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

nyforlove · Aug 16, 2006

Thanks..nice to know that SFran is a good option, but I love NYC so much for other reasons...On another thread, Miss Mab states that she started as a new grad nurse and makes $97K--must be a record!https://allnurses.com/forums/f100/nurses-hit-union-medical-center-federal-charges-violating-their-freedom-166627.html

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.

begalli · Aug 16, 2006

On another thread, Miss Mab states that she started as a new grad nurse and makes $97K--must be a record!

It's really great isn't it? I'm not really surprised by it though. It's so easy to earn $100k/yr in a short period of time.

I have a friend who has been an RN for 5 years this July. He makes well over $120k/yr. Because he had so much senority with the hospital prior to becoming an RN (he's one of those who "worked their way up"), that senority was considered when he started working as an RN. So he has a pretty "cush" position. He works days, 3 12's/wk - same three days every week doing exactly the type of nursing he loves to do - mostly cardiac. No holidays, no weekends and rare overtime. And yes, this is bedside nursing. He is never assigned charge nurse because he doesn't want it.

He also picks up 8 hours a week being a clinical assistant in one of the local nursing programs (the ADN program he completed). He meets students at their clinical sites. LOVES it!

He's in his mid-forties and a little over a year ago he purchased his first home. It's a condo that has already doubled in value. He also was able to purchase his DREAM car - a red corvette. He travels to enough fun places to make anyone envy him. He's single (one 18 year old son)!!

I have been a single mom for about 14 years. Getting through nursing school was tough - we ate a lot of hot dogs and pizza. I had two of my kids in college the same time I was and they were attending a UC and a very well know private University.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it can be done. With good planning and smart use of resources that ARE available out there people can really make it here as an RN. I'm afraid if I ever had to move to another state, I'm not sure I could work as an RN. I mean, it can't be as awful as it usually sounds on these forums, can it?

I would love to come and check out NY! Maybe a travel assignment in my future. (another thing that freaks me out - travel nursing! :) )

Sheri257 · Aug 17, 2006

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.

After just taking a vacation up in the Monterey area, I'd have to agree with you. The economics of Northern California are difficult ... although I noticed gas prices were actually a little cheaper than SoCal ... although that's probably the only thing that was cheaper.

Gorgeous area but awfully expensive. Which is why I live in the desert. I paid $150K for my house three years ago and I'll be making $80K when I graduate with full pension, etc. So there are ways to live cheaper in other areas of California and still make bank. (Although I should mention that my house would cost $300K now.)

And, of course, the wages in other states are much lower so ... I guess you'd have to figure out the cost of living difference to see if you really would come out ahead.

Regardless of opportunities in other states, I'm too scared of the ratios I hear about from travellers. 8-10 patients in Med Surg in places like Florida, Texas and Arizona ... no thanks. They can't give you more than 5 patients here in Cali, 10 with an LVN. So, I'm here to stay.

:typing

Sheri257 · Aug 17, 2006

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.

Yeah ... you can't beat the Calpers pension. And it's protected by state law so you know it's gonna be there in 20 years. Not sure how it works with various counties but, with the state, you don't have to make contributions. BUT, it's definitely a better pension if you do. Depending on which job you have, the pensions differ but ...

Just as an example, a miscellaneous employee gets 1.25 percent of their salary for every year of service without any personal contributions. But if you contribute, that can eventually increase your pension to as much as 2.5 percent of your salary for every year of service (assuming you have a lot of years in). So, it can potentially double your pension, which is paid for the rest of your life.

Also, if you don't make contributions but decide later on that you want to ... you can do a payment plan to catch up and get the full benefits. Plus, they also have two 401K type savings plans where you can save up to $30K a year on your own and defer taxes ... although there's no matching funds with those plans.

I've been pension shopping, so to speak, and you just can't beat Calpers. It's better than anything else out here.

:typing

Miss Mab · Aug 17, 2006

I'll assume NYforlove wasn't doubting my "record'.--

$52.17/hr x36=1878.12---x52=97662. I work nights and benefits are okay as far as I know. Medical benes are free. They have a 401k and a defined benefit pension.

I just wanted to respond because others' have mentioned that folks "tend to inflate" their earnings. While I think that's probably true, here, in this forum, I like to be totally up front because i am trying to show the disparity out there in nurse pay despite this shortage country wide. (I don't go around in real life discussing salary--in my family I'm the low-earner :) )Whether i have my salary because of a union, or cost of living or whatever---it is NOT RIGHT the compensation some are getting. Why do we put up with this?

And for the cost of living argument, yes, it is way more expensive to live here, but I went to school out of state and now make more than 50grand more than some of my classmates. I lived there for a year, it is NOT a fifty thousand dollar COL difference.

We all deserve more for this job!!

