Is the pay really that bad??

ilstu99 · Aug 2, 2008

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.

No....I wouldn't expect to get "rich" in a nursing career. I mean...how many careers CAN you get "rich" doing? If they were that common, we'd all be rich! :)

So let me say something that might not be "popular." I DID go into nursing for the money. No, not ONLY the money.....but it had a LOT to do with it. My former job was just as intense, just as emotionally draining, required MORE hours of work per week and I was on call the ENTIRE time I wasn't on the clock. I made about 1/3 of what I make now, and my benefits cost me twice as much. I had thought about nursing before, needed a change in my path and needed to move forward in my personal goals. I did some research and found out what I could make right out of school, and applied to nursing school THAT day.

I'm not a saint, and I don't look anything like Florence. My desire to feed my family, own my own home and retire someday does not negate that fact that I love my job, am 100% committed to fabulous patient care, and take my work responsibilities very seriously. And yeah....when I open my paycheck, and it's more than I used to make in a MONTH, you're darn tootin' that I do a little happy dance on the inside!

Sure, there are some days that I feel like NO amount of money could possibly be enough to cover the lousy 12 hours I just put in.....but I've never had a job that I didn't feel that way. All-in-all, I feel pretty fortunate to have a job I love and feel adequately compensated for it. Puts me in a better position that 90% of my friends.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Aug 2, 2008

To respond to some of the others about this generation wanting everything new NOW, it seems that this is the disease of the American society right now. Everyone swimming in debt because of our dire need for instant gratification and materialistic-ness (don't know if that's actually a word, but you get what I mean!) I got caught up in it, but I know better now. I think it can be seen by the way the economy is right now what the effects of living outside of our means are. Everybody is going into forclosure.

There are some sobering stats about the baby boom generation (the ones complaining about the younger generation).........1/3 will retire comfortably and are currently preparing..........1/3 are going to struggle but are trying (probably this is where I fall)..........1/3 are currently doing nothing....nothing....to prepare for retirement. Considering there are 70 million of us, and the first was are now retirement age that's a lot of people in for a rude awakening.

My yearly expenses is expected to be $16,312 my first 12 months out of college. With the salary that I have that I listed in another post above, I could go and purchase a brand new car, get a house, and a lot of other stuff, but now way am I going to do so. Most people I graduated with that I was friends with got new cars. I still drive the same used 2001 Ford Focus that I was driving before college. I hope to drive this car for another good decade. A good nursing friend that I went to college with got a starting salary of $27.50 per hour. This person went out and bought a whole new wardrobe, brand new car (value of $35,000+), goes out every weekend, and travels all of the time when she can. What was wrong with the clothes and car she had before?
I haven't bought a new pair of shoes, pants, shirt, or sweater for years.

I have to comment at your discipline and how you know to the dollar what your projected expenses will be. :) Good job. For me it's about balance. I make more than $27/hour so it makes sense for me to invest in a home and establish some equity. I still drive my 2001 car, and it doesn't make sense to not to try to keep it running. I buy new clothes every couple of years and look neat, but don't wear designer lable. I take vacations because I work hard. I save money for retirement but I splurge a little here and there and I give to my church and other charities rather than hoard it all to myself. I could do better, but I think I'm fairly well balanced. I ran into some trouble when I got divorced over a year ago and things are tight and you're going to hear me complain and wonder why is that person making over $30/hour complaining about money? :banghead:

SoundofMusic · Aug 2, 2008

I don't think the pay is bad -- I just don't think it's really enough for the responsibility nurses seem to have placed on them everyday. To add to it, you're required to be in a supervisory role also over the techs, etc. I mean -- I feel a nurse should make more around $80K and up per year -- none of this $40-60 range -- it's not enough. It's just a pitiful, really, when you look at what we do, how long we work, how we don't get breaks. I can't think of any other profession, save a garbage man, or a railroad worker or something --where a person has to work so hard.

That said, for me this is a supplementary income and it's fine. We could never live on it and I don't know how people do it -- other than they are younger and don't have families. Then it might be ok.

