I didn't become a nurse because I had a calling or anything. I was one of those few idiots in high school who had no dreams or aspiration, so my dad said "hey nursing sounds good" and I said "okay"...... mistake. Now, I am no Trevor the psychopath or Mary the maniac, but certainly not a bleeder of heart. I just did my job well and went home.
I got sick of humanity at ER, so now work at insurance donig medical reviews.
As I am at that weird age where people around you either make mediocre money vs tons of money, it's hard not to notice those that make a ton, and what irks me is that none of them work at healthcare field.
My brother who's been in workforce only few years already makes well over 120k, not mentioning bonuses, incentives, 5 star hotels and lux meals, my friend at airline industry living a nice, rich life, a regular marketer at company owning two expensive sports cars...
Where do these people get these jobs? It seems like unless you're running the corporate side of healthcare, you work your butt off and get few change and a key chain for Christmas.
If both you and your brother came from the same household, you probably had the same opportunities. But, what made him unique to get that job? Sometimes it is luck and sometimes it is an ambitious mindset to be different . The people in many of the higher paying jobs with perks are determined not to just follow the herd. They don't waste time whining about another profession.
We just got 10 inches of snow yesterday but UPS delivered my package right on time even before the sidewalk was cleared. I remember a very hateful discussion on this forum which went on and on bashing UPS workers because they made a decent wage. It was disgusting and cast nursing in a bad light.
We still live in the land of opportunity. You chose nursing. It could have been about caring or it could have been about it only taking an ADN for an above average paying job with decent security and mobility. Chances are your own personality and ambition determined your decision. Don't criticize or whine about others who took a chance on something out of the traditional track.
Regardless of what you do with you education or what it is in, it is never a waste. While being an EMT is an important job, I would rather converse with the barista who has a college education than someone who got a 3 week certificate after high school for a cool uniform and the expectation of fun and automatic respect. Personal enrichment goes deeper than shallow appearances.
Secondly, nurses are in high demand! After a 45 year career as a Master's level prepared RN--yes, I did the 3 year diploma RN program, then the BSN finally the Master of Science by age 40--I retired for about 8 months. The pasts few weeks I went online, typed in RN per diem jobs Rhode Island, and a slew of them came rolling up.
Just because nurses are in high demand in your particular market does not mean there is a nursing shortage in general or that nurses are in high demand everywhere.
If both you and your brother came from the same household, you probably had the same opportunities. But, what made him unique to get that job? Sometimes it is luck and sometimes it is an ambitious mindset to be different . The people in many of the higher paying jobs with perks are determined not to just follow the herd. They don't waste time whining about another profession.
This is very true. My husband makes a lot of money, but he has some very definite characteristics that explain it. For one thing, he is extremely ambitious. He is in a career that is 100% commission. You don't produce, you make zero. How many people are actually willing to go without a salary for possibly months (or even years) at a time, hoping to score a big deal at the end of it? VERY FEW. Once, during an industry downside, he made nothing for three years straight. How many people are disciplined enough to save save save for a rainy day? Not many. Especially in the early days when he was establishing himself and gaining trust of investors, he worked 7 days a week, as many hours as it took to get the job done. How many nurses are willing to pull 7 12s a week, possibly for a couple of years in a row? NOT MANY.
My DH is extremely focused, determined, ambitious. Now that he is investing himself, he has to search for months to find "the right deal," and this often means he has to risk his own money in order to see it pay off. We are about to close a deal that we invested in 18 years ago. It seemed we were never going to see a payoff for that, but we are about to make 100 times our initial investment! Yes, 100 times. But all those years, that money was basically useless to us, completely NOT liquid. We could have used it many times, but there was no way to get it out of that investment vehicle.
Making big money is hard. Not many people can do it. Most in my DH's industry drop out because they cannot afford to stay in it, not to mention it takes a very specific skill set and talents in multiple areas to pull off the big paydays. I could NEVER ever make it in that industry.
People who make a lot of money are not sitting around on easy street just watching the dollars roll in.They are investing huge amounts of time, and often money, in order to see big things happen. The reason most people don't pull in that amount of money is because it is HARD, and requires risk and sacrifices that most people are not willing to take and make.
Wow! Thanks for all the comments, I read through all of them and learned good bit. Got lots of different perspectives that I didn't know or maybe knew but didn't think of. Thank you for all the cents and like Houtx said, appreciate the kindness and great discussions.
