$1302 every two weeks? =/

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2015

$650 a week for Boston?? No way. That's not even staff pay at a rural hospital.

garn12 · Jan 20, 2015

So I'm looking into travel nursing and am just speaking to recruiters and I just talked to a recruiter and asked her for a ball park pay for a med-surge/tele with 2.5 years experience would be in the Boston area...and she said $1300 every 2 weeks...that's $650 per week, including housing, plus I will be an itinerant traveler, so some money is taken out for taxes. But, I would at least hope to get $1100 per week and I told her that I probably wouldn't take any assignment that doesn't pay at least that much. She said she would note that and contact me if something comes up. I did not bother to ask for any more pay details since I was just curious how much I would take home. But, I get paid more than that as a staff RN. Does this sound like a fair pay? How do you go about negotiating pay after you basically got low-balled...or do you just say no thanks?

In my opinion if a recruiter even comes at my with that mess...I would look for another company or switch recruiters immediately. All other calls from that recruiter will be ignored, nobody has time for those games and that crap.

MsConstrued · Jan 20, 2015

Just say no thanks! You should be making at the very least $1000 a week in any assignment, but more in the Boston area. Just because it's your first assignment, don't let them take advantage of you. I did that for my first assignment because it was in Hawaii, which is very hard to get without any travel experience. They were willing to send me, but without any stipend or housing costs. I took it anyway and was grateful for the opportunity but of course as soon as I got there I found out all the other travelers had their housing for free (and it was not cheap to live there!) Keep looking you will find something great that is worthy of you!

mommieNurseRN · Jan 20, 2015

What?! No way! That's insulting!

"I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me"

Philippians 4:13

Farawyn · Jan 20, 2015

Nope.

geminiBSN75 · Jan 20, 2015

That sounds quite low, especially for a traveler.....and in a large city such as Boston!

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2015

I make more than that and I'm in school nursing in the Boston area...and those in the hospitals here make much more than I do!

RNAvatar · Jan 20, 2015

That's good to hear. My jaw literally dropped when I heard her say that. I was hoping pay wouldn't normally be that low. I guess I'll have to keep working at this whole negotiating pay thing, but I probably won't be talking to this recruiter anymore. I forgot to mention that she also quoted an IL assignment to be $1036 every two weeks...that's about $500 per week. I had to double check with her if she meant weekly or bi-weekly. It was $1036 bi-weekly, for sure. I definitely felt like I she was just quoting the lowest pay possible since I am a new traveler. Although, there was another company that quoted me around $880/week as well for around Boston..? Does anyone know how much being itinerant cuts your pay? Maybe that is why I am not getting to that $1000/week mark? I just want to know what I will be getting myself into. I want to do travel nursing for adventure, but I also want to save up and pay off student loans!

NedRN · Jan 21, 2015

I haven't heard your quotes for housing, per diem, benefits, and travel. That can be $1,000 a week or more. Perhaps the number is all inclusive but you were not clear. I'm sure you meant housing at least is on top of these figures. Is there a completion bonus? I'd guess not, be pretty lame of a sales person not to mention it but she doesn't seem to be working at overcoming your objections. Or perhaps you are not communicating either.

Negotiating is a plus, but not required. Not much point to it either if you are too far apart. Just talk to lots of agencies. That will give you a good picture of what you are worth and what agencies you can work further with.

raindrop · Jan 21, 2015

Sounds like A Novapro quote. I was looking at an assignment in Boston last summer, and I was going to let Novapro find my housing. I cannot remember the exact quote, but it was ridic! I gave them another chance and let them give me a quote on a hospital 2 hours from me, where my bff works. Guess what? My take home was going to be the same as a staff nurse, but the kicker is, she kept pushing the fact that there was a 1k completion bonus for a 6 month commitment. It's funny to me bc that hospital was offering a 10k sign on bonus with a 18 year commitment for staff. Needles to say, I to her I will not do business with her and to take me off her calling list.

RNAvatar · Jan 21, 2015

No, I didn't ask for a pay package, just a general ball park for certain geographical areas with my specialty. And that was what they gave me, with housing included. So I assumed that per diem, benefits, and travel would be included in that weekly pay...but maybe it wasn't? I'm not traveling until summer, so I am not quite looking at assignments yet...just getting an idea. Hopefully when the time comes, I will be able to get a better picture..and it better include a little better pay than what I'm hearing =)