Is Being An RN Affordable?

[plinytheRN]

Hi,

I am a Northern CA native, that as a new grad could not find work and I am currently working in Louisiana in a big trauma center. I am desperately wanting to come back to CA, I want to know is working at an RN affordable? I no longer know what wages are like, and housing costs. I want to stay in bay area/ Nor Cal. In the south, it's not uncommon for RNs to work 2 jobs to make up for how underpaid we are. I'm not asking for luxury or anything extravagant, I just want to know I could afford a nice apartment and work normal full time hours. Considering I will probably to travel assignments for awhile until I find a hospital I like to stay at, I should make a decent wage (I work ICU/PACU)?

Thanks for feedback.

[NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN]

If your single with minimal bills you can get by in the bay on one income. You know the crazy cost of living in the bay. Nurses make great $ but a large portion goes to housing costs.

I moved to sacramento because the wages are similar to the bay area but cost of living is half. I expect even a small apartment to cost close to 2500$ a month depending on your location in the bay area. Wages are 60$/hr and up. Hope that helps.

Louisiana is getting screwed if nurses have to work two jobs to get by.

[RunBabyRN]

Salaries throughout CA vary widely, even in NorCal. It really depends on where you end up. Sac and SF are pretty comparable, as NickiLaughs stated, but with very different costs of living. I live an hour away from SF, and I work in the city. I'd probably move closer if my family situation were different.

Anyway, yes, the wages are much better out here than in the south, and people can afford to live. However, I wouldn't plan on living in San Francisco unless you have a roommate (or 5). There are more affordable areas outside of the city, but even then, a decent two-bedroom apartment is likely to run at least $1800/month, which is affordable on an RN salary. If you're in places more like Eureka or Redding, the wages are just above half of what they are in SF/Sac. Still livable for the areas, though.

CA has a big union presence, which is why the wages are what they are. We also have better patient ratios because of the unions.