Decent new grad pay

Cardiac-RN · Dec 3, 2014

Before you turn them down, I would at least attempt to counter. What were you expecting to be offered as a new grad? Have you checked the salary report for the avg pay/ intro pay for NPs in your area? What benefits are you hoping will be covered?

Perhaps one of the three will be willing to meet you halfway if you can convince them that you will be an asset/ they will get a good return on their orientation investment. You may have better luck negotiating with the private practices than the state institution. I think it is totally reasonable to counter a salary-based offer with productivity/ RVU on top of it as a new grad, since you won't be seeing as much volume/ billing for as much as an experienced provider right out of the gate.

Good luck & let us know how it works out.

Cardiac

Riburn3, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP · Dec 3, 2014

Out of curiosity, is your pay as an RN via working nights and weekends, with overtime thrown in? I am in a similar boat to you where my RN pay is about the same as my new NP job pay, but I work nights and overtime to make that kind of money as an RN (just a hair under 100k).

As a new NP, my contract is to work 9-5 Monday through Thursday, with a half day on Friday. No call, no weekends, no in-patient rounding. I said yes in a heartbeat because I wasn't expecting a huge pay raise as a seasoned RN compared to a baby NP with no experience. Plus the hours are a bajillion times better. Unless your RN job is doing three 12 hour shifts per week on day shift with no weekends, you really have to assess lifestyle benefits, etc.

In regards to your other two job offers with pay paced on productivity, the sky is the limit. While your productivity and pay might not be great as you just get started, once you get your feet wet, you'll be pulling in some serious coin. A close friend just started as an FNP here in Texas with an intensivist/pulmonary group where his pay is purely based on his productivity (office work only), and after a couple of slow months, he is pulling $10-15k each month. Productivity based pay is where its at if you're young or really like to hustle.

ashonman · Dec 3, 2014

My rn pay is salaried for 12 hours 3 days no overtime. It's night shift and that's by choice with very good benefits. Honestly I did not think I will get paid what I make now but I also was not expecting mid eighties either. I just want to start working as an np because I busted my tail for this

Riburn3, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP · Dec 3, 2014

It sounds like only one of your offers was mid 80s with the others based on productivity. If its with a government entity which I assume since you said "state benefits", mid 80's is where its at to start.

Knowing your work situation and pay, if you ever leave its going to be because of a desire to be a provider. It's sounds like your job, pay, and hours are in the top 0.0001% of nurses, especially since it's salaried which is almost unheard of in shift work. You have to realize your starting NP might only match your RN if you're lucky. But with productivity reimbursement you can exceed it, but you're gonna have to work more than 36 hours a week.

BritFNP · Dec 9, 2014

It's crazy. I too am from Texas and becoming an NP nearly doubled my RN salary. I was only an RN for four years prior though...

ashonman · Dec 9, 2014

What type specialty are you working and are you a new grad..just found out I make more as a rn than a new grad np sad but true

Alicia777, MSN, NP · Dec 9, 2014

When I was offered my current position they offered me $5 less/hr than I was currently making as an RN. I countered for my RN salary and they agreed.

Come to find out the health insurance costs more than double what I had and is limited to only using our hospital and doctors. Having had known this, i would have needed at least a couple more dollars an hour to be happy.

So, I would say take an NP job if that's what you went to school for. If you don't do it now, then when?

Counter for what you make as an RN, if that's acceptable to you, but be aware of what the details of the benefits are.

mommy2anangel · Dec 10, 2014

Good heavens, I think I just need to move from Oklahoma to Texas instead of going back to graduate school. You have an awesome set up now, but there must have been something about your current job that you disliked or you wouldn't have even given NP a second thought. Maybe you just want to be a provider. If that's the case and you really are leaning more towards the state job then I would counter as well. Productivity/RVU are certainly enticing; however, you have to weigh how heavily you want or need those benefits. Good luck no matter what you choose.

zmansc, ASN, RN · Dec 10, 2014

Jobs with pensions often pay substantially less than jobs without them. However, if you work till you qualify for the pension, the benefits are substantial. Comparing the base salary between the two is not a fair comparison in the least.

Jules A, MSN · Dec 10, 2014

Jobs with pensions often pay substantially less than jobs without them. However, if you work till you qualify for the pension, the benefits are substantial. Comparing the base salary between the two is not a fair comparison in the least.

But does anyone offer a true pension any longer? I don't even think the fed govt does so their former hook with great benefits and lousy pay doesn't hold as much weight any longer, imo.

That said I don't get why new grads, unless you are going to get a lot of orientation which was never my experience, should be willing to work for significantly less money. Are they going to bill less for you because you are a new grad??

Riburn3, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP · Dec 10, 2014

But does anyone offer a true pension any longer? I don't even think the fed govt does so their former hook with great benefits and lousy pay doesn't hold as much weight any longer, imo.
That said I don't get why new grads, unless you are going to get a lot of orientation which was never my experience, should be willing to work for significantly less money. Are they going to bill less for you because you are a new grad??

I don't know anyone that would work for "significantly less money" either. Similar to slightly less? Sure.

Realize that even though the billing is the same, your productivity is leaps and bounds different compared to an experienced NP. Just how an experienced RN is (usually) much more productive and knowledgable than a brand new RN. We also know that billing and reimbursement doesn't really mean a whole lot in relation to pay for nurses in general, unless you're an NP paid based on productivity. A new nurse in California makes 2 times much as a nurse in Alabama, yet the reimbursement by medicare and insurance companies is identical.