RebeccaJeanRN · Aug 17, 2006

One way to get more pay for the job we do is to work with each other nationally to raise the minimum education required to BSN...generally speaking the less education needed for a job, the less pay. I know...I know...I know!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the number one HOT button and usually starts the same old argument because ADN nurses think this is some kind of a put down. So let's not go there, please...of course if you gimme any experienced nurse (LVN, ADN) over a new grad BSN, I'd hire him/her in a flash. But if education was raised to BSN level, they'd 'grandfather' in all the ADNs...meaning that they'd be considered EQUAL when the change was made, if they had their license before that. So it would hurt NOBODY and benefit us all. When will all nurses accept that as long as we ourselves work against ourselves by fighting to keep 2 year degrees, then the pay scale will reflect that. Its a simple concept- but raises so many angry voices whenever this issue is brought up! Add to that the PROVEN fact that any job that is full of women (and I am a woman too, so this is not a 'woman' putdown!) always pays lower because women are reluctant to fight for the right pay scale. (Think "teachers". And don't say men are teachers too...not in anywhere near the same numbers as women!!) We are getting paid the pay we deserve, because we are willing to accept it and I am so sick & tired of seeing posts "if you are going into nursing for the money, do us all a favor and skip it", as if a woman would be evil to select a career path for BOTH the intrinsic and financial rewards. Nobody ever said to a doctor back in 1950, when doctors were mostly men, "if you are going into medicine for the money, then skip it"- because most of them DID go into it for the money and everyone knew it. If it was out of just a genuine desire to nurture, they woulda' been nurses! Altruism is nice, but whoever said that a job well done is not worth being paid what its worth? (Can you tell that this annoys the heck out of me? Well it does! :angryfire ) Fellow nurses- do not be afraid or think you are less than caring if you stand up and DEMAND the wage we are worth!!!!!!

MuddaMia · Aug 17, 2006

:yeahthat: I TOTALLY agree. I was just ranting to my husband tonight about how this site (dont get me wrong--I love this site) tells us that in order to be a happy,successful nurse we need to have some empty pit in our souls that can only be fixed by becoming a nurse.Many of us are caring,empathetic individuals that enjoy the challenge of the medical field--yet we want to be paid, and paid well!

The education, commitment, responsibility SCREAMS that we deserve to be a respected profession with the salary to support that distinction.

I would never say that ADN prepared nurses are any less of a nurse than a BSN prepared nurse...but what other profession lets their licensed professionals only take "core" classes to gain licensure?

begalli · Aug 17, 2006

I believe that you didn't mean to say it, but you just said it.

What some don't seem to understand is that most adn's have two FULL years of prerequisites BEFORE they enter the 2 year nursing program = 4 years altogether. I see no reason why bsn shouldn't be the norm, but let's be informed about adn/asn's, okay?

How disappointing that the adn vs bsn was brought into this really informative thread about wages in CA.

I guess I'm guilty now for replying to the adn/bsn thing. This is a great informative thread, I think, about pay the way it is NOW, not our nursing education. And while it can be argued that the degree may have an inpact on salary, that's not what this thread is about.

obynna · Aug 17, 2006

Thanks so much for this wonderful information.I am currently in Nigeria,but about to be recruited by an agent to work in Florida.The agent is to pay me $23/hour,is it fair?

MuddaMia · Aug 17, 2006

I believe that you didn't mean to say it, but you just said it.
What some don't seem to understand is that most adn's have two FULL years of prerequisites BEFORE they enter the 2 year nursing program = 4 years altogether. I see no reason why bsn shouldn't be the norm, but let's be informed about adn/asn's, okay?

I am sorry, I didn't mean to imply that an ADN was an 'easy' degree. I know better. Of course I am aware of the prereqs. I had an AA before I decided to go to NS and had to take the same ones in order to get into the BSN program.(I didn't take them in my AA degree). I had hoped I made it clear that I feel a ADN is just as prepared as the BSN. I never meant to say ADN VS BSN--just that if from here on out they required a BSN and grandfathered the already licensed RN's in it would make our profession better understood. I mean..2 years of prereqs and 2 yrs of nursing classes IS 4 year's and it should be the standard BSN for a 4 year degree.

Sheri257 · Aug 17, 2006

I see no reason why bsn shouldn't be the norm, but let's be informed about adn/asn's, okay?

The reason BSN's aren't the norm is that 70 percent of the nursing programs in this state are ADN. It would cost of a fortune to try to convert them to BSN.

I'm so tired of this argument ... it's ridiculous and totally impractical.

:banghead:

MuddaMia · Aug 17, 2006

The reason BSN's aren't the norm is that 70 percent of the nursing programs in this state are ADN. It would cost of a fortune to try to convert them to BSN.
I'm so tired of this argument ... it's ridiculous because it's totally impractical.

Community Colleges are now starting to offer bachelors degrees in certain areas..why not convert ADN programs to BSN programs? I think saying it is impractical is just giving up and shows no foresight. Something has to change to give us the respect and

compensation we deserve.