Nurses pay

fiestynurse · Jan 11, 2004

ChristineG - You already have an MBA! Combine that with a nursing degree and you open the door for numerous career opportunities. Many RNs in management are going back to school for their MBAs. UCLA even has a combination MSN/MBA program.

I don't think an employer will see you as an average new grad RN - Many will look at your long term potential and you could easily set yourself up for fast promotion!

Go for it!

gennylyn · Jan 16, 2004

Originally posted by Katerina
I'm a new grad and I get paid $30.70/hr in med/surg. That's not including the shift differentials.

Would like to know where you are? I started out making $14.05 not including night diffs but now after 5 1/2 years make $20.63 without diffs. I'm not required to work weekends, just mon-thurs night (12 hour shifts). So there's a plus, and I get 16 hours of paid overtime.:roll

athomas91 · Jan 16, 2004

jeez...some of you need to move....in maryland as a new grad i made better than 18.00/hr (that was yrs ago)

wkend options in all of maryland/delaware are right around 50$/hr....i made >70,000 from 3rd year after graduation on....

and if you wanna work agency - on normal shifts you can pull 40-55$/hr

tiredfeetED · Jan 16, 2004

Seems like out west (California) Wages are a little higher, I live in central cali so cost of living is not as bad as throughout the state..120k house in central cali cost 400-500k up north if not more..I personally had no debt out of nursing school because I was crazy and worked 40 hrs a week. wages around here as GN ave bout 26/hr, 50k is ave salary here...salary isnt everything, it is very important to look at the whole picture ...good benifits are a must!:)

TitaniaSidhe · Jan 16, 2004

RN, BSN since Feb. 1990. Worked the same place for the past 14yrs. Started as grad nurse making $40,000+ change per year salary this didn't include diffirential. I now make $81,500 +change not including differential. 15% night/evening shift additionally 15% weekend. All & all if I get some OT in I may clear $100,000 annually. Oh I work in Northern NJ & it is federal/VA hospital. Conditions however are REALLY horrible & nurse patient ratio is also horrible. Mostly the agrivation comes from the admin, things were not always this bad but have gotten much worse with the present admin. They change perhaps every 5-10 years so hopfully this one will be making way for new admin & better treatment of employees & patients soon....

siby · Jan 16, 2004

i was reading this post and noticed how Medic946RN had said there were places where you can make up to 40 something an hour.

i was wondering if i could know where exactly that was since im thinking of moving sometime soon

athomas91 · Jan 16, 2004

siby - he works in the same area i do....

maryland.....

the pay is similar in md, pa, dc, and va....

kc ccurn · Jan 16, 2004

Maybe colorado will get there someday...

sloddesol · Jan 17, 2004

well dont know if this counts been in nursing since the dawn of time I make 33.00 an hour average between 85 and 90 thousand a year math doesnt add up but lots of call and overtime

Scott

tammiefinley · Jan 17, 2004

I live in the southern part of the state in a small town and I am making 12.08 an hour. I have no benifits though. I chose this option due to my situation. This is more than most will get in this area.

austin heart, BSN, RN · Jan 17, 2004

My first nursing job, 7 years ago, I made $7.80/ hr on 12hr days, medical floor. I could have made more money checking groceries at Wal Mart! Had to live with my parents it was so bad! Finally I took a PRN position making $17.50/hr with no benies.

Well, when I became an RN, I thought I was going to make the big bucks. Not! Was offered a full time with benies for $12.25/ hr on 12hr days. I told them were they could put their 12.50 and cont to work PRN, for $25.00/hr no benies. It was cheaper for me to work 8hr shifts, 4 days a week, and pay for my own health insurance out of pocket. I always came out ahead of my buddies who worked full time 40hrs. And, I didn't work weekends.

Now living in Austin, the full time pay is better, but it is still not what I would like to be making. Right now we are getting the ole' smoke up the but stuff....."we are doing research on what nurses are making at other facilities, and across the board increases are in the works." Yah, I'll believe it when I see it.

Not to High-Jack the thread, but what would yall do in this situation. I recently overheard a conversation between several of the newer nurses with less experiance than I, talking about how much they made and hour. If they are telling the truth and not stretching it out, some of them make more money than I do. Now, like at most facilities talking about pay is strictly prohibited, and I did not join in on the conversation. But when I think about it, it pi$$es me off. What would you do if you were in my situation. Would you bring it up to your NM or your DON?

nursemary9, BSN, RN · Jan 17, 2004

Hi

I live in Chicago; also work in Chicago at a large Northside

Hospital with a trauma center.

I have lived and worked in Chicago all my life.

I make excellent base pay at my job and also I get night differential.

HOWEVER, I have worked for the same company for 33 yrs. I have been a nurse for nearly 40 yrs. It seems that I would have been making this much money sooner in other professions--in other words, it took an awfully LONG time to get to my pay level and now, I am just about at the top; with close to 10 yrs. left, I wonder if I'll ever get another pay raise.

Also, we have an awfull lot of responsibility; every day we make life and death decisions. Not to be overly dramatic, but the fact remains that one mistake can kill someone. Sometimes the stress alone is enough to make you want leave the job.

So any way, we are doing better in the pay area especially in Chicago.