How much do nurses make?

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This is something me and my classmates have been debating about so I thought I'd ask here. I know it varies with where you live and setting, but I'm just trying to get an idea. I'm going for a 4yr degree and planning on applying to hospitals. As a new grad, was your salary what you expected? If you're willing to tell me, could you provide your current salary, state you live in, and years of experience?

Specializes in L&D.

This nurses in my neck of the woods (southeast texas) make $25 bucks an hour base pay. $4 buck shift differential for nights and an additional $1 or $2 bucks for weekends. Pretty solid for a new grad.

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Specializes in L&D.
I live in lovely California. I make over 100k a year. I have a BSN and work in home health. Maybe it's time those in the areas that pay less, make a move elsewhere. Just an FYI, I only have 5 years experience, 27 years of age, and only have one job. On top of that, I go school full time graduating next year with my NP. I just bought a brand new 6 bedroom house. So anything is possible in the right places.

If your job doesn't cut it, make a change that's the only way things will get better.

You are KILLING it!

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Specializes in L&D.

Silly question: what is SNF?

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Silly question: what is SNF?

Skilled nursing facility.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
You are KILLING it!

But that's in CA, everything is more expensive there so the pay is higher.

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Specializes in L&D.
But that's in CA, everything is more expensive there so the pay is higher.

Valid point taken!

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Specializes in ED.
Valid point taken!

But not entirely true, California is a large state that extends beyond the Bay Area and the Palm Tree belt. Some places have a reasonable cost of living and good wages.

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

In 1981, new grad BSN, $9/hour. It was great!

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California also has unions

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Specializes in ED.
California also has unions

Funny thing about Unions, although it currently is a (buyer's) employer's market; high tide floats all boats. Academic facilities, state facilities (prisons and jails), and Kaiser are strongly represented by unions. There are others but I am simplifying my argument. These three highly unionized entities raise the wage rate for the surrounding nonunion region.

What happens is there are rural and medically underserved pockets in California that are subject to higher wage pressure by unionized facilities such as prisons or university affiliated hospitals but are in sufficiently rural and agricultural areas that tend to place a downward pressure on the overall cost of living.

Do a little research and they are easy to find. Granted they will not have the glamour of living with palm trees and the beach, nor will they have the cultural attractions of the Bay Area but you can receive a comfortable wage, and live a reasonable life with the advantage of loan help and grants for laboring in a medically underserved area.

Research is your friend, and laugh at the out of staters that have absolutely no clue when they bash a small part of a large diverse state based on misperceptions of a couple of small regions.

Learn to love nurse ratios while you are are it, you're welcome.

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Right out of school for me at ManorCare (a company all over the US with 60k employees) I make 24.50/hr and it will increase to 25/hr after my 90 day period. That is with my shift differential. Without it, it was 22.50. Shift differential is $2.00 for 2nd shift.

What??? I went to manorcare right of school - 21.50 and the night shift differential was only $1! Your money might have made it worth the awful experience.

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Specializes in Education.

As a new grad, I was making about 35K/year. Cost of living is so-so here; being married to someone who makes twice as much as I do is a very large stress relief.

Currently, with differentials, I'm making about 24/hour. (Could get more at a different facility, but I haven't hit that point of needing the extra income)

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