How much do RNs make in San Francisco Bay Area? Is it hard to find employment there?

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I'm expecting to graduate from a BSN program soon. I have a friend who lives in St George Utah and is certain he can help me get my first job as a nurse at a detox facility where he works, but they said they would only pay me like $24 an hour as a new grad. I recently travelled to San Francisco and met an ER nurse who told me he takes home $120k and could help me get a job there. He also told me that he had been working as a nurse for 14 years before moving to cali. My question is, do SF nurses really make that much money? Is it feasible for people with little or employment history to land a position in california? It seems ludicrous to me to make so much even though the cost of living there is very high.

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If your ER nurse friend can help you get a nursing job in SF and you truly want to start out there, by all means, take him up on his offer, otherwise, you will have the same difficult time any other new grad has trying to find employment in that area. Take a trip out and look around. Get an idea of where you would live and how you would get around should you get said job. Don't come out without doing your research first, advice for you no matter where you move to live and work.

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

What you need to ask is can you afford 5k a month for a crappy apartment on that salary?

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What you need to ask is can you afford 5k a month for a crappy apartment on that salary?

And can you find the crappy apartment at 5K or any amount of rent? Housing is scarce and so is parking, likewise jobs that can pay enough for a decent lifestyle.

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I make over 120K a year as a nurse in Nevada. Where it's cheap to live.

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Specializes in Telemetry.

It is hard to live in San Francisco making that money unfortunately:(

It's a sad state of affairs in California where if you make $ 120,000 you're considered a working poor.

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).

The average rent for a 1 BR apartment in SF is $3000 a month. Most people have roommates.

Pay is high in SF, but so is the cost of living.

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I have heard that, but I know someone there who shares with a bunch of roommates and pays only $300 a month.

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).
I have heard that, but I know someone there who shares with a bunch of roommates and pays only $300 a month.

If you want to squeeze 10 people into a 3,000 a month apartment, go for it.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Do you have a bunch of roommates lined up?

$120K sounds like a lot of money. In SF it is about the equivalent of around $35K. You need to look at the whole picture.

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He shares with like 3 people and the apartment is 3 bedrooms and has a bay view.

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In Utah I would only make about $40k a year working in the nursing home where my other friend is, and really like $30k after income tax. Either way it would be a little bit of a struggle.

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