Low Ball The New Grad

Nurses New Nurse

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So here I am, licensed up and ready to work. However, as I get calls, I'm getting super low-balled in salary with each interview.

For instance, in Iowa, the average salary is around 50k per year. I was offered 35k per year at LTC.

I'm wondering how to handle this and how long I should wait around for that "decent" paying job.

Would you ask for increase of salary because you know that you are being incredibly low-balled? If so, how would you go about that?

And, I wonder, on average, how much a new grad makes without any experience (me)?

Should I expect this no matter where I go and apply?

Thanks for your insight.

Specializes in Management, Med/Surg, Clinical Trainer.

Most healthcare facilities use a matrix to hire staff. Important hiring criteria such as years of experience, education or certifications carry a certain amount of rank. The more of each of those the more the 'starting' pay.

In theory this is meant to be fair and avoid discrimination.

Specializes in Orthopedic, LTC, STR, Med-Surg, Tele.

Is it $35,000/year for 40 hours per week? It sounds about right for a new grad working in a hospital 3 or 4 8-hour days/eves/nocs per week. It depends on what you're applying to which the OP didn't mention.

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

Keep in mind that you have no RN experience, so you will not be making the "average" RN salary. As a new grad, you are on one of the lower rungs of the pay scale, so you need to keep that in mind when looking at salaries for a given region and adjust your expectations accordingly.

Or you could wait for the "average" salary and risk waiting for a very long time--it's not as though there's a nursing shortage right now. There are a lot of other new grads who will jump at $35k...and facilities know it. Very few facilities would fight to entice you into signing on, when they can easily fill the spot for less. This is no slur upon you, OP: this is just the reality of today's job market.

Best of luck whatever you decide.

Specializes in telemetry, ICU.

yep times are tough for a new grad. I graduated in December, work in Louisiana for $19.75/ hour (ok so $20.00 with BSN differential, a whole $0.25 for the degree!), 40 hour weeks... This is an average pay for the area, however I am from CA where pay is much higher mid 20's-40's, but could not find a job. It sucks, but I knew that going into this, I wanted experience and didn't want to wait around for a CA job. I made more money as a nurse intern in CA before I graduated! I do get $4.00 differential for weekends. (night and eves get diff too, but I am on days)

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