Low RN pay

SF bay area median price of home is $900,000 (per Trulio)

NEW RN STARTING salary $52/hour (lower than average paying hospital, some start at $60/hour)

A per diem nurse with 10 years of experience is getting paid $100/hour (not including the differentials)

Seattle area median price of home is $732,000 (per Trulio)

New RN starting salary $32/hour

per diem nurse with 10 years of experience $47/hour

I have yet to do further detailed research on the statistics, but does this make sense? The decrease in cost of living is not enough to compensate for the BIG loss of income. How can we better advocate for ourselves? How can we mobilize our own so that we can advocate for ourselves? Washington nurses, we need to wake up! This huge discrepancy is driving me to activism, which I am not...

That seems pretty simplified, but the bottom line is supply and demand. If the salary and cost of living are not acceptable, moving is the most effective way to solve the problem.

I could have a higher standard of living in Texas, but I don't want to live in Texas. I live in an area that I want to live in and that a lot of other people want to live in, too.

The per diem in Seattle is only $47/hr?

That bombs... how did you find that out?

The pay in Seattle is less than any place I have lived when you include the cost of living.

I dreamed of Seattle after visiting it last year. Currently in MD, where I the COL compared to salary seems livable, albeit tight as a breadwinner. This definitely makes me question my dream of moving there... of course, there are always cheaper places to live, and shared living situations which, with the right people, can be cost-saving and wonderful.

Make $52,000 a year with 6 years of experience as an RN. I have a BSN. A decent house 2000 sq ft + house costs about $300,000 in my area and a new one with the same sq ft about $400,000+ in my area. I make $1 an hour extra for being in charge of a 31 patient psych unit and usually manage about 8 to 10 staff at a time as a charge nurse/supervisor. I am looking at my friends who are as smart or not as smart as me who are "managers" or "supervisors" at insurance companies, services companies, financial service, or engineering companies, etc. who also have a BA or BS degree and an equal number of years experience and they make about double my base salary and have bonus on top of that. Nursing in no way is providing a standard "middle class" income for me and my family, we are in the lower middle class. Honestly, we are on the edge; one catastrophe away from being in major debt. Relatively little retirement savings. I guess leaving the "field" is the best way forward. I already have an Associates in logistics, BS in nursing, and BA in political science. Honestly, they have to pay better to retain talent and give adequate raises. Sadly, nursing admins only care if you have a pulse and show up to work. They really could care less about your assessment skills, experience, and giving a damn to make things work. I guess some things never change...

This reply is late! Hospitals are unionized. Pay is by years experience, roughly $33 to $70. Outside hospital is 37 to 45 per hour. Many agencies have “productivity pay” in home health. That means if the patient isn’t home you get milege and about $15 for visit. Considering traffic that could be for up to 3 hours of your time. If they don’t assign you someone you just don’t get paid. Nursing home pay is in the 30’s and there are NO staffing laws/guidelines.

Need to move! I have been practicing nursing in Illinois for more than 20 years and working full time I only make a little over 50k per year!!!