Low starting pay for new RN?

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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.

Specializes in l.p.n.

I'm LPN make $19 an hour no shift dif. Rent cost 1100 pluse some utilities. I used to live in Pa and moved to MD last year{ my husband hated pa}. I made $22 no shift dif. Pay 680 rent+ elec {around $80]. That what you get following husband!!!!!!!!!!!

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I am a new grad in ohio and I was hired in at $24.85. working 3 12 hr.shifts a week, that does not include the shift differential.

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Specializes in psychiatric, UR analyst, fraud, DME,MedB.
I'm LPN make $19 an hour no shift dif. Rent cost 1100 pluse some utilities. I used to live in Pa and moved to MD last year{ my husband hated pa}. I made $22 no shift dif. Pay 680 rent+ elec {around $80]. That what you get following husband!!!!!!!!!!!

PA is expensive in rent and cheap in salary ??? :sniff: not a good place , I must say ! Maryland is more of a major city , so maybe you got more, but the rent sure went down ! :yeah:Happy for you and your husband ...keep following him around !:D

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I am in Omaha, NE and the starting wage at the hospital I am at was $19.50/hr plus differentials for nights and weekends in 02/09. If you had prior experience as an aid, tech, or LPN you might start at 25 or 50 cents an hour more. Word on the street is that we are paid less than other hospitals in the area. We do get up to $400/month in student loan reimbursement. Medical insurance is basically no charge if you take the $800 annual deductible. Small paycheck deductions for dental and vision insurance. A 401K with some fund matching.

That said, the job market has really evaporated in the last year. I graduated last December and started in February. Right now I would have very limited options for any other jobs in the area. I agree with the folks who have said stick with your job for a year or two and get that experience under your belt to make yourself more marketable in the future. Sadly, if you want to stay in one community with your wife working in the same community, you may be giving up the ability to maximize your earnings. The current nursing jobs are really reflecting regional shortages right not... it may require MOVING to make better money doing the same work. I would recommend moving after you have experience.

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Specializes in psychiatric, UR analyst, fraud, DME,MedB.
I am in Omaha, NE and the starting wage at the hospital I am at was $19.50/hr plus differentials for nights and weekends in 02/09. If you had prior experience as an aid, tech, or LPN you might start at 25 or 50 cents an hour more. Word on the street is that we are paid less than other hospitals in the area. We do get up to $400/month in student loan reimbursement. Medical insurance is basically no charge if you take the $800 annual deductible. Small paycheck deductions for dental and vision insurance. A 401K with some fund matching.

That said, the job market has really evaporated in the last year. I graduated last December and started in February. Right now I would have very limited options for any other jobs in the area. I agree with the folks who have said stick with your job for a year or two and get that experience under your belt to make yourself more marketable in the future. Sadly, if you want to stay in one community with your wife working in the same community, you may be giving up the ability to maximize your earnings. The current nursing jobs are really reflecting regional shortages right not... it may require MOVING to make better money doing the same work. I would recommend moving after you have experience.

Hmmm , the $400/month is a very good deal, and you know how important an ongoing education is to your career and paycheck in the future? ( that is if you use it ! ) Yes, I agree , get a good one year at least, but for the meantime utilize that education stuff !!! this is rare and few !!:loveya: Have a good time getting the experience....if possible single out a good mentor and request that you get scheduled w/ her ...if possible?

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PA is expensive in rent and cheap in salary ??? :sniff: not a good place , I must say ! Maryland is more of a major city , so maybe you got more, but the rent sure went down ! :yeah:Happy for you and your husband ...keep following him around !:D

I think that poster mentioned that he/she use to live in PA and got paid 22/hr and the rent was only $650-80/mth.

