Low starting pay for new RN?

[09NewGrad]

Hey guys/gals,

I'm not meaning for this to sound like complaining, I'm sort of just wondering if it's a low hourly wage to start at. I just got hired last week and found out the starting wages are 19.60/hr. When I figure that rate per year it comes out to just under $34,000 per year. This is less than my spouse makes who is in her first year of teaching at a grade school, who we thought made bottom of the barrel salary. I guess we can't really complain as we're both newly out of school? I also checked several websites and most reported that the median average salary was quite a bit higher, this is why I'm surprised. Please add your insights.

[RNAngeline]

I am a brand new nurse out of nursing school and my base salary is 19.35 an hour, 3.50 night shift differential. I work at an HCA hospital in Nashville, TN. My hospital isn't hiring new grads, and I basically got the job by pure luck!

[iRN86]

Work in Northern NJ in an ER and have been there a little over a year (I started as a new grad). I now make $33.50/hr plus weekend differential. I think I made about a dollar less just starting out.

which hospital are you working at?

i got a job at a nursing home in central nj starting out at 25/hr..which i thought was unusually low for an RN in this area. I was told its because I have no experience. Still looking for a job at a hospital

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

I live and work on the Wisconsin side of the WI/MN border. Salaries vary by both state and job. MN pays a bit more, hospitals also pay more than a SNF. I work in a SNF and make 25.00/hr base, I believe starting wage for an RN in my facility is 20.22/hr. A reasonable wage for local cost of living. A nice 2-3 bedroom can be found for 450.00 a month and up, plus it is a small enough community that a long commute is more a matter of choice than a necessity.`Most entry level positions do not require a BSN, and there is no place I am aware of that offers a higher salary for a BSN if having one is not a job requirement.

[Ambitiouz]

I am a newly licensed RN in Oklahoma and I absolutely hate my starting pay at 18.83. I took the first job offer I was offered which is a 32 bed critical care unit. I feel like I am being used, of course I know that I am orienting and I dont have much marketability as a new grad but still hate the low starting pay . I did sign a $4500 2 yr contract, but will probably leave after 1 yr and pay a prorated balance back. This unit is a revolving door because they are too cheap.

[Code_VSA]

I was offered a job at a Level I Trauma Center for $23.50/hr. That's with 17 years specialty experience with all the certifications and a BSN. It is only $2.50 more than what I was making when I left TN. I was shocked that wages had only gone up $2 in eight years. He said, "Well, you know we don't pay much around here because of the economy". Hmmm....someone is getting paid pretty good at these hospitals and sure isn't the RN's.

Up here in Canada, every RN is required to have her BSN. Yet, as a new grad, they start out less than the cops or firefighters....whose schooling is considerably less time and most often paid for them.