Just to keep myself accountable to you, couple things here:
It does seem like I am surrounded by high-earning group of people. Honestly of everyone I know in my circle, I am probably lowest earner, around 65k. My brother has bachelor in CS degree. I still think in general, it is true that nurses get paid less than deserved, and that ratio of effort/income is skewed unfairly against our advantage but at the same time, I get the viewpoint. We don't generate revenue for business (hospital); I once read "Doctored" by Sandeep Jahar MD and thought it was funny admin favors interventional cardio vs diagnostic cardio simply because latter does not generate revenue for hospital as much. That's right, healthcare is business, and dollar rules in business.
My next step is MBA and get into something that has high potential for earning, i.e administration?
The compensation curve of nursing compared to other for profit professions shows nursing has a relative linear and low sloping growth curve. However, this is not to say nurses have no opportunity. If advancements in net worth is what you're after, I implore you to network in your network and look for jobs pertainging to the for profit industry. If this is difficult to discern, next time a rep comes in ask about openings. I don't care if it's medical, surgical, or pharmaceutical. Just get a foot in with the sales/education portion and doors will open for you.
I recently turned down down an offer for a pharmaceutical sales/education job where my base salary is not dependent on sales but my bonus was. The base salary was 116k with a company car (Ford Explorer) and lowest bonus for meeting xyz target was 13k and up. On the surface this is a great job because I get paid well and I make my own hours.
However, this job required travel that usually called for 2hrs or more a day and sometimes even overnight. I have a wife and 3 kids under the age of 6 so this job made no sense regardless of compensation.
dont be disheartened by lack of well paying jobs that are easy to find. If it was that easy we would all be driving lambos and ferraris. Even if you're not a bleeding heart, leverage your clinical knowledge to profit in the for profit industry. Go to your OR next time you work and speak to all the reps up there and I'm sure you'll at least have some leads as to what job would make you feel more satisfied. At the end of the day when you keep comparing yourself to others you're just finding more reasons to be unsatisfied.
Specializes in LTC Management, Community Nursing, HHC.
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As I am at that weird age where people around you either make mediocre money vs tons of money, it's hard not to notice those that make a ton, and what irks me is that none of them work at healthcare field ...... My brother who's been in workforce only few years already makes well over 120k, not mentioning bonuses, incentives, 5 star hotels and lux meals, my friend at airline industry living a nice, rich life, a regular marketer at company owning two expensive sports cars...
I'm not sure if I'm really lucky to be making what I make, or if I'm just too stupid to realize that I don't make much. Really not sure which one it is, but for the sake of this conversation I will state that I make approximately 80K (excluding OT) as a new RN (2nd year) and I live in Southern California, LA job market. I compare myself to my husband who's an engineer and who was making 80K with 10 - 15 years experience in his field and in the same job market. Most of our friends are professionals. The teachers in the group make about 60 - 80K, the computer specialist makes about 110K but he also works about 60 - 70 hours a week. I work only about 45 - 50 hours a week at this job, but the above income is just my base rate, excluding OT.
Am I lowly paid and just don't know it?? I think that for a new RN, I make pretty decent money. Note that I was an LVN prior to becoming an RN. My only complaint about nursing income at this point is that men seem to make more, while doing the same job. Apart from that, I really can't complain.
PS. I have a BSN and the position that I accepted was not the highest paying one (two others offered me more money) but it's only a 10 minute drive from home.
I'm not sure if I'm really lucky to be making what I make, or if I'm just too stupid to realize that I don't make much. Really not sure which one it is, but for the sake of this conversation I will state that I make approximately 80K (excluding OT) as a new RN (2nd year) and I live in Southern California, LA job market. I compare myself to my husband who's an engineer and who was making 80K with 10 - 15 years experience in his field and in the same job market. Most of our friends are professionals. The teachers in the group make about 60 - 80K, the computer specialist makes about 110K but he also works about 60 - 70 hours a week. I work only about 45 - 50 hours a week at this job, but the above income is just my base rate, excluding OT.
Am I lowly paid and just don't know it?? I think that for a new RN, I make pretty decent money. Note that I was an LVN prior to becoming an RN. My only complaint about nursing income at this point is that men seem to make more, while doing the same job. Apart from that, I really can't complain.
PS. I have a BSN and the position that I accepted was not the highest paying one (two others offered me more money) but it's only a 10 minute drive from home.
