So you're an RN - you must be earning big!

[_littlemissBSN]

Certainly, I'm not the only one who gets irked whenever I hear this, am I? It's true that if we were to look at figures alone, we get paid a decent amount compared to other professions and that we enjoy benefits that are not available in other jobs. I'm just surprised a lot of people believe nurses are huge $$$ maker. My family and several of my patients think we earn a lot, but do we really?

Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful to have this career and that I'm earning money, but is it unreasonable if I think nurses in general are actually underpaid? That our compensation barely matches the responsibility, stress, workload, and other things we put up with work (i.e. under-staffing, workplace politics, etc)?

I wish I can say that each and every time I'm told I make so much money or that I must be living comfortably because I'm a nurse. I wish I am, but no. Nurses may earn a little more than some, but we have to really work our butts off day in and day out for every paycheck we get.

[Serhilda, ADN, RN]

Like the previous posters mentioned, it's subjective so I don't get irritated at all. I'll make more than most of my friends and family members, so from their perspective, I'm doing great.

[Beldar_the_Cenobite, CNA]

I think RNs make a lot of money. It's far more than anything I've ever made and I've never made more than maybe $10 hr for the past 10 years. If I was an RN right now making what they making either starting out or with experience, just starting out we'll use that, I'd feel rich. It'd be rich enough for me. Would I care for a 7 bedroom mansion and a Rolls Royce Phantom? No. But maybe an apartment with gas range and a fireplace while I pay for high speed top quality wifi and I can afford car repair and regular clothes from like Target or somewhere decent like Levi's, that's enough for me.

I wonder if there is one person, at least one, on here who can relate to someone who has family members that think you don't need them anymore. That's how my family is. They think I don't need them anymore and that's why they won't talk to me. Why I'll never know. But it will be a very sad shame if I get into nursing school, pass all my classes and boards, and they never knew I was in nursing school or even graduated. Sometimes it's best to just keep toxic people out of your life.

[Guest219794]

I think RNs make a lot of money. It's far more than anything I've ever made and I've never made more than maybe $10 hr for the past 10 years. If I was an RN right now making what they making either starting out or with experience, just starting out we'll use that, I'd feel rich. It'd be rich enough for me. Would I care for a 7 bedroom mansion and a Rolls Royce Phantom? No. But maybe an apartment with gas range and a fireplace while I pay for high speed top quality wifi and I can afford car repair and regular clothes from like Target or somewhere decent like Levi's, that's enough for me.

I wonder if there is one person, at least one, on here who can relate to someone who has family members that think you don't need them anymore. That's how my family is. They think I don't need them anymore and that's why they won't talk to me. Why I'll never know. But it will be a very sad shame if I get into nursing school, pass all my classes and boards, and they never knew I was in nursing school or even graduated. Sometimes it's best to just keep toxic people out of your life.

Financially similar boat here- I more than doubled my income as soon as I started working as a nurse. I really appreciate earning what I earn.

My friends who are doctors and lawyers don't think of my salary as a lot of money,

My friends who are raft guides and ski patrollers do think of it a lot of money.

What they think of my paycheck has nothing to do with what either group thinks of me.

Regarding people I don't know: IT never occurred to me to care what they think.

[hawaiicarl, BSN, RN]

I usually just say "Doing ok, I make half of what a plumber makes, without the post-retirement medical or pension."

Cheers

[/username, BSN, RN]

I've never heard any comments like that in my life!

Maybe it's my generation but sex, money, religion, and politics are not discussed in polite company or even casually among family and friends.

Really??

I regularly talk with anyone who will listen about how I railed a hooker on a trump flag outside a yeshiva.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Well said. I made pretty good money with my ASN. I also had life and death in my hands.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

I think nurses make a living wage and that is becoming increasingly rare in America where 50% of workers make less than $18/hr and 40% of them make less than $16/hr! That said I don't think we make enough for the stress and responsibility we have and the constant short staffing and wear and tear on our bodies too many of us face.

