Hourly Pay or Salary... What is best?

[Cairo662]

What is best???? Hourly pay or Salary? I would love to hear from experienced nurses out there. Can you tell me your opinions and why? I would appreciate it greatly! Thanks.

[TazziRN, RN]

Hourly. They must pay you for overtime. If you're salaried you belong to THEM and they can work you for as long as they like per day/week.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

the salary is what marks us as professionals.

that said, you make out better financially with hourly pay.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

As a previous poster mentioned, salary pay is often the mark of a true professional. Salary pay is associated with educated professionals, whereas hourly wages are associated with blue-collar workers.

With that being said, I prefer hourly pay rates. If I am required to stay behind after my work shift is over, at least I will be paid overtime. Salaried employees frequently work in excess of 40 hours per week, yet they receive no additional compensation for all of the extra worked hours. I don't care if others perceive me as a lowly worker, just as long as I'm being paid by the hour for every single hour that I have worked!

[angel337, MSN, RN]

give me hourly any day.

[imenid37]

I make a salary. I'd be happy to go back to hourly.

[llg, PhD, RN]

It depends on the job. If I were working in a staff nurse position, I would prefer to be paid hourly. However, in my staff development position, I prefer to be salaried because it comes with a flexibility in my work hours and my work habits that I really appreciate and have learned to use to my advantage.

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

I'll be a non-professional any day and keep my hourly pay. In the end that higher pay will send me on more frequent vacations where I can worry about my not appearing professional as I tan under the Caribbean sun (I'm off on a Caribbean cruise in less than 2 weeks!).

The original question was which is better; salary or hourly. Hourly is no question. My husband had a job that paid better than my nursing job. But I was furious about it because he worked 60 hours a week and was on call all but 24 hours a week. Yes, seriously, he was only free to himself for 1 day a week. I asked him to quit because by my calculations he could get any minimum wage job at fast-food and make as much or more.

If making hourly pay makes me non-professional. . . well. . . .

[Rnandsoccermom]

I would NEVER work for salary in this "profession".

[Lacie, BSN, RN]

Definitely hourly, but also contrary to most beliefs salaried positions are required to pay overtime only in the condition if you are not in a "management or supervisory" position. If you dont have other employees under you that you manage then if on a salaried wage you are entitled to overtime pay. Most people arent aware of this and some companies get away with not paying or using titles that lead to the belief it is a management position. I went through this years ago when I was classified as a Medical case manager and on salary. I also was unaware I was entitled to overtime pay until my employer was investigated. I had no other employees under me so I did recup $ for the loss overtime pay along with several other former employees of the company. The employer was also fined $20,000. She also had to pay us double the back wages owed. :)

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

Hourly works better for me. I'm a floor nurse, and I want my overtime.

[OC_An Khe]

As a previous poster said it depends on what job you are doing. If you are doing direct patient care, especially in a SNF, hospital, et.al., definetly hourly (non-exempt) payment.

The idea that salary is what makes you a professional is bogus. Lawyers bill by the hour ( they're paid hourly)and physicians bill by services rendered (called piece work). Professionalism is far more then how you are compensated.