To support a family nowadays comfortably in most places takes well over a six figure salary -- either mom, dad or both. My sallary is paying my daughter's way through college, my son's high school tuition, and just allowing us some extras. Even with that, we still can't save! :crying2:

Genetics56 · Aug 2, 2008

Genetics56: "I don't get where people say $20-$27 an hour starting is not good pay. Please. That is very good pay."
First, I believe for what we nurses have to do on a daily basis, or most of us anyway, we should be getting about $50.00/hr minimum - with experience. It is our responsibility to monitor the patients, recognize when a patient is decompensating and take appropriate measures to intervene. Where is the doctor in all this, usually at the office or at home.
We have to help patients while they vomit, defecate, and urinate. We bathe them, change dressings in wounds so deep, are arm can fit it them up the the elbow (not an exaggeration).
We must deal with patients in emotional and physical pain. Keep on top of it and monitor them appropriately. If we suspect abuse in any patient, but especially the very young or old, we must intervene to find a safe place for our patient to be discharged to. We must hold our patients hand in prayer, or when they are dying, we must and do, hold them in are hearts when the work day is through.
We must and do, save lives daily. I know I do. The average person cannot do what we do. The lawyer, engineer, chemist, or PHD in psychology - cannot do what we do. Their jobs do not entail saving lives, being their loved ones voice when they cannot speak. Hold their loved ones when they take their last breaths.
Please real the article entitled "Nancy and Babs" in our article forum, this is what nurses do. How do you put a price on that?
It doesn't matter how much education we have, without us, the entire healthcare system in this country would shut down within 12 hours. CAn't say that about attorneys or Phd's in psychology.
I know how to bring your dead child back from the dead, providing he hasn't been down too long - WITHOUT THE DOCTOR EVEN IN THE ROOM- can you do that? Can your attorney do that? Can your college prof do that?
We work many shifts without benefit of lunch breaks, or any breaks at all. We have chronic problems with our backs/necks from years of lifting patients.
Trust me, nurses are not paid what they are worth, not even close. We do it because someone has to - because saving even one person, makes our week. Because, taking care of a maggot filled wound - needs to get done, clearly, the family won't do it, so it falls to us. The young mother who rushed into our ER stating "Something is wrong with my baby" and thrusting the baby in my arms. I took one look at the 27 days old and I knew what to do - doesn't always save them, but this time it did. I had this baby on oxygen, and iv started, bloods drawn and labs sent out, respirator therapy there and a chest x-ray ordered - all before the doctor even saw the patient.
Are you getting the picture?
Read that article. Then tell me our wages are comparable to the jobs we do.

So you are saying that experienced nurses should make a 6 figure income? Why? Seriously, why do you think nurses should be paid so much? Some doctors don't even make that much.

And nurses can't do the work that they do (the careers in bold). Drive across a bridge, drive on a road, take a look at your car engine, take a look at a tractor, etc, etc, those are all products of an engineer. Go to court and try to defend a person on trial for murder or some other crime that they didn't commit. Go and try to build all of the materials that you use as a nurse. Those products have to be developed by somebody. A chemist has a role in developing most of the products that you use on a daily basis.

Criminals would not be put in jail....leads to an increase in crime and saftey to the American people.

A 6 figure salary for a tech degree or a BS in nursing? :no:

If a nurse wants to make such a huge salary, go become a NP.

Seagate · Aug 2, 2008

For those of you who think nurses don't get paid enough why not just pick up an extra shift, either at the agency you're working at (which is going to pay you time and a half) or work at a staffing agency? If you work 3 12 hour shifts that gives you 4 DAYS off. I would imagine working an extra shift weekly would be a nice addition to your income.

hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN · Aug 2, 2008

Location, Location, Location.
If you start out at $25.00 an hour at my facility, in Alabama, then you would be overpaid by about $6.00 an hour. I bet my hat, you work hard enough to earn every penny of the $25.00 per hour as a new graduate.... I bring years and years of experience to the table and make the same amount as you, and I am at the top of my pay scale. Once you reach the top, there is no where else to go, you just hang on to that salary for year after year. So my answer remains the same. No nurses do not make enough money, never have and never will...

Of course it's "location, location, location". This affects all careers-- hardly specific to nursing.

That, however, is a variable you control, not the hospital. Your area has had quite a stagnant economy even before the recession, and obviously your area suffers from not only a higher cost of living, but a lower income, which flavors your view of nursing income in general.

However, I think your area is an exception or at least a minority. In many states, nurses are paid quite well in relation to their experience and the area's cost of living. The fact I can potentially earn in the range of $70-80K my first year after graduating with an associates is impressive whether its in downtown San Francisco or somewhere north of Houston.

Nacki, MSN, NP · Aug 2, 2008

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.