You aren't "lowly" paid. But you do live in a very high cost of living state, in one of the higher cost of living areas of that high cost of living state; additionally you have to pay state income taxes. CA has the highest state income tax in the US. Your salary would seem "high" in regions where that is not the case.
There are nurses in other states doing exactly what you do with the same education who are paid far far less. But their cost of living is also far less, so maybe it equals out.
Property taxes are higher in Texas, but there is no state income tax. Overall living costs are significantly lower in Texas. But no doubt the nursing salaries are lower as well.
the Mindset does depend on your values. Nursing may not pose financial dominance but career stability yes.. you earn the increase with experience and the fact that the knowledge you carry is ahead than most people that don't know about health should make you feel ahead. it about caring and intelligence. Specialization is also a step up. This field has so much to offer, it just takes time.
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
Well I was actually joking sarcastically when I said I got a key chain... which would have been worse actually if I got a key chain.
What I am seeing is not the "educational elites" who put in hard work and making multi-figures. I am talking about regular Joe Blow with regualr 4 year old Bachelor degree. I know that no one gives you free money, that's why it's called work, but it's pretty disproportionate it seems, healthcare always poses difficulty and aneurysm-inducing type of jobs, while other fields are not as intense but just reek in easy money it seems.
I am not too crazy about money, but having the examples around me makes me think that we deserve more, and yeah it's little childish but makes me think it's not fair.
Here in California some of the highest paid workers are those in the skilled trades and so-called "Dirty Jobs." Heck the trash collector starts at $55,000.00 and just goes up from there. It's my opinion that college is not all that and many people can earn comfortable incomes in the skilled trades. As older workers are retiring and even passing on this demographic is struggling to attract new workers. My dad built a great life off being a carpenter and even sent all his kids (5) to college - none of us have done as well as he did - but he was also very frugal.
One major advantage to working in healthcare, especially the areas of healthcare that require higher levels of education is demand. I have worked in administration in other industries where six figure salaries were the norm, however I must stress the volatility of other†industries and demand. In my experience the value of a moderate income over extended time has more inherent value and security versus very high paying jobs and shorter more volatile time periods, not to mention the emotional stress that accompanies those industries. Also, nursing is one of the only professions I know of that one can double income (or at least increase 50%) with each level of education, i.e LPN to BSN to MSN. Nursing is in a very significant period now, and looking back we will recognize the pioneering strives made as it relates to salary equity and practice scope. If you want to make more money, and that is totally acceptable as a motivation, further you nursing education and expand your scope and the increased responsibilities will reflect in your pay.
Specializes in Pedi; Geriatrics; office; Pedi home care..
I have been an LVN/LPN for over 40 years.
My first job was in 1977. I was making "new grad" pay. Not much by today's standards. Every one I went to high school with; and friends; thought I was making a lot of money; because I went into nursing. Here it is 2017 ; and, I'm making approximately $12.00 an hour more than I did then.
Recently during a job interview I was asked "Why did you go into nursing? " Needless to say I was blindsided by this unusual question. My answer was "Because I care about people".
Many people have misconceptions about nursing pay. I tell them I'm not in it for the
pay/money. I've had other nurses ask me why I didn't go on for RN; and, that I would make more money. It's not about the money, to me. I'm happy where I'm at. If I wanted to make $$$$ I could have chosen many other professions. I became a NURSE because ...
heinz57
168 Posts
If both you and your brother came from the same household, you probably had the same opportunities. But, what made him unique to get that job? Sometimes it is luck and sometimes it is an ambitious mindset to be different . The people in many of the higher paying jobs with perks are determined not to just follow the herd. They don't waste time whining about another profession.
We just got 10 inches of snow yesterday but UPS delivered my package right on time even before the sidewalk was cleared. I remember a very hateful discussion on this forum which went on and on bashing UPS workers because they made a decent wage. It was disgusting and cast nursing in a bad light.
We still live in the land of opportunity. You chose nursing. It could have been about caring or it could have been about it only taking an ADN for an above average paying job with decent security and mobility. Chances are your own personality and ambition determined your decision. Don't criticize or whine about others who took a chance on something out of the traditional track.
Regardless of what you do with you education or what it is in, it is never a waste. While being an EMT is an important job, I would rather converse with the barista who has a college education than someone who got a 3 week certificate after high school for a cool uniform and the expectation of fun and automatic respect. Personal enrichment goes deeper than shallow appearances.