Confused why salaries for new grads are not higher?

Sheri257 · Apr 25, 2007

It is pathetic, actually. $27-$28 is the same new grad hospital rate in my area although some hospitals have gone up to $30 ...

But, I live in the Inland Empire where the cost of living is cheaper than LA or Orange County.

Why isn't there a bigger difference in the new grad pay rate in southern California versus Houston? I think there are two primary reasons ....

1) Lots of people, like yourself, want to live in LA and other coastal California areas. Even with the expense, they're happy if they can just pay the bills

2) California has a ratio law while Texas does not, so more nurses have come here.

The key to beating the cost of living in California is to look beyond the expensive coastal areas but ... not everybody is interested in doing that.

:typing

BayAreaRN · Apr 25, 2007

Well if you go to the Bay Area, the average starting salary for new grads is $40. I don't think any newgrad RN earn less than $35 (if you're employed in a hospital... I'm not sure about nursing homes... but I'm assuming it should be close to $40).

Goodluck!

bubba04 · Apr 26, 2007

My friend started a new grad prog in Feb at SF general with the starting pay of 45 and another friend of mine at CPMC is starting at $44.57.

shodobe · Apr 26, 2007

I personally think that too many people miss the point on starting salaries. Where in the world will you find a job right out of school that starts you at $35-40 per hour? Not too many. I think everyone should be thankful that they are in a field that pays so well. I know there are many out there that think these wages are not even close to being enough. They are living in a fantasy world. Even lawyers fresh out of school don't even come close to this salary and have to dwell in near poverty for years before making a decent living. If you base salaries on experience, which you should, I would be making $100/hr with my 30 years. Salaries for new grads are creeping too close to what top experinced nurses and this should be looked at closely. I think I make a very good living at what I do and do feel bad for nurses around the country that do make ridiculously low wages and would hope that others would look at their plight and not complain too loud about the low? wage they might make. Like in any profession you have to work around what you make to decide where you want to live.

RNinSoCal · Apr 26, 2007

I used to work in Glendale CA and now work in the Bay Area (mid-peninsula...I have to be specific because the Bay Area is so large). The pay and work environments are much better-in my experience in the Bay area. The main reason is that most Bay area hospital nurses are unionized. Most LA area hospitals are not. I worked for a non-union hospital in Glendale CA and my pay was 40% less than in my current job. If you are able to move, the Bay area is better for your career. Rent is almost the same as LA, buying a condo or house is more than LA. Personally I am almost debt free and saving for a condo after working here for just 16 months. In a union hospital your pay increases according to the contract with CNA and according to experience. I currently am getting 3-4% pay increases every 6 months. Please consider the benefits of belonging to a union before accepting a job offer. My union dues are 85 dollars a month and I make 40% more than I did at a non-union hospital. My benefits are very good under CNA contract and my work environment is great.

Just my personal experience, hope it helps.

Sheri257 · Apr 26, 2007

The main reason is that most Bay area hospital nurses are unionized. Most LA area hospitals are not. I worked for a non-union hospital in Glendale CA and my pay was 40% less than in my current job.

That's a good point. Most of the hospitals in my area of the Inland Empire have gone union (CNA) in the last five years and the pay has improved because of it. Maybe that's why new grad pay is about the same in the Inland Empire as LA, even thought the cost of living is higher in LA.

However, I do think you have to keep in mind that the cost of living in the Bay Area is much more expensive than SoCal ... which is at least part of the reason for the 40 percent pay differential. Housing prices alone are $125,000 more, on average, in the Bay Area than in SoCal.

What I've done is instead of settling for $28-$30 an hour, I've just taken a job at the Department of Corrections where I'll be making $45 an hour. So I can make Bay Area wages while living in a much cheaper area. My mortgage payment is only $1,200 a month.

