Highest possible pay for ADN/RN

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Hello,

My name is Paul and I'm hoping some here can give me some advice and opinions.

Long story short is My age is 44 and I am currently making 90k per year as an IT person but have very little college. I'm burnt out as I've been in IT for nearly 20 years and would like to do something else.

My sister is a Dr. and I have a yearning to help people. I'm also a health nut and enjoy medical things. I'm thinking about going to college and getting my ADN/RN. My questions are this:

1. Is it possible to make my current salary of 90k per year as an RN? What route would be the best to take to get there? I think I would enjoy critical care and ER work. Also possibly OR nursing.

2. Is what I'm asking feasible? It's been a long time since I've been in school. I'm a smart guy but I've struggled with math in the past and it's been a long time since I've done any math.

Thanks in advance for your help and advice!!!

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The answers to your questions will depend greatly on where in the country you are located, and what the need is in your region. For instance, in some areas of the country an ADN can definitely find work....in others, forget it unless you have a BSN. In some areas of the country -- ok, MOST--new grads are a dime a dozen, and can't find ANY work, let alone anything paying close to what you're talking about.

Specialty areas can and do pay more, depending on experience. You would be entry-level, no experience, and it would take years to make you worth anywhere near what you're talking about, again. Metropolitan areas pay much higher than more remote areas, as you'd expect, but the competition can also be quite high for jobs. "It Depends" is going to be the ONLY correct answer you can get on a broad-range message board such as this.

Competition for the sexy speciallties (the ones you describe as desirable to you, frankly) is high. Your expectation for landing such a job should be low. Will you be happy working in a nursing home for a year or two or more, for half as much pay as you are getting now? Would you be happy working on a med-surg floor of a hospital for about 2/3 of what you make now? Serious possibilities.

Without knowing the State and the needs of your area, no one can be more specific than that :)

As for math, it's not rocket science ;) A basic understanding of algebra, and something called dimensional analysis are all that's needed. Basic math skills and the ability to reason, without which you couldn't be a nurse anyway.

Hope this helps :)

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If you find a position that's offering 90K/year for an ADN please let me know where that is! ;-)

I agree with the above poster on everything. It's a long, long road to getting into nursing school, and a challenge to get through it. It often takes months for a new grad to find a job. I was a non-traditional older student with life and work experience and it was still difficult for me to find a job. The pay is new grad pay. Now 3 years into it I have had a couple of raises but not anything close to 90K. Not even close.

I would personally not give up your salary, but if you really want to help people, maybe get your MA or EMT certification and volunteer at some clinics that cater to homeless and lower income people, or volunteer for the fire dept on your days off. You might also use that MA or EMT training to do medical missions.

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Thanks for the reply. I live in Texas. If I look on the job boards and even in the newspaper there are jobs asking for nurses all over the place. Maybe these are all looking for experience and that is the key to any job I assume is to have the experience so that someone will want to hire you.

Thanks again for the reply.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

Honestly, it is EXTREMELY unlikely that you will make 90k right out of the starting gate as a new grad with an ADN, at least not with working just one job. With two jobs, maybe.

Perhaps in a market like San Francisco or NYC you may come close to making 90k at just one job, but in those markets, the BSN and not the ADN is the preferred degree...neverminding that the competition for jobs in those markets is beyond fierce.

Nursing can pay decently...but it's no longer the cash cow that it used to be.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

you might earn 90k after several years of specific experience, or as a CRNA, but otherwise, I doubt it

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Also, keep in mind that the $90,000 salary you desire is relative. Any location that offers that kind of salary for a one-job RN will also inevitably have a very high cost of living.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Sure if you work in California in San Francisco or Boston at a certain union facility AFTER experience....but your cost of living will be exorbitant. The job market is very tight right now and although positions are posted many are not hiring. The BSN is the preferred degree these days and the specialties you mentioned are very difficult for a new grad to land.

Texas

[TABLE]

[TR]

[TH=align: left]City and Area[/TH]

[TH=align: right]Median Salary[/TH]

[TH=align: right]Employees[/TH]

[TH=align: right]Job Density[/TH]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Abilene[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$60,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,460[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+26%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Amarillo[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$60,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]2,620[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+28%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Austin[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$65,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]10,080[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-38%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Beaumont[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$59,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]2,410[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-24%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Brownsville[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$69,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]2,330[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-8%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]College Station[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$60,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,180[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-33%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Corpus Christi[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$62,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]3,400[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-4%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Dallas[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$68,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]33,060[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-24%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]El Paso[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$63,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]4,760[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-13%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Fort Worth[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$65,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]14,780[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-17%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Houston[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$72,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]42,220[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-22%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Killeen[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$66,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]3,250[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+30%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Laredo[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$65,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,170[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-20%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Longview[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$60,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,800[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-1%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Lubbock[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$56,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]3,270[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+34%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Mcallen[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$72,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]4,400[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-4%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Midland[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$57,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]670[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-42%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Odessa[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$61,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]960[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-7%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]San Angelo[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$58,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,080[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+48%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]San Antonio[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$69,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]16,890[/TD]

[TD=align: right]-6%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Sherman[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$57,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,120[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+54%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Texarkana[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$65,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,620[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+65%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Tyler[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$60,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]2,820[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+65%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Victoria[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$50,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,380[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+61%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Waco[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$66,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]2,200[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+15%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Wichita Falls[/TD]

[TD=align: right]$57,000[/TD]

[TD=align: right]1,190[/TD]

[TD=align: right]+18%[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

Utah

Here is an AVERAGE job density and AVERAGE (not starting) salaries for the US....Nurses Schools, Salaries, and Job Data

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

It really depends on where you live. The very seasoned nurses at my hospital make over 100k/yr working three days a week. But that is after many years of experience and paying dues!

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Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

I'm in Texas. For an ADN to achieve $90,000/yr, they would have to be close to "topped out" on the wage scale for ADNs for my hospital and that would not likely happen before 18-20 years experience. It would probably also require night shift (for the $8-9/hr differential) and higher than usual weekend shifts (where you can bring in another $8-9/hr) to boost that pay. I unintentionally (really!!) spotted the letter with new pay rate for one of our nurses who had only 2-3 years experience, but she was BSN (which sadly has no direct effect on hourly pay where I work). It was 25 and change/hr. I was shocked.

Also, right now, most local hospitals require BSN as a new grad. My hospital will hire a few ADN new grads but they must sign a contract that they will be actively engaged in a BSN program within 2 years of hire.

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Specializes in Family Practice, Mental Health.

In the SF Bay Area of California, ADN nurses are easily earning six figures working less than full time hours. Good luck landing a job though. Especially if you "only" have your ADN. (I know....I know....) There is one hospital that I know of that is only hiring BSN, and in fact, have told all of their ADN nurses that if they do not go back to school and get their BSN by 2020, they will be out of a job. Fired. This includes the nurses that are on the hospital payroll in home health, hospice, and the various Dr's offices.

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Specializes in ICU, Geriatrics, Float Pool.

As someone who has a close friend in IT who also wanted to leave and come over to the medical side - make sure you don't underestimate the amount of work and lack of perks in this field. I told my friend to volunteer and shadow first since she'd already started picking out schools. She shadowed for a week and decided it wasn't for her due to the amount of physical labor, stress, and "inhumanity" involved. Also, 90k is very much the exception and not the norm for an ADN. You also will have to work holidays and weekends, with very few and rare exceptions.

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