how expensive is california? CAN A NURSE MANAGE WITH HER WAGE??

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Hi Guys

Just Looking Abit Of Advice From Other Posts And Other Sources Of Information I Am Aware California Tends To Be A High Costof Living, But How Do You Really Manage?? Is It Manageable With Your Wage Or Do You All Struggle??

Could You Maybe Give Me Rough Est Of Hourly Rate. Considering Taking Up Direct Placement With A Hospital There No Specific Location Yet They Are Coming To Interview In Oct And Id Liked To Be Prepared With Some Informationthat Im Hoping You Could Possibley Give Me.

Hope To Hear From You Soon

P.S ANYONE AWARE OF A GROUP OF HOSPITALS THAT CONSIST OF ABOUT 20 TOGETHER IN THE WEST COAST AREA??

That is not what the Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows:

Average RN pay in San Francisco is $38 an hour. In Silicon Valley, average RN pay is $42 an hour.

http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcma.htm

Different pay rates for different areas are on that list also.

:typing

Their incorrect then, Mercy starts new grads in ER at $40 a hour here in Sac.

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Oh yes! I forgot about those areas. I've always tried to live as close to the coast as I can afford. I have a friend who lives in Bakersfield who loves it. It's hot there though. I guess you just have to see what you're willing to pay for. For me, it's about avoiding snow and temps close to freezing.

Lake Tahoe is a wonderfull place to live.

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Their incorrect then, Mercy starts new grads in ER at $40 a hour here in Sac.

Just for kicks I called Mercy in Sac ... they told me new grad pay is $34 an hour, ER or otherwise.

The BLS compiles their stats from government payroll taxes so the data is pretty accurate.

;)

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Just for kicks I called Mercy in Sac ... they told me new grad pay is $34 an hour, ER or otherwise.

The BLS compiles their stats from government payroll taxes so the data is pretty accurate.

;)

I believe their is special ER pay as well added on that. A personal friend of mine that works there, so who ever you talked to is incorrect.

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I believe their is special ER pay as well added on that. A personal friend of mine that works there, so who ever you talked to is incorrect.

So ... the nurse recruiter in HR is incorrect? I specifically asked about ER pay. She said there was no difference. Call them yourself.

Just a word to the wise ... never rely on what friends say. People tend to exaggerate how much they make.

I can't tell you how many times people have said they make such and such ... just to find out it's actually a lot lower than that. It's human nature to exaggerate pay I guess ...

;)

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Does your friend work nights...and/or weekends? Maybe they get $40 w/ diffs.

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Does your friend work nights...and/or weekends? Maybe they get $40 w/ diffs.

I believe he does.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.
So ... the nurse recruiter in HR is incorrect? I specifically asked about ER pay. She said there was no difference. Call them yourself.

Just a word to the wise ... never rely on what friends say. People tend to exaggerate how much they make.

I can't tell you how many times people have said they make such and such ... just to find out it's actually a lot lower than that. It's human nature to exaggerate pay I guess ...

;)

Did you ask about shift diff and weekends?

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Seemed legit to me because I know KH raised their new grade hire rates recently to $37 a hour.

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Specializes in Critical Care/ICU.
That is not what the Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows:

Average RN pay in San Francisco is $38 an hour. In Silicon Valley, average RN pay is $42 an hour.

As an RN in the San Francisco Bay Area (Silicon Valley) I just want to say that...

BLS is wrong.

New grads in the Bay Area, for example, at the Santa Clara County Hospital earn $39.77 base pay. This does not include differentials which I think are $2.25 for evening shift and $3.75 for night shift. So if a new grad hires in and works nights, which many many many new grads do, their wage is $43.52 an hour straight out of school.

New grads receive increases at 6 months and at one year and then yearly after that. So a new nurse can easily be making $45-48 base pay an hour in a very short period of time.

My example is a county hospital. Here is their RNPA contract. This contract was found at the ESA website under the benefits tab for the job posting for a Clinical Nurse I.

As far as other hospitals in the area? Well some or most pay even more, but all are competitive where wages are concerned. I know that at one hospital the pm, night and weekend differentials are a percentage of the nurses pay - 10%, 16% and 5% respectively. So if an RN is making $40/hr and works nights on a weekend, s/he is making $48.40/hr and if that same nurse just happens to be assigned as resource nurse that night, add on $2 for a total hourly wage of $50.40/hr. And guess what? If the unit is short and that nurse has to stay over any amount of her 12 hour shift it's doubletime with all the differentials except the $2 resource if s/he is not acting as resource during the overtime.

There's some proof for ya.

BLS is wrong in many of their numbers for a variety of jobs in the SF Bay Area. This place is unique.

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As an RN in the San Francisco Bay Area (Silicon Valley) I just want to say that...

BLS is wrong.

New grads in the Bay Area, for example, at the Santa Clara County Hospital earn $39.77 base pay. This does not include differentials which I think are $2.25 for evening shift and $3.75 for night shift. So if a new grad hires in and works nights, which many many many new grads do, their base wage is $43.52 an hour straight out of school.

New grads receive increases at 6 months and at one year and then yearly after that. So a new nurse can easily be making $45-48 base pay an hour in a very short period of time.

My example is a county hospital. Here is their RNPA contract. This contract was found at the ESA website under the benefits tab for the job posting for a Clinical Nurse I.

As far as other hospitals in the area? Well some or most pay even more, but all are competitive where wages are concerned. I know that at one hospital the pm, night and weekend differentials are a percentage of the nurses pay - 10%, 16% and 5% respectively. So if an RN is making $40/hr and works nights on a weekend, s/he is making $48.40/hr and if that same nurse just happens to be assigned as resource nurse that night, add on $2 for a total hourly wage of $50.40/hr. And guess what? If the unit is short and that nurse has to stay over any amount of her 12 hour shift it's doubletime with all the differentials except the $2 resource if s/he is not acting as resource during the overtime.

There's some proof for ya.

BLS is wrong in many of their numbers for a variety of jobs in the SF Bay Area. This place is unique.

Thanks for the info.

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This is probably the most informative thread I've read so far regarding salaries. Just so you know, San Diego pays new grads $28.25 for Scripps and $26.75 for Sharp. Both with a $4 nights differential and NO sign on bonus. The weather here is gorgeous and the cost of living can be managed if you live 15-20 minutes away from the beaches. Average cost of a one bedroom apartment is $880- $900 with a pool, exercise room, safe area.

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