bed, study desk, and had a double door closet) with a private bathroom, shared living room & kitchen, and a tandem garage parking space. Community was quiet & neighbors were mostly tech professionals. I was lucky & but bargain are out there.

I also know SF have laws for housing rent control so I am not sure if that has to do with the mentioning of "bunch of roommates and pays only $300 a month". Just my 2 cents...

.. I wasnt able to find a job here. I have experience in the healthcare field and connections. I graduated top of my class, went to a reputable school, did a senior preceptorship in critical care, and have a ton a certs and so on. ...

Besides connections, what qualities do the new grads that do get hired have? Are they bi-lingual? Do they have graduate degrees?

If you work in a hospital in the Bay Area, you will make more than $50 an hr most likely, even as a new grad. Your best chances of employment if you have no experience is working in a nursing home. It's very easy to walk into many nursing homes and get interviews on the spot, even as a new grad. The pay for new RNs is around $30/hr. It is worth it for at least 6 months to a year to get valuable experience.

He shares with like 3 people and the apartment is 3 bedrooms and has a bay view.

I don't think you want to hear it but you can't project your living expenses based on what an existing renter pays due to the SF rent control regulations. You need to go off of the current rental market.

My ex has a tiny 2 bedroom apartment in a "modest" neighborhood that he pays under $1,800. This rental agreement began back during the recession when property values and the job market tanked. His landlord wants him out so that she can raise the rent to the current value around 4K. He can't move unless he's prepared to pay the current market price.

Now if you can find someone willing to rent to you, a total stranger, a room for less than market value, then you might get a deal like you're hearing about. I doubt it will be living conditions you think you can handle though. My ex rented a room for $900 in a crappy little apartment back during the recession.

You could find something for less outside the city and commute in, but why would you do that? SF doesn't pay more than adjacent Bay Area cities, you'd just be schleping to the city to work when there are more opportunities, though not necessarily for new grads, outside the city.

By the way, we pay more than 100K for our new nurses outside of the Bay Area where I rent an apartment in a trendy urban hot spot for $2,150.

Another thing, being broke in the city isn't fun while you watch the tech kids live a lifestyle you'll never know unless you marry into it. Given my education and skill set, it's a bit demoralizing, and I make far more than 100K as did my ex. The city is fun, but so are a lot of areas around here.

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