Is the pay really that bad??

Nurses General Nursing

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I've read a couple of people on this site saying stuff like "Don't go into nursing for the money" and "Don't expect to get rich with nursing", etc. I'm curious as to why some are saying this. I've been working in the banking field for about 6 years or so and I'm still only making about $25k a year and there's not much better in sight for the future for me. Nursing would have me starting out making at least in the low $40's in my area. There is really not much else in my area where I could make this amount of money unless I get into sales, which I am no good at and it's not stable. I know $40k a year isn't making it rich, but it is making it comfortable and I would be able to take care of my family without struggeling so much. Is there a reason that there is such an attitude about the money? Is it worth it? I really feel that I have a calling to be a nurse (as cheesy as that sounds!), it's all I think about and I don't know why but I'm so drawn to it and the pay makes it even that much better for me. But I'm just curious as to why some seem so down on it.

Specializes in Med surg, Critical Care, LTC.

I make about 45 and my hubby makes about 28k and we are struggling. You don't get rich being a nurse. We do not live outside our means, but lets be real, the cost of living is increasing at exponential rates, and my wages aren't even close to keeping pace. We live paycheck to paycheck. After mortgage, utilities, car payment, insurance, food, etc... we struggle.

Nursing is a very high stress profession with very little power. Yeah, I know, "if we all stuck together we could move mountains..." but realistically, it doesn't happen that way. People are too afraid to lose their jobs, so most keep silent and suffer. The work loads are heavy, the acuity is getting higher, and staffing is getting lower. Let's not forget, WE may be in it for compassion and caring, but administration is in it for the money, IT IS A BUSINESS and like most businesses, they will cut costs where they can, and usually staffing is the first place cuts are made - or rather, nurses may leave, but are not necessarily replaced after leaving.

If you really feeling like you belong in nursing, I say "go for it". But if you want to make a good living, have weekends mostly off, and spend holidays with your family, become a plumber or electrician. The pay and hours are better.

Good Luck

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Specializes in PICU/NICU.

Not that bad..... Not that great either!!!

Yes, I make a "decent" wage, I mean I can feed my kids, pay my bills ect. But when I look at what others make compared to myself, I so feel underpaid(and overworked).

The UPS guy across the street(no college degree) makes about 30K more than me... he delivers packages.... I resuscitate children! My brother in law, a web designer with no degree, makes TWO TIMES my salary.... he designs websites from his home office.... I resuscitate children!

My nieghbor and brother in law do not have to spend their holidays at work, they do not work weekends, or overnights, they are not exposed to blood born pathogens and infectious diseases on a daily basis. They do not have to comfort the parents who have decided to remove life support from thier child after a trauma, or stomach a day caring for a baby suffering a "non accidental trauma". They are not expected to stay an extra 4 hours after their shift because their relief did not show, or forced to stay an extra 24 hours because there is a blizzard and their releif cannot get to work( and they have no licence to be at risk if they refuse). They are not subject to lawsuit when they make a mistake!

Don't get me wrong, I love what I do... but honestly, compared to other jobs, I feel that nurses are severly underpaid! We are worth so much more!:nurse:

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yes, it is really bad. don't go in it for the money. there are other jobs that pay a lot more that don't require hours and hours of studying daily:

  • Commercial fisherman - As much as $20,000/week
  • Oil rig worker - $420/day
  • Wildland Firefighter - $90,000
  • Security Specialist - $120,000/year

:lol:

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Specializes in Critical Care.
Yes the pay really is that bad. After working 35 years in nursing, I make $25.00 per hour.

One has to ask why you accept and continue to hold a position that only pays $25/hour if you have 35 years of experience.

I essentially start at $25.00 hourly upon graduation, and I seriously doubt the cost of living in my neck of the woods is much higher (suburban Houston is one of the cheapest places to live in the U.S.).

With 35 years of experience, you'd likely be maxed out on the pay scale at $38-45/hourly here.

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Specializes in Cardiac care/Ortho/LTC/Education/Psych.

IN the hospital I work max is 29$ . You can not get more than that! You may as well start as a kid and work until 90Y this is max of salary. They get on the end of the year some bonus money just to give them "hug" but they can not have more. I belive that is same with 35$.

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One has to ask why you accept and continue to hold a position that only pays $25/hour if you have 35 years of experience.

I essentially start at $25.00 hourly upon graduation, and I seriously doubt the cost of living in my neck of the woods is much higher (suburban Houston is one of the cheapest places to live in the U.S.).

With 35 years of experience, you'd likely be maxed out on the pay scale at $38-45/hourly here.

Don't get me wrong, I have not been at the same facility for 35 years. I have been a traveler and made big buck. Now, I have responsibility for taking care of an elderly parent and had to take a job in the South where wages suck. I actually drive 50 minutes to get to work at one of the better hospitals in this area. Not all areas pay the same.

