ED Pay vs Med/Surg Pay

Ruby Vee, BSN · Mar 29, 2017

Nope. The base pay is the same. Differentials and on call pay may make a difference in what annual salary gets reported to the IRS, but the pay is the same.

Nalon1 RN/EMT-P, BSN, RN · Mar 29, 2017

Most places I have seen are the same. I know all new grads in our system start out at the same hourly rate regardless of what unit they are in.

As Ruby said, there can be different shift diff rates, on call/call in rates that one area may have that another does not.

Also, if there is a shortage in one area, that area may get a little more pay to attract people to it. Sometimes it is just a sign-on/retention bonus, other times (less often and better for employee) it is an hourly rate increase that stays with you.

HikingNinja, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN, NP · Mar 29, 2017

In my geographic area, and at all the assignments I've taken as a travel nurse, the pay scale is different. ER is considered critical care and is paid more per hour, even for new grads. I've lived and traveled in Washington, Oregon, California, and Nevada.

Nalon1 RN/EMT-P, BSN, RN · Mar 30, 2017

In my geographic area, and at all the assignments I've taken as a travel nurse, the pay scale is different. ER is considered critical care and is paid more per hour, even for new grads. I've lived and traveled in Washington, Oregon, California, and Nevada.

Must be a west coast thing, althought I do have limited local/state data that I am speaking of.

So ICU/ER get paid more than floor nurses (not just the travelers)?

Editorial Team / Moderator · Mar 30, 2017

At my hospital (located in southeast), certain units get critical care pay â€” it's like an extra $2-something per hour.

CX_EDRN · Mar 30, 2017

Base is the same but we get a critical care differential of an additional $3/hr.

amzyRN · Mar 30, 2017

there's no difference in pay where I"ve worked. This has been in the Midwest and CA. I've worked on a med/surg/tele floor and compared to the ED it was way lighter work. I sometimes feel like I'm doing the work of 2 people. Although we have techs, they rarely help in the regular part of the ED, but when a code is coming in will be all over it. Rarely for a code brown though.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Mar 30, 2017

In my geographic area, and at all the assignments I've taken as a travel nurse, the pay scale is different. ER is considered critical care and is paid more per hour, even for new grads. I've lived and traveled in Washington, Oregon, California, and Nevada.

Must be a travel nurse thing.

HikingNinja, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN, NP · Mar 30, 2017

Must be a travel nurse thing.

Nope. This was perm jobs. I always find out the pay scale for regular perm jobs at the hospitals I've gone to as a travel nurse. I'm currently perm staff in Nevada & those in critical care get about $5-7 / hour more than med surg/ tele nurses. I guess this isn't the case in the midwest.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Mar 30, 2017

Nope. This was perm jobs. I always find out the pay scale for regular perm jobs at the hospitals I've gone to as a travel nurse. I'm currently perm staff in Nevada & those in critical care get about $5-7 / hour more than med surg/ tele nurses. I guess this isn't the case in the midwest.

Not only is it not a thing in the midwest, but it's not a thing in any of the hospitals in which I worked in Washington State, nor is it a thing in any of the hospitals I've drawn paychecks from on the east coast. (Ex-husband was in the military.) I've had countless HR departments tell me they DON'T do that.

guest769224 · Mar 30, 2017

Nope. This was perm jobs. I always find out the pay scale for regular perm jobs at the hospitals I've gone to as a travel nurse. I'm currently perm staff in Nevada & those in critical care get about $5-7 / hour more than med surg/ tele nurses. I guess this isn't the case in the midwest.

Really? I am regular staff in NV (Las Vegas) working for two different hospital systems and haven't heard of or noticed this to be the case. Maybe I'm wrong?