I just hit $70,000 a year after almost 25 years. Granted I don't do overtime and take low census even unpaid when I can get it due to the stress. I started at $13 and now make over $35 plus work nights and weekends to make what I do. Yes if I was more motivated to pick up OT which is plentiful I could probably make six figures, but I can't deal with the stress of alarms blaring nonstop and dealing with so many altered mental status peeps. I'm making just over $10/hr more than new grads so there is a lot of wage compression in nursing. Raises are never more than 2-3% a year, pension is frozen, and health insurance, deductible and out of pocket keep rising. Also so many nurses have chronic back, neck and shoulder injuries, struggle with chronic pain, need chiropractors, epidurals and sometimes even surgery; yet most have to pay out of pocket because unless you had a sudden injury you don't qualify for workers comp even though everyone knows its from the job!

[Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP]

I think I make excellent money compared to where I was. I started out as a homeless teen with nothing, and then attended nursing school in England where I received a £600 a month stipend to live on. When I graduated the nursing wage in the NHS was poor and I was earning £1000 a month. I never expected money from nursing. Now 30 years later in the USA I'm earning over 6 figures and I feel very fortunate. When I graduate as an NP I will expect to receive even more. I believe we earn much more than most people in America but I will say that I don't believe we are paid enough for what we do. When I was recovering post op open heart patients I thought I had the most difficult job in the world with a huge amount of responsibility. I'm happy with my lot but I do believe that nurses deserve more.

[NurseJamillah, MSN, NP]

I think it is subjective.

I am only a graduate nurse, but looking at the state averages for nurses where I live, I will be taking a pay cut. I knew that before going to school for nursing. This is a second career for me although I am obviously not doing it for the money, I would not have chosen to switch fields if I thought I wouldn't make enough to be able to 1) contribute to a household or 2) support myself for life.

That being said, all throughout school, I did get lots of comments from strangers like "good for you, now you'll be making good money" or "nurses in the city only work two 12s but get paid for 40 hours, and anything beyond that is overtime... If you go to the city and work overtime, you'll be rolling in money!" And yes, this was unsolicited advice/comments from complete strangers. Instead of making a conversation out of it, I usually just acknowledged their comment with a smile. Sometimes that actually made some people mad, I guess they wanted a conversation out of it... So then, I switched it up and would act surprised and I would say "Oh really? That's good to know!" I got less grief out of that response! But it got to the point where I didn't like telling people I was in school for nursing.

[BlueShoes12, BSN, RN]

Honestly? I'm been an RN for over a year now and I feel like I'm rolling in money - I'm easily making $20K/year more now (before taxes) than I've ever made before. I make enough to buy a house, pay for my BSN, pay for a horse and travel without feeling pinched, and that's with contributing 15% to a retirement fund. Maybe it's because I got used to living on a tight budget and driving an old car that I feel relatively well off now...

ETA: I have worked exactly one overtime shift in the whole year I've been at this job.

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

It is usually lower classes who think this.

I went to school with a bunch of rich kids with doctors, lawyers, and business people for parents. Those kids weren't ever going to nursing school. They saw nursing as very working to middle class, and in some ways it is.

My younger brother majored in engineering and straight out school made more than what the vast majority of nurses with almost twenty years of experience make. And he is a 22 year old kid. My boyfriend is a CPA and is always telling me about these crazy bonuses his workers get. He himself will probably be getting yearly bonuses worth three months of MY pay. My hospital gives out bonuses that are worth perhaps 1.5 days worth of my boyfriend's work.

He works at a nice cushy desk where a missed calculation doesn't end lives. I am responsible for several lives at once and one mistake could easily harm or kill someone. I also work evenings, weekends and holidays...he doesn't.

Think about that for a moment.

[TriciaJ, RN]

I think RNs make a lot of money. It's far more than anything I've ever made and I've never made more than maybe $10 hr for the past 10 years. If I was an RN right now making what they making either starting out or with experience, just starting out we'll use that, I'd feel rich. It'd be rich enough for me. Would I care for a 7 bedroom mansion and a Rolls Royce Phantom? No. But maybe an apartment with gas range and a fireplace while I pay for high speed top quality wifi and I can afford car repair and regular clothes from like Target or somewhere decent like Levi's, that's enough for me.

I wonder if there is one person, at least one, on here who can relate to someone who has family members that think you don't need them anymore. That's how my family is. They think I don't need them anymore and that's why they won't talk to me. Why I'll never know. But it will be a very sad shame if I get into nursing school, pass all my classes and boards, and they never knew I was in nursing school or even graduated. Sometimes it's best to just keep toxic people out of your life.

Families aren't all they're cracked up to be. The marvelous thing about reaching the age of majority is the ability to choose your own family. A close group of friends can become like family. Good luck.