How much is a normal raise

[Sully64]

I am feeling heartbroken. I work hard, I am always on time. I switch shifts all the time when asked by my manager last minute. I am on 2 committees that are extra. I am also back in school working on my BSN. Well, we just got our annual raise, mine is almost 2%. I feel very hurt. What is normal? Of course we were told if we discuss compensation or raises in any way you can be fired for violation of the code of conduct. It was delieverd to us via email, not even face to face. I am now feeling like I want to give up my committees, since they cut into my school time, and as soon as I finish school IM OUT. Clearly no appreciation here. And when they continue to call me last minute to cover a shift, the answer will now be NO.

[NOADLS]

I agree. The lazy nurse often earns the same rate of pay as the nurse who busts her butt to perform above and beyond. Other than pride or work ethic, there's no incentive to go the extra mile.

Exactly. We all get our 1-2% raise per year to keep up with inflation. Doesn't matter how much (or how little) effort you put into your job as long as you meet the minimum expectations.

[Borntobenurse?]

I have been a nurse for about 7 years, and have been at 7 hospitals (some of that do to traveling, other parts caused I switched positions).

My first job was for $21 in 2009 at a Med Tele. Quit before a raise was even an option.

My next job I went to $26 in 2010 for being a night charge at a psych (which was formerly a state institution so they had awesome policies like 12 paid hours for holidays whether you worked or not, and 1.5 pay if you actually worked). But they had no regular raises, you were just supposed to ask and then they might give it too you (a bad policy IMO, most people don't want to do that, but great if your aggressive).

In 2011 I went back to $19.50ish when I came back to med surg, which was raised to 21.50 ish in the year and a couple months I worked there between a raise and a market adjustment. This is the only real raise I ever got.

I then switched to a job paying $23.50 in 2012, which was underpay for my experience in the area, but I wanted to get in the door, and I knew they had given good raises in the past, and had a ladder system. Well within 6 months of me arriving they froze wages and dumped the ladder d/t Obamacare coming online in 2013 (they were suffering major losses because they A. were building a new tower, and B. Bought a physicians group for 50 million). I found the excuses unacceptable and decided to find a new situation, so I travel nursed. Got paid about 1300 a week doing that in Florida which was on the low side for a traveler, but I didn't really know.

Then I got a 'per diem job' for $33.60 a hour which I pretty much worked full time and mooched off my wifes health insurance. At some point the per diem rate went to 34.20 and I also got a annual bonus cause I worked over 1000 hours.

This year I did another travel assignment and made about 1450 a week in Tennessee.

My current position is a union job in California working for one of the UC's. Not only is there a 4% COL increase for the current contract, but also a 2% step raise. The contract ends next summer so who knows what will happen then, but I don't know if the current rate is feasible. I calculated and by the time I end up at the top of the ladder if it keeps going at 6% it would be like $100 a hour in 12 years. I am not sure a hospital can keep its doors open with that kind of wage for nurses. But I will ride the train as long as it goes.

So my advice is move to California or a union state with set 'step' contracts and COL increases. My current job has a pension too, but I am not certain whether I am gonna do it. With the 8% contribution to a 401A that the UC will make now (vested after a year), it takes forever for the pension to be a better deal when compared with a nice index fund at 7% return. But with the contract the way it is with the union, I don't know how I could leave, I know that I will not get better pay. I haven't made up my mind on which way to go yet on the retirement tho.

[Spastic]

Our nurses work like dogs, our raise is 2.5 %. NOT enough

[MissourigalRN]

Where I work being a good employee, switching shifts, putting in the extra effort doesn't get you a raise. We do not get annual raises with our yearly reviews. We had a new company buy us out which resulted in a 2% wage increase for me. They decided to double our insurance premiums so it's all for nothing anyway.

[HelloWish, ADN, BSN]

delete

[HelloWish, ADN, BSN]

My pay has increased through job-hopping, not via merit raises.

Every time I've gotten a merit raise, the end result was a whopping $0.50 to $1.25 added to my hourly pay rate. Whoop-de-doo! However, quitting to go work elsewhere resulted in a pay increase of up to $4.00 hourly.

How often would you suggest job hopping? I stayed at my first job as a floor nurse for 9 months and was way underpaid. I am at my newer clinic job with about a 12K increase - been here for 8 months. I want to stay here at least a year or two as it is a good job. However, the commute is really rough and I spend way too much time driving. I could get 2 hours of my life back if I found a job closer to home eventually.

Also, if you job hop, who do you use as references?

[klone, MSN, RN]

Those posters who are suggesting "job hopping" are generally talking about changing jobs every 2-3 YEARS, not months. If you have a history of only staying at a job for less than a year, you will eventually become unhireable.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

Where I work being a good employee, switching shifts, putting in the extra effort doesn't get you a raise. We do not get annual raises with our yearly reviews. We had a new company buy us out which resulted in a 2% wage increase for me. They decided to double our insurance premiums so it's all for nothing anyway.

Exactly this. We were bought out by a new company resulting in a significant raise. Yippee! Followed by WTH??? They took away shift differentials, bonuses, charge pay and raised the insurance premium by 20%. Now I net about the same to a little less than before the raise.