Help With VA Pay

VampyrSlayer, CNA · Nov 10, 2018

It should say the ranges on the VA website under the specific job.

Scarletknight8, ADN, BSN · Nov 10, 2018

I was talking more about the Grade and Step

HomeBound · Nov 13, 2018

The VA grades by a point system. First, you tick off the box for your BSN. Is the school accredited? If not, you do not get the points for your BSN. If so, then you move on to years of experience. Then you move on to credentials, but they will have to be in the specialty in which you are applying. For example, my CEN would mean nothing if i were being graded for ICU.

The usajobs.gov website should have the description. Nurse 1 level 1 would be new grad. Nurse 1 level 2 would be whatever it says. And so on.

Grades are where you fall inside the levels. You can start as a nurse 1 level 1 grade 5, even if you only have a year of experience, if you meet certain criteria...certs, charge exp.,precepting, etc.

I will make assumptions. Bsn will probably get you nurse 2. There are no levels at nurse 2 i believe. Someone else needs to check me on that. So you would be a nurse 2 and then they grade you on years of experience, certs, charge exp., preceptor exp., anything educational or experiential youcan add, DO IT. Also....references are critical. If you can get two supervisory references to fill out the form that comes directly from the VA HR office as "superior" and not just above average...they give you points for that.

So ....for example, you land at Nurse 2 grade 6. You go to the opm.gov website, look up your station...look up the pay schedule for nursing. Every station is different, because of locality pay and other criteria. You look down the schedule for nursing...and if your specialty has a separate payscale you will see it there. Critical care, crna, rn mgr, etc all have separate payscales than a med surg nurse.

You slide down to nurse 2, and over to grade 6. There is your probable starting yearly wage. No shift diff, no weekend diff included.

Now. You are asking what would YOU make? I have no idea because i don't know where you are, what your resume looks like, your experiences, or your education. I also am not on the committee that determines your grade.

You need to know one last thing. Until you complete pretty much the entire hiring process, you will not be graded. You have an interview. Then reference checks (written and only gotten by HR at the VA. So dont even consider using a friend or a fake reference). Then e-qip background check. Then vetpro certification. Then drug screen and physical.

In other words, you have to get the provisional offer from the unit manager and then jump through many hoops to get to the final step of grading. You will receive no information on salary until ALL of the steps are complete.

Long process, 3-4 months...or longer if your references dont respond promptly.

If i were you, look at the range on the job description on usajobs.gov. there is a high and low. In the worst case scenario, which you are NOT...would you be able to live with the lowest salary?

I have a relative who just went thru this. She looked atthe nurse 1 level 1 salary and said, "even if i started out right at that level, i would be okay with that". She was making $26/hr, and $2.50 shift diff at her job. No real chances for advancement. Crappy benefits. No overtime.

The benefits at the VA are not always in your paycheck. But going down that road....you have your base hourly rate. Figure it on the lowest nurse 1 level 1 and go from there. Then you have 10% night shift diff during weekdays. Then 35% nights weekend. Double time holidays. PTO and sick time are separate. 4 weeks of vacation, 8 hrs per pay accrued sick time. Great health benefits, but you pay probably twice the premium you would pay at a standard hospital. Union protection. If you are a go getter andget yourself involved and learn new things, you can jump grades pretty quickly in addition to your yearly COLA raises.

The other benefits are non tangible. Free parking at most VA facilities. Uniforms either signed out to you or a stipend. Education reimbursement after a year. Security in your job. Any type of retaliatory behavior from colleagues or higher ups is swiftly dealt with. Working with the veterans!!!! No time clocks. Working for the veterans!!! Ability to transfer to other Va facilities without losing seniority. The retirement system is second to none. Working with the veterans!!!

So. Does this answer your question?

Good luck on your interview. The VA is a fabulous place to work and you are giving back to the men and women of our armed services. I only wish i had been smart enough to land in a VA facility years ago, but my relative loves it.

Scarletknight8, ADN, BSN · Nov 20, 2018

Thank you, This is an awesome reply