Making 100k salary/ income as a nurse?

Nurses Career Support Nursing Q/A

I am interested in what specialties are making 100k. I have 3 daughters in nursing school and can advise them on a lot, but not necessarily give them a big pic of the financial opportunities from across the nation. I am a 25 year RN and have a 65k salary, but double it most years with ot. not much fun working 68-72 hour weeks though. please tell me your specialty, experience , salary, and salary with diff and ot. oh, and where you r in the USA thank you all and hope your practice is professionally and financially rewarding

I topped out at 65K last year. I live in Southeast Georgia and have been an RN for 30 years!! Don't really have the potential for overtime where I work, however, I love my job!! Not many nurses I know can say that.

I dropped my CAPA last year - the hospital only pays $250.00/year bonus for certification. It's not about the money for me. It's now about lifestyle. Less stress, less commuting, more time for family and friends.

Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.

Sacramento area RN, I make 110k base but with holidays, education hours and misc classes, I make closer to 120k. That's working 7 8 hour shifts in 2 weeks. I was a 10 hour employee and that had me at 130k. These do not include overtime. I have coworkers who work so much they prob break 300k, but their kids also rarely see them

Some people say our cost of living is high but it's much cheaper than most of the state and when you consider income I think we do pretty good.

I work in the ER.

Until recently, I was making 100K/year in an area near the mid Atlantic area in a very well known teaching hospital. I have 27 years experience - 3 years of ID (mostly HIV units) and 24 years of Oncology (earlier on, med/surg onco, then hematological malignancies and BMT). Until nine months ago, I had only an ADN degree but have now obtained my BSN. I started in small community hospitals and worked my way up as a traveler nurse. I have worked in five of the top rated 15 hospitals in the nation, along with the NIH, and received job offers from each one. I was either on rotating shifts or weekend option plus for the last eight years. My pay dropped recently d/t taking a desk job secondary to some medical issues, but I will still probably be over 90K with a limited amount of OT - not bad for 8-4:30, Monday-Friday. But I worked my butt off to earn it.

Bay Area/San Francisco, CA, with ample amount of experience, one can start between 110-130K per year without OT. Again, consider the cost of living and "living" in the City.

Specializes in Anesthesia.

I'm in Southern California. I've hit at least 100k every year with the exception of my first year. I think I made 127k or so last year. Of course it's all relative to where you live, but I live in an area that doesn't have crazy high COL. We have plenty of travel nurses here from Texas, Georgia, Florida, etc. They come here to make their $, and go back home to enjoy it. I do hope to move to Sacramento as a CRNA though since the city seems to have the highest pay in comparison to cost of living. Sure, it's not SF, SD, or LA, but it's all good.

Specializes in Critical Care.

Get away from bedside and consider management or education. Unfortunately, both require advanced education (BSN, MSN) to be considered for promotion (management) or tenure (education). If staying at bedside; traveling is always an option (specially in San Francisco, CA).

I made 104K/yr for years in an affordable part of California. 3 BD/2BR newer home in safe area rents for $1,300. Mon-Fri (though potentially a weekend/month that rarely was required). No OT. Flex schedule.

Specializes in School Nursing, Pediatrics.

I easily made over 100K, working at a major Boston hospital, outpatient clinic. However, I had over 20 years nursing experience, a masters degree, and we were union. If I was still there I would make almost 165k. But I chose happiness over money! A lot of pressure in that environment and I realized I did not want that anymore.

Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

The 100k + jobs that don't seem to require breaking your back with scads of ot tend to be in management. I was eyeing up an impressive salary posted for an administrative job for a VA hospital. But who am I kidding, I'm dug in here.

$172K 2nd full yr out of CRNA school in Texas. That does not include OT. Doesnt get better than this.

Specializes in Critical Care.

You hit the nail on the head. The average salary for RN's is around $65,000. Sure with overtime you could make a lot more, but who wants to work their life away! Other than the coasts where cost of living is insane I don't know of RN's making $100,000 without doing lots of overtime or agency/pool where they float from place to place with no guarantee of steady hours.

Some FNP's may make that but I read on here all the time FNP being offered $70,000-80,000 starting and then may have to pay for their benefits insurance and own retirement, unless they work for a hospital organization.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I am interested in what specialties are making 100k. I have 3 daughters in nursing school and can advise them on a lot, but not necessarily give them a big pic of the financial opportunities from across the nation. I am a 25 year RN and have a 65k salary, but double it most years with ot. not much fun working 68-72 hour weeks though. please tell me your specialty, experience , salary, and salary with diff and ot. oh, and where you r in the USA thank you all and hope your practice is professionally and financially rewarding

I am surprised that as a seasoned RN that you think that nurses in specialties get paid more money. Specialties only make more money with certifications like CCRN and CEN etc. and with seniority. There are not really any new grads that make that that kind of money especially right out of school...unless you live in an area with a high cost of living.

There is still a tight squeeze on nursing positions but it is improving. Your daughters best bet will be to get that year of experience under their belt and go from there. It is difficult to get hired in specialty positions and make the "big bucks" right out of school. They will have an easier time getting a job if they have a bachelors and more if they obtain a masters.

My daughter is in nursing school as well and that is what I have told her. I have also told her her BSN will not be her terminal degree.

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