Need STAT advice ~lowball job offer~

Nurses Job Hunt

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OK so I had a frenzy of interviews this week and received an offer today. I told her she could send me the offer letter and I would sign. To be sure I did a quick search here and on salary website and found that the offer is short by at least 5k per year. The schedule is VERY nice but I don't want to be underpaid. How do I negotiate a better salary as I have NOT signed the offer letter yet? Thanks.

Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

You should have asked re all this at the interview. Didn't they go thru pays with you?

I'd take the job, work for 6 months then bring up increasing ur salary. If u can afford not to take it, decline & wait for something else.

I don't think people can afford to be too fussy in this financial climate. Also there are many, many ways to save money: shop at thrift shops, do grocery shopping @ night when meat etc gets marked down, catch buses to work, walk if you can to work, cook meals @ home & freeze them instead of buying takeaways, take ur own coffee/tea/drinks to work. The list is endless.

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You should have asked re all this at the interview. Didn't they go thru pays with you?

I'd take the job, work for 6 months then bring up increasing ur salary. If u can afford not to take it, decline & wait for something else.

I don't think people can afford to be too fussy in this financial climate. Also there are many, many ways to save money: shop at thrift shops, do grocery shopping @ night when meat etc gets marked down, catch buses to work, walk if you can to work, cook meals @ home & freeze them instead of buying takeaways, take ur own coffee/tea/drinks to work. The list is endless.

I live in a right to work state and it is standard to not discuss pay during the interview. They usually discuss pay when they offer you the position. I will ask for more money in the morning and be willing to walk. I happen to be quite the frugalista already but that has little to do with being paid less than I am worth. Nurses are notorious for that but I decline being undervalued. My 17 years of nursing ARE valuable.:D

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Specializes in Endoscopy.

Have you looked at bls.gov and looked at what the average hourly or annually rate for nurses make in your area? That might help. It also differentiates between what type of facility you work in.

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I have never know hr to up an offer . I gess it depens on the place and if there are 20 people behind you waiting for that same job . Hr knows that lots of people need work and that why they can offer less because someone will jump at even if you do not .

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I am one of those "whats for me is for me" people so if someone else gets the job it wasn't meant for me. I've seen it play out in my favor so much during my life that I just live by it and I never do anything out of fear(ie accepting a poor offer for fear of not getting the job). I made the call and we'll see how it goes. Either way I win :)

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Specializes in LTC.

I live in a small town that is 3-6 hours from any major city and I make way less than the average. I only have a yr. experience but I figure it's bc cost of living is lower in this town than that of the city. I don't look on salary websites but I have been known to talking to my nurse friends to see if I'm getting a good wage.

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