Northern California Nursing Salaries

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I am a nursing student, ready to begin my first year of clinical. Ne ways, I know a few people who have graduated from my program (San Joaquin Delta College Nursing Program), and are making $100,000 a year with their ADN. I wonder if anyone can confirm that aveage in California. I am going for my bachlors degree, but I am wondering if their is much of a pay difference between your ADN and BSN?

I started a few weeks ago as a new grad on the PM shift, 32 hr/wk and I am getting $37/hr. This includes full benefits. The per-diem rate is $53/hr, but there is, of course, no benefits. Some nurses have health benefits through a spouse so they like per-diem.

Which hospital? Is the cost of living in Sonoma county high?? I work in Placer County and the pay is similar to yours. Cost of living is much much better up here than bay area. I was able to afford to buy a home right after graduation. I would never in my lifetime be able to afford a house out in the Bay area!

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Specializes in Psych, Ortho, Stroke, and TBI.
I heard the housing is as expensive as south bay. But how about the "quality" of life? i.e. crime, traffic, school, people, shopping/night life etc

As expensive? It's more expensive than the South Bay. Generally speaking. You can find some hovels for a mere 900 per month, but I'm sure the same can be said for the South Bay.

When I lived in the city, I found it to be very safe. You just need to know what hoods to avoid. But the perks of being near culture and all of the shows, etc is great. Also, it's the best place in the world to live in terms of "Free" entertainment. As a college student I was poor, but always had something to do. You don't have to spend $ to have fun in SF.

If you don't have a car, you don't need one. Great public transportation. So gas prices matter little. In the South Bay, generally speaking you need to drive everywhere.

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Which hospital in Placer County is paying that amount to new grads? Thanks!

Which hospital? Is the cost of living in Sonoma county high?? I work in Placer County and the pay is similar to yours. Cost of living is much much better up here than bay area. I was able to afford to buy a home right after graduation. I would never in my lifetime be able to afford a house out in the Bay area!
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I know kaiser starts off their new grad RN's at 38 an hour. Says it right here in the union contract.

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As expensive? It's more expensive than the South Bay. Generally speaking. You can find some hovels for a mere 900 per month, but I'm sure the same can be said for the South Bay.

When I lived in the city, I found it to be very safe. You just need to know what hoods to avoid. But the perks of being near culture and all of the shows, etc is great. Also, it's the best place in the world to live in terms of "Free" entertainment. As a college student I was poor, but always had something to do. You don't have to spend $ to have fun in SF.

If you don't have a car, you don't need one. Great public transportation. So gas prices matter little. In the South Bay, generally speaking you need to drive everywhere.

You may need a car if you want to travel places around the San Francisco Bay Area. The Bay Area is pretty vast and if you want to go from SF down the peninsula or to Santa Cruz or San Jose, you really need the convenience of a car. Either that, or to know some friends with cars.

Smile123

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I know kaiser starts off their new grad RN's at 38 an hour. Says it right here in the union contract.

Yeah, I heard Kaiser pays more but I also *heard* that the RN's have to "work harder" which I don't really know about; wouldn't Kaiser RN's have the same nurse to patient ratio as everyone else in the state? I heard they have no LVN's but how many hospitals do? I know county hospitals like VMC in San jose pay less.. but I'm wondering how much they start their new grads off at..? anyone know..?

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Sospaingirl,

Here's a link to the Kaiser Permanente current Contract Pay Scale. Check out the Bay Area rate for 2005 ($38/hr-base). If your friend(s) are making $100K so soon after graduating (3 yrs exp), they must be working 60+ hours a week, or pulling your leg.

http://www.calnurses.org/facilities-bargaining/bargaining-alerts/kaiser/Wage-Pages-Kaiser-2002-2006.pdf

Ryan

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.
That's interesting. Are you allowed to work that many hours?.

Smile123

ALL nurses where I live work 12 hour shifts, four days a week. Parametics work 48 hour shifts.

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I'm not a nurse (yet), as I'm doing my pre-reqs right now. But I volunteer at a Bay area hospital, and the nurses there work 3-12s a week, and some of them pick up an extra shift a week (let's hear it for time-and-a-half :) ).

I know this isn't on topic, but I just wanted to share. I'm leaving a six figure career for nursing because I want to give something back to the profession that gave me a second chance at life. Four years ago, the day after a surgery, I was resting in my room and suddenly arrested. Over the next 20 minutes, I was resuscitated three times, and each time I regained conciousness, I was surrounded by about 10 nurses and technicians (with no doctor in sight). When the surgeon finally got ther and took me back into OR, she repaired an abdominal bleed, and later said that I had lost a lot of blood, and that my hematocrit had dropped to 17.

Since then, my career in Finance hasn't been fun anymore.

I've come to believe that nurses do God's work.

So, HeartsOpenWide, I love your tagline :)

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Yeah, I heard Kaiser pays more but I also *heard* that the RN's have to "work harder" which I don't really know about; wouldn't Kaiser RN's have the same nurse to patient ratio as everyone else in the state? I heard they have no LVN's but how many hospitals do?

Kaiser typically does better than the ratio law requires ... four patients per RN instead of the five that the law requires. As far as LVN's, it would depend on the area ... some areas have LVN's, some don't. Although a lot of RN's actually prefer not having LVN's anyway.

:coollook:

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I heard the housing is as expensive as south bay. But how about the "quality" of life? i.e. crime, traffic, school, people, shopping/night life etc

I have lived my entire life in the South Bay (San Jose). Yes it is expensive, but SF is higher. As for the quality of life. It's wonderful, downtown has a great night life, restaurants, dancing etc. Yes there are some bad areas, but more good ones. I feel perfectly safe walking my dog at night. Traffic sucks if you have to drive during commute hours. But I don't think it's any worse any where else. There is no place like this.

I would stay here the rest of my life if I could afford a house in the area.

--TanayNicole

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hi! I know La Mirada, Cali is not a part of northern california (not sure though:rolleyes: ) but id like to know how much is the starting pay per hour in that area. im an experienced nurse (clinical nurse specialist) from australia and the agency that recruited me offered to pay me 25-28$/hour. excluding the fringe benefits, overtime, nite diffentials. is that a fair pay?

ta!

maria:)

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