No,new grads dont make big bucks !

[Blackheartednurse]

Ok so my best friends is starting LPN school January of next year and and she plans to bridge into RN,after that she is definitely moving to Arizona (has family there,loves climate,has a small daughter so she wants a safe envinronment to raise family) The only issue is that she thinks when she moves to Arizona she will get a much better pay than in midwest (we are from Illinois Area) I try to show her a bit of my realistic side of nurses pay and when I tell her than nurses in Arizona can make about 22-24 dollars per hour she simply doesnt believe me.Like even today I have told her that I'm cosidering moving to different state for the experience sake she have asked me what is the pay like in other states and I told her that the states that currently hire dont offer amazing pay and usually is in low 20s because usually those are considered less popular rural states located in the middle of nowhere etc..She doesnt believe,she hold on to this insane idea that nurses in the South Central United States (like Texas,Arizona etc) make God knows how much money.I dont know maybe it is true but I really doubt it, I think Chicago pays decently (usually 26 with shift differential) but I doubt that South Central States pay more because the living costs are definitely lower.Also she is really surprised why I cant find no job...I keep explaining to her that times are rough for new grads,she keeps telling me it is my fault that I'm doing something wrong and she is not worry at all about finding job in Arizona once she graduates.:angryfire Please shed some light into my direction about pay rate in central United States..thanks

[CrunchyMama, ASN, RN]

I'm in upstate NY and my cousin in-law graduated in May and got a job making $27/hr.

[RNnbakes]

Rural hospitals in ga start at 18-19.50 for new grads.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

Are these rates applying for LPNs or RNs? Maybe we should specify, since the OP is saying her friend is an LPN student.

[Quidam]

There's a substantial dfference between new grad and new RN hrly rates.

What is the difference here? I don't understand.

[VICEDRN, BSN, RN]

Rural hospitals in ga start at 18-19.50 for new grads.

Yeah. My post is pretty unclear. Sorry about that. Rural Georgia is definitely less than 21-22/hour for new grads. (The 21/hr is more like suburban Atlanta) I am in North Georgia. I don't know if it is even less down south of Atlanta. Where are you?

[Maebell1925]

I interviewed at a hospital in Louisiana and starting pay for new grad RN was $18.00/hour. I felt sick.

[Blackheartednurse]

I interviewed at a hospital in Louisiana and starting pay for new grad RN was $18.00/hour. I felt sick.

I will be working in Iowa--20.50 bucks per hours with a 2 dollar shift differential (however the shift diff counts from 6 pm and I will be working from 3-11 so I dont know how that will work out) Anyway my friend is laughing her butt off saying I'm making a mistake by moving 300 hundred miles away by myself for not so great pay,and I should stay in my original state and apply to bunch of nursing homes....but you know what..deep inside I know I'm doing the right thing...I will be working for the largest private teaching trauma 1 hospital in the state on a cardiac step down unit (heart surgeries,angio) so nothing can beat that and I will have the door open to other specialties like ER,ICU..I always wanted to start off at a small hospital but oh well I ended up somewhere else but maybe it is for the best...Also I didnt go into nursing for money (of course money was one of the factors I considered when going into nursing) but it was never the most motivating factor so I can surive the cut in pay for the experience sake...