100k salary?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

  1. How possible is it to make over 100k?

    • 80
      Very possible
    • 71
      possible but requires some hard work/overtime
    • 117
      possible but requires LOTS of overtime/hardwork
    • 58
      Very hard

165 members have participated

18 year old male. I've wanted to be a nurse for a couple years and will be starting to work towards my BSN this fall. I've volunteered at the local hospital on med/surg floors and the ER room to make sure this is what I want. I will be taking classes to be an EMT-B or ER tech during college in order to gain medical knowledge, contacts in the hospital, and experience in an acute care setting.

Med/surg floors are........eh...but I am absolutely in love with the ICU and ER. When I was volunteering on a med/surg floor a male nurse said he had worked 20 years as a nurse an was making 120k

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My question is how possible is it for a nurse to make over 100k a year?

Does it pretty much require overtime to make that?

Whats the highest you have ever heard of a nurse making that wasn't a anesthetist or practitioner? And what did that require(overtime, certifications, years of experience, department,etc)?

I was thinking of becoming a charge nurse for the ER eventually. Good or bad idea?

I want to make it clear I am NOT getting into nursing for the money, but just like everyone I wouldn't mind making a decent amount doing what I love. I am just interested in how obtainable a "decent" salary is when it comes to nursing

Specializes in Emergency, Haematology/Oncology.
$100K is tough without overtime. I've been a nurse for 13 years, my base wage is $37/hr + $1 for BSN + $1 for Specialty Certification + $3 for charge + $4 for nocs. If I worked 2 weekend shifs + $4 (12-hour shifts) EVERY week and 1 weekday shift, my gross would be $91,000.

Exactly the same in my neck of the woods, with the same qualifications and experience. Bottom line, I believe one has to work to the point of insanity in a direct clinical position to get past 100k, did it one year but almost had an MI.

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

Depends on where you live. At one of my jobs, I could make 100k if I worked there 43 hours a week...but I also have experience and am specialty-certified, so my base rate is higher than a new grad's.

Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.

I used to be a travel nurse and it was GREAT! I was paid $92K/yr and didn't have to pay for much out of pocket. All of my housing expenses were paid for with the exception of cable/internet. I had a relocation allowance of $1500, I had a weekly meal allowance of $400 and was eligible for a $500 bonus at the end of each 3 month contract. I also had full benefits. If I brought another nurse on board with the travel company, I earned another $1500. I racked UP! The only reason I stopped traveling is because I got married, but I am so glad that I had that wonderful experience.

The downside to travel nursing is that you are away from family and friends. The upside is that I made new friends and increased my knowledge base of how other hospitals operate. That has proven to be valuable to me now, because I have seen both poorly run hospitals and very efficient hospitals and can bring ideas to the table when the NM asks for changes in our operating system.

I think you are making a wise decision to get your EMT-P first. That will open several avenues to you, including flight nursing and disaster management.

Charge nursing is not that glamorous. I only make an extra dollar for all of the headaches I endure daily. Most of charge includes handling staff issues. Not fun.

Nurse managers can make over 100K depending on where you work.

Good luck! Keep us posted on your progress.

Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

Depending where you are mind you... before the financial crunch and changes to medicaid/medicare, we were paid double time for any extra shift we picked up. I was bringing home 10K a month after tax, mind you that was with good pay and OT.

I'm traveling now, with 17 yrs exp. without OT, I'll make 90k bring home, only because so much is untaxed and I'm choosing high pay places which equals less than desirable working conditions, at times.

Strike breaking when you travel, and I personally don't do it, is very lucrative, but you need the flexability to know that you can be canceled at a moments notice once the contracts are settled and be happy with the extra $$ you have made, guaranteed hours are tough in this type of contract, but while there extra shifts equates out to good $$ as my peers have done.

All this requires about a year or two of exp, and all mine is in the higher paying ICU, ER, and EP lab, so take that into consideration.

I strongly encourage anyone with two years exp. to travel, get exposure to low and high acuity places as well as the politics, policies and how thing are done right and wrong. After that, you know where your $$ is best spent planting your roots. Good luck to you.

Specializes in Women's Health.

It is possible (with overtime)!!! It really depends on where you live and what you are getting paid. For example, if you are making $28/hour and work 12hr shifts, you would have to work 5 shifts each week in order to make $100K per year. You would have 20 hrs/wk overtime. Of course it would be much easier with an advanced practice degree. Also, the more money you make per hour, the easier it would be to get to that $100K mark. It's doable, but you may get burnt out quick.

Good luck to you!!!

Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

thank you so much boston for such a informative post! i am new to this lingo and i do know what travel nursing is, however i am not familiar with what you mean by:

per diem ,strike nursing, contract nursing, or adn. if you could further elaborate on each that would be stunning!

i actually love traveling and my goal in life is to travel the world. is there a good supply of travel nurses or are they in demand? if so, how much experience is usually required?

strike nursing = scab. do your research here an an. you'll see that most new grads are unable to find work.

Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

met a nurse in clinical. 25+ years exp; works Fri/Sat/Sun nights. 6 figures

It's very possible, but depends on where you are working. I know states that have an active union pay nurses very well. Here in California, a new graduate with an associate's degree or bachelor's can make $46 per hour..starting! Now imagine if you figure shift differential or holiday/overtime pay into that. Getting paid that amount and working full-time will earn you a little over 88k a year. Work some holidays or pick up 1 or 2 overtime a month and you will be well on your way making more than 100k a year. In the Bay area in Cali, I've known some nurses making almos $60 an hour starting. Some people may say the cost of living in California is high so that explains why they pay a lot, but really, living in California is not bad at all. So in Cali, a new graduate with no experience can make 100k a year.

Specializes in med/surg.

I'm getting jealous guys-been a nurse for 3 and 1/2 years on med-surg, base pay (after starting at $17.50 new grad pay) is now $19.619/hour. We got a $1.00/hr market raise last year, I get $1.00 for charge nurse, $1.00 to float to a higher level of care, $0.75 for clinical ladder, 20% for weekends. Just switched to day shift, so lost my extra 10% differential. at 2.5% raises per year, I should be up to $30 an hour in 20 years or so. We get no extra for BSN or any other degree or certification. ICU would pay an extra $3.00.

Last year, I managed to gross about $46,000-I worked 4 shifts a week all summer and held 2 jobs for a while, worked lots of weekends. The OT hasn't been available lately, so this year is going to be much less. Think I need to move out of Missouri!

Specializes in ICU.

It really depends on your location and employment within location. Where i'm located, it is absolutely possible for a RN to make 100k/yr without overtime. (Government job, Union facility).

Specializes in FNP, ONP.

In my area the top hourly rate at the hospital is $29.79/hour, and it would take you over 15 years and a BSN to get there. You would start at $17 and change. So after 20 years, if you were working 60 hours a week, every week-no vacations- you could get to 100K. Of course, you can buy a 4,000 sq ft home in the best subdivision in town for less than 600K, lol. You will make more money other places, but won't live nearly as well on it. It's all relative.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Step-Down.

Depends where you work. I work at a unionized hospital in NYC. Starting salary in NYC is in the low 70s. At my hospital we get about a $1200-1500/year raise each year. Some of the old-timers on my floor who have been there for 30+ years are making $110-120,000. Keep in mind cost of living here is super expensive, it's hard to find a decent apartment for less than $2000/month and gas right now is $4.30/gallon.

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