Nurses pay

Originally posted by Geeg

The starting salary is usually attractive to lure you in, but you will max out very soon.

yes. when new grads start out at $5-10 dollars less than veterans with 15-20 years, HOUSTON WE HAVE PROBLEM HERE! I have serious heartburn with this. Which is why I intend to break away from bedside nursing before I hit 10 years. That is the plan, anyhow.

I've only been in the US (Phoenix) for 2 months, but I'm already earning over $60,000 with overtime. I just bought a brand new car too. I'm feeling the pinch right now because I have to continue paying my mortgage in the UK, and the exchange rate right now is horrible, but if I didn't have that I'd be very comfortable. I work extremely hard in ICU but I love the challenge and the rewards are many. There are more financial opportunities here than in the UK, and more chances to improve wages each year. In England you can only get so far and there is little room to earn more. I did best when doing full time ICU agency there.

The average starting wage for a nurse in the UK is £16,000, but when you take into account the exhange rate, that works out at about $30,000 anyway. Tax in England is higher too, but I actually took a pay cut coming over here, as I was earning about £40,000 in London as an ICU agency nurse...that's about $80,000. However, the cost of living in London is extortionate so it works out pretty even in the end. I don't think that's a bad wage, and I know that after a short while I will have the possibility of earning even more. I remember being poor and having crappy jobs, so I am just grateful to have this amazing and prestigious job that I love, and to be paid well for it.