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??
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.
Wow I didn't expect SD nurses to get 6-9 dollars less a hour than SAC nurses.
Specializes in MS, Tele, Uro Onco, Ortho, NeuroSx, OHS.
Yeah, thanks for the info! I am trying to relocate to the Bay Area myself and have been researching through here and calling hospitals up directly. I currently live in San Diego, staff RN at UCSD Medical Center receives $30.88 for base pay, nights $3.75/diff, $2.50 wkd/diff and just got a
Per diem rates are $38/hr in San Diego UC, while UCSF $56, not to mention shift diff and weekend pay.
But they don't normally let new grads go per diem, correct? Will they give me an hourly increase if I am a staff rn--new grad that doesn't need benefits?
I found this thread really interesting for various reasons. I have been working as a traveling nurse in the Monterey area since January of this year. During my time off, I've explored many of the areas mentioned in these posts, with an eye toward possibly staying on permanently.
While I realize that my wage at this time is higher than most, due to being on contract, (although not as high as most people would assume), I've thoroughly researched the wages and cost of living for housing, utilities, etc.
I would find it difficult to live here even on my traveler's wages, let alone on staff wages. Yes, I'd be able to afford the rent, and pay my bills, but that's ALL I'd be able to live...and that's not "quality" of life, as far as I'm concerned.
Almost all the nurses I work with have a second job, many work perdiem for home health agencies, and go directly from their hospital jobs to their perdiem jobs, 3 or 4 days/evenings per week. The few that don't work two jobs are married and have a second income coming in, or some other form of financial stability.
You can do anything you set your mind to, including paying the ridiculous rents in Northern California, but as beautiful as it is, there are many other wonderful states to live in where you would have something left over at the end of your hard-earned paycheck.
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 $39.77base 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.
WOW--now, do you also get good benefits? Pension, etc.? I went to the ESA website and it seems that they include the hospital's pension contribution as part of the wage, so perhaps the actually dollars you're getting is less...and do some people choose a "No Benefits" mode and get a higher hourly rate?--This is what Lenox Hill Hospital's web site in NYC says...about $4/hr. if you choose "NO BENEFITS" (perhpas because you have benefits through a sig other/spouse)....
:welcome: I work for Kaiser in Southern California, I make 40.00+/Hr with raises a few times a year. Yes it is a little more expensive here but O.K. I work full time reg. staff, travelers and per diem staff make more, but Kaiser also offers outstanding benefits for your entire family and a desent retirement. I recently took an online masters class with nurses from all over the United States and California definitly has the highest pay overall. Good luck to you.
im a new member here and been a nurse here for the last 13 years, almost 12 years bedside and 1 year as clinical instructor (both lecture and hospital setting)
will they count my experience and would rate me as not a newly grad nurse?
how much will be my possible rate? per hour? (btw i passed NCLEX already in 2003)
:welcome: Kaiser pay rates are based on years as an RN in the United States, I beleive, But it would be worth checking out. If you decide to go with Kaiser, give them my name and we could both make a little bonus. I work at Kaiser Fontana CA. Good Luck and God Bless
WOW--now, do you also get good benefits? Pension, etc.? I went to the ESA website and it seems that they include the hospital's pension contribution as part of the wage, so perhaps the actually dollars you're getting is less...and do some people choose a "No Benefits" mode and get a higher hourly rate?
I'm not sure what the per diem rate is at the county hospital I cite (they call per diem "extra-help), but I do know at another hospital they add $4/hr to the base wage if one chooses no benefits (per diem/relief). I'm sure the county is similar.
Overall, the benefits for nursing positions are outstanding.
CA PERS is the California Public Employees Retirement System which is what you are a part of when working with the county. Many years ago I worked for the county. I know that the employer automatically contributes a % of your salary, I know there is matching, but I don't recall if an employee is required to make a cash contribution each paycheck. I don't think they are based on similar retirement plans (eg 401k's) of other hospitals. No matter what, the employer generally builds a retirement for you whether you make cash contributions or not. What's great of course is that if you do make cash contributions, such as 1-5% of your income your employer matches that and your retirement account flourishes. If you choose not to make those contributions only the base percentage of employer contribution grows.
With the county, they have the "effective monthly wage." This is your wage with the cash value of the benefits included. The "hourly wage" listed at the ESA website is the actual hourly wage one earns before the cash value of the benefits is included. There are MANY nurses who opt out of benefits for the extra cash because they are covered by a spouse's or significant other's plan (in CA we have same-sex and SO laws).
There are oodles of other benefits:
Healthcare: at least 2 plans (HMO's) that have a zero premium cost for the employee (all employee/dependents pay is visit co-pay), other non-HMO where the employee does pay a small premium, and perscription drug plans that are usually free of cost as well (except co-pays).
Dental (Like Delta): Usually no premium cost to employee/no co-pay. There are other plans that can be offered with premium costs.
PTO/holidays/on-call pay/call-back pay/educational pay/legal plans/differentials - and other benefits galore! Look at that RNPA contract for examples.
With the staffing laws in CA and the contracts the unions are able to negotiate for us, it can be pretty good working as an RN in this area. Raises usually occur 2x/year - on the nurses anniversay date and on the date that the union negotiates cost of living increases. Many hospitals have longevity increases when an RN tops out of the regular pay scale.
I have to say that I do not work for the county now and I am only going by personal experience here from what I have found to be available in my area. I'm also not a union steward or otherwise involved with the union beyond paying my monthly dues ($30/mo for me). Great jobs are out there and it IS possible to live comfortably in the Bay Area without working yourself to death.
MuddaMia
246 Posts
Do you know what in addition I could expect hourly if I opt out of recieving health benefits? Thanks