Compare Nurses Salaries Across The Nation

[Monica RN,BSN]

Wondering how nurse salaries are comparing as a whole across the nation. Are you paid more for having a BSN or Masters as compared to those with an ASN degree? I am writing from Florida where our RN's start at about 17.00 an hour. The high end of the scale will top out at about 23 or 24 an hour if they have many many years of experiance and a higher degree. How does this compare to the rest of the states?

[Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN]

At my last two jobs in my town, LVNs were paid $11.00 an hr. LVNs who had been at the job for years made as much as $12./hr.

RNs, be it diploma, ADN or BSN, all started at $20./hr. At my last job, all raises for all staff have been frozen for the last year and a half. Any RN who has gotten a raise has never gotten more than 60 cents an hour. The cost of living is high where I live.

I have been a nurse for 12 years and worked in 2 states. I have mostly worked nocs, and have never gotten a shift diff greater than $1.50/hr.

Weekend diff at my last job was $1./hr, charge diff was $1./hr. No shift diff last several jobs.

Now, I travel and am making almost double my previous wage, plus expenses.

[Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN]

I disagree. Since LPNs work under an RNs license in addition to their own, thus opening up the overseeing RN to lawsuits/liability, the RN should be paid more. Period. I won't work with LPNs for any amount of pay -- even though many are excellent practitioners, I don't want to be responsible for another person's clinical decisions.

Excellent post, Lady Jezebel.

I was an LPN for seven years and have been an RN for five years.

I can definitely tell the difference between LPN responsibilies and RN responsibilities. Being an RN carries much more responsiblity, accountability, and pressure.

But, I feel all nurses should be paid more.

[chrissy_leigh]

I am a new grad in California. I work at a women's hospital. Base pay is 27/hr for new grads, with a ladder system based on years experience. Night shift diff 4/hr. BSN pay is 50 cents more and hour. All that change goes a long ways towards paying off my student loans.... we are also unionized here.

[NurseCard, ADN]

Two years ago, I started out at 16.50, base.

Evening shift was 3.00 more/hr.

Night shift was 2.00 more.

Weekend shift was, I think an extra 1.00 more.

Charge nurse, another 1.00 more.

Reassignment pay is 4.00 more.

"Premium pay", or coming in on you night off... 7.00 more.

Now I make mmm... about 19.75 base.