Well, I live in Maryland for the past 9 yrs and in last 4-5yrs the housing market has skyrocketed and the pay rate remain stagnant or even going down. I remembered when I just got my LPN licensed in 2007 and got a job offer for part-time position that required me to work 20hrs/wk plus eow at a state hospital and I felt insulted when the person told me $14.50/hr. I was so ****** and I just calmly went home and called a few days after and told them I can't except the position. As much as I would've like the Psych experience, I really felt insulted by that pay rate. I made that amount as a CNA for carrying out loud!!

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I'm from Oregon and my friend is a new grad working nights at the Salem hospital and she gets 33.00 an hour. I've heard the midwest doesn't pay nurses that well.

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Specializes in psychiatric, UR analyst, fraud, DME,MedB.
I think that poster mentioned that he/she use to live in PA and got paid 22/hr and the rent was only $650-80/mth.

Well, I live in Maryland for the past 9 yrs and in last 4-5yrs the housing market has skyrocketed and the pay rate remain stagnant or even going down. I remembered when I just got my LPN licensed in 2007 and got a job offer for part-time position that required me to work 20hrs/wk plus eow at a state hospital and I felt insulted when the person told me $14.50/hr. I was so ****** and I just calmly went home and called a few days after and told them I can't except the position. As much as I would've like the Psych experience, I really felt insulted by that pay rate. I made that amount as a CNA for carrying out loud!!

Agree with you on the rising expenses and pay stagnant. My employer subtracted 5% of our pay to stay afloat ...for the meantime everything is going up !!! WE really need our congress to know what is happening w/ us the common people that pays the taxes. Sen. Kennedy said it himself , that while the minimum wage was struggling to go up, members in congress were getting raises as much as increases of 90,000.00 in just 3 years !!!! What's with that ? Are we sure we are a democratic country , cause it sure do not look like it ??????? I think we all need to be a part of a change in health , bank and finance reform !!!!! and nurses we all need to get in the band wagon for change !!!!!

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Pediatrics, Maternity.

I live in the central part of New York State and new Rn's start at 21.15 per hour at the hospital I work at. In 1997 I started at 13.13 per hour at the same hospital.

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Specializes in Telemetry.

It seems about what new grads in San Antonio, TX are making.

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Specializes in l.p.n.
PA is expensive in rent and cheap in salary ??? :sniff: not a good place , I must say ! Maryland is more of a major city , so maybe you got more, but the rent sure went down ! :yeah:Happy for you and your husband ...keep following him around !:D

NO,NO I live in MD now I'm making $19 an hour. REnt 1100+ uti. was in PA made as LPN $22 rent 680 2bedrooms apt.+ elect. sorry I wasn't clear

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It may be different in other places but I graduated in 95' and got my first job in the OR in Atlanta, Ga. at a teaching hospital. I started out at $13.19/hr. with my BSN-I wasn't happy!!!:angryfire I drove trucks throughout college and made $10/hr. with no stress at all. Now, I was making just $3/hr. more at a job with 10 times the stress!:crying2: Another thing I love about Ga. is they don't recognize a BSN over an ADN. I go to school 3 more years and get no compensation-You got to be kidding!!!! There is also no compensation for certifications. That makes sense, hospitals want you to have all these certs so they can get mag cert. and make more money but don't want to give it back to the employees.:down:As mentioned before, I've been at this for years and am right below the $30/hr. mark. On average, it takes about 10 years to make the $30/hr. mark here in Ga.-that's been the case for years and anyone will tell you the same. Working as a nurse will earn you nothing more than an average salary for a college grad., period. The job security is the greatest asset but, with the economy, that is likely to change. Plus, now that hospitals are big businesses, they will fire you for parking your car sideways-it's not like it used to be. What really makes you think is when you hear of factory workers in auto plants making $60/hr. to put a nut on a bolt and we're making $25/hr. saving lives with tons of stress and no lunch breaks. That's why I started my own business, I have jobs I can make $1200 by lunch time and come and go when I want + take breaks when I want. I know I will get jumped on by others with my posts but I prefer to be honest about the profession. Most of the time, the stress isn't worth the pay.

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