Pay Scale

Specialties CCU

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Please let me know what your base pay is in your part of the country. I live in TN and where I work our base pay is 13.00/hr. And if you are a CVICU nurse, do you get paid more for what you can do. thanks

I know the hospitals here in Atlanta are starting GN's at $20 with a $4 night dif.

Specializes in Cardiac/Vascular & Healing Touch.

My sister in law & me tried to upstart a union here with the steel workers a few years back, & the people were scared....all talk but when we tried to get them to sign names to a list to vote for union, they ran away fearful of their jobs. Alabama is tricky, very non union attitudes. People have been taking the crap so long that they don't anything else, except when the travelers come home & tell what is going on in CA, NY, WA... Our new mgmt is once again getting rid of our agency nurses. Pretty nerve wracking since I love to see many of them walk in the door. They have the right attitudes & I am glad they are here to help. Many drive 3-4 hours to work for us a few shifts.

We recently got an across the board $2/hr for RN's. But it still doesn't compete with so many places. I have no easy answers. :angryfire

I live in Philadelphia and our nursing assistants make $13 - $17 per hour at the downtown unionized hospitals. $13 per hour has to be an all time low for RN's. Your nurses need to unionize. LPN's make around $20 and up. I am a critical care registered nurse. The payrate is always above $30 for experienced nurses and around $25 per hour for new graduates. Per diem rates at the downtown hospitals are over $40 and as high as $56 per hour. The agencies pay around $40 - $46 per hour and traveling assignments should pay no less than $30 an hour plus minimum of $1,200 per month housing allowance or free private housing.
When I read the regional quotes I was astounded! But since I live in CA and the cost of living is absurb maybe I shouldn't be. I have 14 yrs. experience, some in mgmt, I recently got a 3% increase, $36/hr not including differentials. But I also pay almost $2/gal for gas and my apt is $1150/mo for a 2 bedroom. I live 15 mi. from work and where I live is considered cheap! I am still struggling at the end of the month. I have found that message boards really show how different this world can be.

Hmmmmmmm.....

I make $12. per hour less than you. Gas is also near $2./gal, and my mortgage is $1,100. a month.

$36./hr sounds like big bucks to me.

Now ain't that something. I live in Mississippi and make almost 24.00/hr. And I thought we were the po' state.

This thread started in 1999 and progresses through all these years, look at how different it is now.

GN pay was about $13 to $15.00/hr, a poster was complaining that gas cost $1.40 a gallon (please God, let me pay those prices again!!).

I'm in the South, in a big City with a lot of big hospitals. I think GN pay is about $18.00/hr and shift/diffs vary from $1.90/hr all the way up to $3.25/hr depending upon what hospital and what shift.

I'm new grad who just moved to Seattle for a starting position in cardiothoracic ICU. I will be making $21/hr plus differentials when I start in about two weeks. But of course, as others have mentioned, one must take into consideration a much higher cost of living out here on the west coast.

Man, I cant believe how low the pay is across the US. I'm so thankful for my job! I better get back to school or start my own business because if I ever lose my job I wont be able to afford going back to a measly 20-25/hour. I average about 40-45/hour doing acute dialysis(paid per treatment and on call)

Oh and I live in TN which has a moderate cost of living

Getting the shaft here. 17.69/hr with 3yrs ER experience. Mortgage only $657 for 1400 sf new house with golf course right off my property line. Good thing my wife is also a nurse!

is anyone familiar with starting pay rate as an ICU nurse in the NM area? moved from WI where GN start rate 20.25/hr

And I thought I was getting hosed at almost $20.00 an hour as a new grad. That was not without a fight. I had 10 years as an LPN behind me. Still I am making more than our new BSN's because I fought for it. That's the problem nobody wants to make waves and demand higher pay.

i can't believe that u had 10 yrs previous experience as an LPN and u had 2 fight for $20/hr as a GN!!!! that's just ridiculous! was this a recent transition? most of the hospitals in the area that i lived in avg. ~the $20/hr range. i think that most people especially starting out are intimidated to ask for increased pay or to even mention it during the interview process. it can be an awkward topic. i actually tried to get more when i transitioned into GN status b/c i had worked as an intern for the same place for ~1 and a half yrs. they basically told me that at entry level everyone gets paid the same there.

:) You should not quit nursing - you seem to love it - just go where they will pay you more - traveling pays well and you get to see this great country of ours. I am from TN - where the pay at the local hospital has only increased $2.03 in 17 years! That is start pay for new RN's anyway - but as you might imagine hearing that.... the overall pay - for experienced RN's has not increased either. It is the nature of the field we are in, unfortunately - too many do not stand up and fight for what they believe in - that we are a profession and should be treated as such. I have just moved from California -( northern) - where the nurses are unionized and the pay is still not enough...... - though so much better than the rest of the country and benefits are excellent - at our hospital the yearly pay was 100,000/ yr or better - depending on how much OT one did. Cost of living is high it is true - but I have found that it is about the same in the rest of the country with the exception of housing and gas. That is, buying a house - not so much with renting. With travel nursing you don't have that worry - housing is paid for and you earn a decent wage - and sometimes bonuses. Anyway, give it some thought - there are always ways to make a better wage than "working for the man" so to speak - if you are "stuck" in Texas - go to where they pay better in your area or work registry or take travel assignments in your area - it is possible to not be held "hostage" by hospitals - one day they will " wake up" and realize how important we are ......after all of we experienced nurses get fed up and leave, probably. Take care and good luck!!

Hey Pegg,RN. Thanks for the reply! I don't know whether to jump or stay in the boat for both options! I love taking care of people!

I love Cardiac and I love geriatrics. But I don't love spending 1-2 hours with someone and saying goodbye! I don't like being talked down to by RNs, and other "more highly educated staff" because I'm just a tech.

On the flip side, I was really thinking all this intense school work was going to pay off financially! I keep hearing the field is DESPERATE for registered nurses! Is this not true? Or are they still not willing to pay?

Whether I go back to Echo/Cardiovascular or use my RN degree, I'll find a way to be back in health care. I love it and couldn't stay away for anything, not even money!

Again, thanks and God bless,

Steph:)

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