:typing

YoungWiseWoman · Apr 27, 2007

I personally think that too many people miss the point on starting salaries. Where in the world will you find a job right out of school that starts you at $35-40 per hour? Not too many. I think everyone should be thankful that they are in a field that pays so well. I know there are many out there that think these wages are not even close to being enough. They are living in a fantasy world. Even lawyers fresh out of school don't even come close to this salary and have to dwell in near poverty for years before making a decent living. If you base salaries on experience, which you should, I would be making $100/hr with my 30 years. Salaries for new grads are creeping too close to what top experinced nurses and this should be looked at closely. I think I make a very good living at what I do and do feel bad for nurses around the country that do make ridiculously low wages and would hope that others would look at their plight and not complain too loud about the low? wage they might make. Like in any profession you have to work around what you make to decide where you want to live.

I was not "complaining." I was simply wondering how the difference is made up because of the increased cost of living. Your response speaks to someone who thinks new grads don't make enough....maybe you meant to post on another thread. I asked to find out how the cost of difference living is supplemented...OT, a second job? You went on a rant about being unappreciative about starting salary, which was no help to me.

YoungWiseWoman · Apr 27, 2007

I used to work in Glendale CA and now work in the Bay Area (mid-peninsula...I have to be specific because the Bay Area is so large). The pay and work environments are much better-in my experience in the Bay area. The main reason is that most Bay area hospital nurses are unionized. Most LA area hospitals are not. I worked for a non-union hospital in Glendale CA and my pay was 40% less than in my current job. If you are able to move, the Bay area is better for your career. Rent is almost the same as LA, buying a condo or house is more than LA. Personally I am almost debt free and saving for a condo after working here for just 16 months. In a union hospital your pay increases according to the contract with CNA and according to experience. I currently am getting 3-4% pay increases every 6 months. Please consider the benefits of belonging to a union before accepting a job offer. My union dues are 85 dollars a month and I make 40% more than I did at a non-union hospital. My benefits are very good under CNA contract and my work environment is great.
Just my personal experience, hope it helps.

SoCal,

Thanks for your response! It helps me understand the pay diff. a little better. I didn't know union hospitals paid more. I am doing research on the pros and cons of unions, and this looks like a pro. Of course, all the hospitals that were non-union were telling how I should not need someone to speak for me. The union hospitals were saying how nurses need representatives. I got so confused with the back and forth.

Sheri257 · Apr 27, 2007

Of course, all the hospitals that were non-union were telling how I should not need someone to speak for me.

Well ... that's just their lame excuse not to pay more, IMO. There's no question that the union hospitals in my area pay better, even after you deduct union dues. And the non-union hospitals are very slow to raise their pay.

:typing

WDWpixieRN, RN · Apr 28, 2007

I'm still in school and have been watching the MO threads....apparently here in the St. Louis area, we're starting at about $18/hour. So I'm thinking these wages sound GREAT!! Of course, our cost-of-living is a lot less overall...but as someone pointed out on our thread, it's not THAT much less, lol!!

I do, however, wish that something could be done to ensure that all states have the laws that protect the nurses and pts in CA. It fries me to think that I could get out of school, be making $18/hour (which is far less than I was making in IT) and put myself and my pts at risk due to having 7-9 of them to care for per shift. There is one hospital in this area that is union and it's precarious at best; they had a strike a couple of years ago and management really tried to bust the union -- and almost succeeded. Membership is optional, so those who don't choose to pay screw those who are supporting whatever benefits they derive from the hospital being unionized. I don't understand why this profession, which has numbers in the thousands, isn't doing more to stand up for itself. It's pretty frightening from a student nurse perspective.

cmc4n6 · Apr 29, 2007

Pathetic??????? I graduated from UCLA (I live in Los Angeles, to make it crystal clear.....) in 1995 with 3 kids and the highest going rate was $18/hr to work in the ICU.......let's get in the real world!!!!! You guys are just plain lucky and spoiled to be thinking you're entitled to the big bucks. Count your lucky stars and get a grip. I just got offered $26/hr to be a traveler with 15 years experience...a lot of it in acute care and forensics.