...But you're not a nurse! You will NEVER know how it is until you become one. We see people at their worst. We have look after thier entire being while under our care! We not only have to deal with thier health, but for everything else that goes on. We play secretary, housekeeper, waitress, IT tech, Drs. assistant..you name it we do it!. No, we do not get paid enough for what we do on a daily basis. Do you happen to have an idea of how emotionally draining this job is? Nurses don't get breaks when our patient is crashing! Or when the Dr. is on the line and wants to speak to you, breaks! Yeah right. We are always concerned about someone else, worried if we did the right thing, charted the right thing,said the right thing....because people are so sue happy nowadays. We are the frontline of healthcare. We could easily do something that will kill a person and at the same time we could do something to save that patient's life. It takes a fine skill for that which I don't believe the average person could do.

As for the education level, an ASN and BSN nurse take the same boards to become a RN! BSN have more classes on management, that's it! BSN prepared nurses get the option of getting into management instead of the bedside. Please get accurate information on something before you post it. You get your real education at the bedside with years of experience. The education level has nothing to do with it. Nurses do deserve to be well compensated for what we do. I agree with Babs.

RS0302 · Aug 2, 2008

Genetics56 you are right 20-27 dollars per dollar IS good pay! During nursing school and during clinicals, I did not get why nurses were complaining about pay.

It took my first week on a med/surg floor when I became the one responsible for my patients. Thats when I realized why nurses were fussing about pay. For some reason I had never realized just how responsible nurses were for peoples lives before that. If I screw up and make a mistake..its someone's LIFE.

I'm not saying nursing should make more than a doctor or make 6 figures, but there is a reason theres a nursing shortage. Nurses are leaving who dont want to do the work they have to do for the pay and working conditions!! Some are leaving for jobs that pay less than nursing. I think that says alot. Just my:twocents:

myty23 · Aug 2, 2008

Please get accurate information on something before you post it.

Who are you talking to? Me? What kind of accurate information did I not post? I asked a question because being that I want to be a nurse, I wanted to make sure that the pay is what I've been thinking it's going to be because sometimes I read people say things like it's not a lot of money. I agree that nurses are probably not compensated well enough for what they do. My point is that I'm making WAYYY less than that now and so since I want to be a nurse, the pay a nurse makes would be a blessing for me. I don't know why some of you are getting so defensive about my question. I wasn't saying that you don't deserve more.

Nacki, MSN, NP · Aug 2, 2008

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.
...But you're not a nurse! You will NEVER know how it is until you become one. We see people at their worst. We have look after thier entire being while under our care! We not only have to deal with thier health, but for everything else that goes on. We play secretary, housekeeper, waitress, IT tech, Drs. assistant..you name it we do it!. No, we do not get paid enough for what we do on a daily basis. Do you happen to have an idea of how emotionally draining this job is? Nurses don't get breaks when our patient is crashing! Or when the Dr. is on the line and wants to speak to you, breaks! Yeah right. We are always concerned about someone else, worried if we did the right thing, charted the right thing,said the right thing....because people are so sue happy nowadays. We are the frontline of healthcare. We could easily do something that will kill a person and at the same time we could do something to save that patient's life. It takes a fine skill for that which I don't believe the average person could do.
As for the education level, an ASN and BSN nurse take the same boards to become a RN! BSN have more classes on management, that's it! BSN prepared nurses get the option of getting into management instead of the bedside. Please get accurate information on something before you post it. You get your real education at the bedside with years of experience. The education level has nothing to do with it. Nurses do deserve to be well compensated for what we do. I agree with Babs.

Myty 23,

Is that your posting in the bold? This was directed at Genetics.

myty23 · Aug 2, 2008

Sorry, you didn't have it in quotes so I thought that bolded portion was a part of your post that you wanted to point out.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Aug 2, 2008

BSN have more classes on management, that's it! BSN prepared nurses get the option of getting into management instead of the bedside. Please get accurate information on something before you post it.

Very inaccurate infomration above as well, at least around here. BSNs have a bit more classes than management classes and have a whole lot more options than becoming a manager, such as a researcher, an educator, pharm rep, public health representative, on and on.

It took me 15 or so courses to complete my ADN to BSN and only one was in leadership. It might be a regional thing, but if the only difference between an ADN and a BSN where you live is a couple of management courses, then the ADNs are greatly ripped off.

There is a whole forum for these types of discussions, so probably shouldn't go there and get off topic from the original thread, but statements such as yours is a sore spot with me. :chuckle:banghead: