How important is amount of PAY to you?

AnnaN5 · Sep 15, 2010

Why is the pay difference so large? Will you have better benefits or working hours such as no weekends or holidays? Was the other facility paying so much more because the work conditions are less than ideal?

Pay rate is important but you have to factor in everything else as well. I don't know if I would take a $10/hr pay cut but sometimes I think taking a $5/hr pay cut would be worth it to only work weekdays.

Kyrshamarks, BSN, RN · Sep 15, 2010

$12,000 a year..the cost of a small car.

lilypad2424 · Sep 15, 2010

Wow, $10 is A BIG DIFFERENCE....hmmmmm. Would be a tough decision.

That being said, there is not a dollar amount that can put a price on being happy.

hopefulwhoop · Sep 15, 2010

Yeah, is there a reason for the huge pay difference? That is insane. Where are these positions, LTC, hospital?

Ang_RN · Sep 15, 2010

Of course I need to make decent money. But I want to be happy and confident with my job. I took $2.00 less an hour, a 40 minute longer drive.. and having to pay my own benefits to get the job in the specialty I wanted.

So.. I guess what I make is definitely not at the top of my list! Also.. I am just happy to have a job!

Ang_RN · Sep 15, 2010

I also see that you said "could have gotten" or what was in the market..

My opinion.. the market isn't strong.. take the job!

GM2RN · Sep 15, 2010

For me, it would depend primarily on whether or not I could cover all of my bills and have some play money left over on the lesser paying job. If I could, and I liked (or at least think I would like) the job better than the higher paying one, then it would be worth it. If I couldn't pay my bills making that much less, then it would be a non-issue.

violet_violet · Sep 15, 2010

public health vs hospital job... pay is definitely different.

just can't really decide if i want to wait around for a NG RN position (grad. dec. 09) or just take the PH job....

shiccy · Sep 15, 2010

You gotta look at both sites ... if the public health is a government job with the CDC vs. a hospital job at podunk Willy's Corner Triage Center w/ 5 beds, ... I think the CDC would win even IF it was a bit less in $ just for sake of job security. Plus governmental job benefits are KILLER and are there for LIFE (huge bonus)

Midwest4me · Sep 15, 2010

pay makes a huge difference to me; hence the reason i do so much overtime. i'd take the public health job; it's available now and you may just like it a whole lot! like others said, you have to consider other aspects too. are the benefits better with this than the hospital job?

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Sep 15, 2010

I've never been in a situation where I've had two RN jobs offering such a diffent payscale. When I was a landscape laborer I ran into this a lot though. My experience:

One job told me I'd basically be pushing a mower 40/hrs a week and Saturday OT was "optional". Another, the one that paid more (not $10 more, but it was a sig. difference) was known for mandatory OT, getting out late on a daily basis and skipping lunch. I took the lower pay, figuring I'd just watch the money closely but be happier. WRONG. The lower paying job was every bit a PIA as the other would have been. They claimed you got out on time every day.............well, sure you did..............IF YOU WORKED LIKE SUPERMAN for eight hours. Most of the time, it was like every other landscape company. I'd get out late every day, saturdays were mandated becasue "too many people are calling off, its your co-workers fault not yours" (I had perfect attendence) and the only reason we got lunch was because the boss was diabetic and couldn't skip it.

So, a little over half way through the season, I switched to the company that paid more. The people at that company were more cheerful, more willing to go the extra mile and saturdays were rarely mandated.

Moral of the story: A lot of businesses will claim "We pay less but have a much better working environment". Its not true in my experience.