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Commercial fisherman - As much as $20,000/week

Once the fish die, or there are no longer fish in your area, you no longer have a job. You also have to take into account costs.

Oil rig worker - $420/day

A slip of the chain can kill you!

Wildland Firefighter - $90,000

You have no home during the fire season. Go and tell your loved one to fight a wildfire and get back to the rest of us for how your loved one enjoyed the work.

Security Specialist - $120,000/year

This isn't an entry level job. Nursing is an entry level job.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Ortho.

Think about taxes. I'm basically making the same amount of bring home being a nurse as I did when I was making 25K per year...much more $$ is coming out in taxes of my nursing paycheck. I may bring home a little more, but not that much and it's still not what we're worth.

Nurses are UNDERPAID BIGTIME !!!!

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yes, it is really bad. don't go in it for the money. there are other jobs that pay a lot more that don't require hours and hours of studying daily:

  • Commercial fisherman - As much as $20,000/week
  • Oil rig worker - $420/day
  • Wildland Firefighter - $90,000
  • Security Specialist - $120,000/year

:lol:

No, it is not really bad. Really bad is making $7 an hour for a full-time job. For a person with a BS degree in any field, $11 an hour is bad.

I work as a clinical research coordinator making $32,000 a year. I also work another job (from home) making $480 a week. I also work another job from home where I make $1,500 a month. I usually work around 70 hours a week. It sounds like I don't have any free time, but I do. I'm on pace to make $74,960 my first 12 months out of college with only a BS degree in biology. As you can see, my income is high because I work outside of my full-time day job. I'm a Health Search Expert for my home based jobs.

Most people that I graduated with that have a BS degree in biology are making $12 an hour. Most people that I know that I graduated with that have a liberal arts degree are still working the same job they worked while in college because they can't get jobs.

So stop complaining about only making around $20 an hour right out of tech school or university. If you are making the same wage 35 years from now, then that is your own mistake. Sure you salary won't rise if you don't move up (or move from one floor to another that requires more skill and responsibility).

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Think about taxes. I'm basically making the same amount of bring home being a nurse as I did when I was making 25K per year...much more $$ is coming out in taxes of my nursing paycheck. I may bring home a little more, but not that much and it's still not what we're worth.

Nurses are UNDERPAID BIGTIME !!!!

But you also get a bigger check at the end of the year and your end net worth is still higher. The more dollar you make per hour, the more dollar goes towards taxes. If you make 1 dollar an hour, a certain percentage will go to taxes. If you make 2 dollars an hour, a certain percentage will go to taxes. Your net gain in income is still higher with the 2 dollars then the 1 dollar. The difference between a $12 an hour job compared to a $13 an hour job before taxes is only $2,080. Sure that is not much of a difference after taxes, but it is still a higher net gain in income.

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IMO nursing provides a comfortable, middle class lifestyle. I dont see many nurses driving really expensive cars or living in mcmansions....unless they are married and their spouse makes good money. However, you can live comfortably.

The thing is when you are a nurse you work for EVERY PENNY. The stress and physical workload is why nurses get paid what they do....and IMO it should be more!!! I work with nurses who have been in nursing 20 years and their bodies are worn out. I see alot of back and knee problems in older nurses and its no surprise why. Yeah I can make good money now, but later in life is my body even going to be able to continue in nursing??? This is what worries me.

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IMO nursing provides a comfortable, middle class lifestyle. I dont see many nurses driving really expensive cars or living in mcmansions....unless they are married and their spouse makes good money. However, you can live comfortably.

The thing is when you are a nurse you work for EVERY PENNY. The stress and physical workload is why nurses get paid what they do....and IMO it should be more!!! I work with nurses who have been in nursing 20 years and their bodies are worn out. I see alot of back and knee problems in older nurses and its no surprise why. Yeah I can make good money now, but later in life is my body even going to be able to continue in nursing??? This is what worries me.

One of the great things about a nursing career is the flexibility. You can go from one job to another. I argue that the starting salary for nursing is not bad at all (the second highest average starting salaries for people with a BS degree). I think the starting salary for nusring is very good. Part of the problem with the nursing salary is the upswing in salary, not the starting salary. Your salary potential is limited if you don't move to a new position that would lead to a higher salary. But that is no different then any other career out there (besides atheletics and such).

I worked in a hospital for four years, so I know the working envrionment nurses have to deal with.

For people with a BS degree, the only average starting salary that is higher then nurses is engineering. So you don't have much room for arguement.

There are some tech degrees that allow a person can start at $65,000+ a year. That is what a dental hygienst (spelling ?) can make. RT's also have a good starting salary. But they also have no upswing in salary potential.

The people you see driving expensive cars are either, in major debt, invested well (got lucky in most cases), graduated college with no debt, car hobbyiest (spelling ?), 45 or more years of age, paid their due, or chose a career that pays really good, or took a really big risk for their career choice (one of the high risk high reward careers).

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