Nurse starting pay

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I currently just applied into nursing school and have a pretty good feeling that I will be accepted; however, recently looking through the internet I see that the average pay for nuses is around 63,000 a year-- that is from BLS. Other websites show that is way more than reality. I see a lot of 45,000 range. My question is will I be able to support myself and my daughter and live comfortably on a nurses salary single? I live TN by the way. Also what are some benefits? I thought about switching over to dental hygiene. Thanks for the support!

0 Votes
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Keep in mind that average salary includes those that are the lowest and those that are the highest- for all experience levels and all areas regardless of cost of living. It would be better to get the average salary for new grads in your area. That way, you can determine if the salary will allow you to support your family. Benefits are going to highly depend on the employer and what they offer. I've used Payscale to look at my salary for my area- it lets users break down by city and years of experience. Entry Level Registered Nurse (RN) Salary

0 Votes

I'm in TN (East) as well and my job pays RNs $20.50hr. On Glassdoor.com you can see people's salaries they've posted.

0 Votes
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Pay rates are heavily dependent on the cost of living in a particular locale. It is all about location, location, location.

You are in TN, where new RNs start at $18 to $21/hr in many parts of the state. Then again, TN is a cheaper place to live than Oakland, CA where new grad RN wages easily exceed $45/hr due to unionization and the staggering cost of living.

Always remember that local healthcare facilities pay nursing staff not a penny more than what is required to attract and retain the talent.

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment