New grad RN starting salary 2017 & 2018

[dianearc]

Hello all, I'm trying to figure out. How does one know when they are absolutely being lowballed?! I'm an Accelerated BSN grad & already secured a job which involved a move as I only wanted to work in a hospital so as to utilize all my skills and learn more. During my interviews I noticed that some LTC & physician offices were actually paying more than hospitals for new grads & had starting bonuses. Of course very tempting but I was also aware that experience received in hospitals is much better. So my question is, what is the starting salary for a brand new grad at your hospital & mention state please? & what is a reasonable new grad hospital starting salary in 2017/2018?

Thank you :-)

[dianearc, BSN, RN]

"Thank you. This is what I'm looking for. It helps to have a comparison of actual numbers in different states"

Looking only at the pay rate without taking into consideration the cost of living, is making a comparison in a vacuum. If the cost of living where you live is 2X that of mine, of course seeing that you make almost 1.5X more per hour than I do, would make it seem like a lot of money. It's a lot more than just how much per hour.

I am actually considering the cost of living that's why I didn't ask about it. Unfortunately new graduates don't have a bargaining power in relation to cost of living. They are paid lower than experienced nurses, irregardless of whether that's nyc or some rural town in idaho. Additionally, within the same state, you may find that a new grad is being paid lower at a hospital that's within 10 miles (or less) of another hospital that pays new grads a higher rate. Same applies to clinics, ltc facilities etc. There's a discrepancy in pay of new graduates. In fact in some states, new grads with an associates are paid slightly lower than new grads with a bsn, irregardless of cost of living. Which I also think is bs since they sit for the same nclex and learn the same stuff...the other courses to attain a bs are fluff. That's why for new grads putting so much focus on the cost of living (as much as it may be ok) is not ideal. Because, it's obvious they'll be paid enough to sustain themselves in the different areas with varied costs of living. But, what is the rate?!

[nella197]

Bay Area, CA LTC New Grad RN BSN Pay: 34-40/hour

Bay Area, CA Hospital New Grad RN BSN Pay: 40/hour

New Orleans, LA Hospital New Grad RN BSN Pay: 25/hour

North Dakota Hospital New Grad RN BSN Pay: 26/hour

Alabama Hospital New Grad RN BSN Pay: 22/hour

Utah Hospital New Grad RN BSN Pay:24-26/hour

Although the salaries are on the higher end for the bay area, the cost of living is high. Affordable housing is difficult to find in the bay area.

Another thing to take into consideration, is the workload. I know a few people who work in LTC as new grads and they feel swamped due to the patient load and the lack of training. They were only given 2 weeks of "orientation" and one of those weeks was only computer training. I have been told they are often the only nurses on noc shift with little to no support. In addition, they said they have a ton of patients.

[dianearc, BSN, RN]

Bay Area, CA LTC New Grad RN BSN Pay: 34-40/hour

Bay Area, CA Hospital New Grad RN BSN Pay: 40/hour

New Orleans, LA Hospital New Grad RN BSN Pay: 25/hour

North Dakota Hospital New Grad RN BSN Pay: 26/hour

Alabama Hospital New Grad RN BSN Pay: 22/hour

Utah Hospital New Grad RN BSN Pay:24-26/hour

Although the salaries are on the higher end for the bay area, the cost of living is high. Affordable housing is difficult to find in the bay area.

Another thing to take into consideration, is the workload. I know a few people who work in LTC as new grads and they feel swamped due to the patient load and the lack of training. They were only given 2 weeks of "orientation" and one of those weeks was only computer training. I have been told they are often the only nurses on noc shift with little to no support. In addition, they said they have a ton of patients.

Thank you for the breakdown. & so true, I found out some LTC facilities pay more but have higher workloads with inadequate training & no support. It's the same thing in the NY/NJ area. With the exception of California in this example, everything else seem to fall in line with a lot of new grad hospital starting pay & then there's an increase after the first year. Thank you!

[Dani_Mila, BSN, RN]

Be careful some LTC do pay more and some are less. I got a job offer and they start 24 (8h) for new grads whereas others pay 28 (12h). I am still thinking aboit accepting the job offer.

[rattler18]

I was hired in lakeland (between orlando and tampa) and the starting pay was $27 base for a bsn 5.40 for night shift and 8.47 more for night shift weekends