I mentioned to a guy I work with that I am going to (start) nursing school, and he told me his wife had just passed her NCLEX a year before and has been working for a non-profit ever since. When I asked if he minded telling me about what she made, he said 24k a year....
I live in TN where the cost of living is lower, and I expect to make lower than the national average because of that; but 24k??? I can make that being a manager at a McDonalds. Skimming through sites like Monster.com I have never seen a nurse making anywhere near that little money, even just starting out.
He may be mistaken, or his wife is hiding money on him or something... but if nursing school is 1/2 as hard as people say it is I want to be compensated for all of the hard work I put in to become an RN.
Specializes in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
Side note, don't forget that if you are from another state and are looking to work in a different state that you may need to do some paperwork or have some issues with your license transferring over, particularly to California. I work bedside on a tele floor and started off at $34 as a new grad not including night shift down in southern Cali. So it seems that pay rate does vary quite significantly from state to state.
Side note, don't forget that if you are from another state and are looking to work in a different state that you may need to do some paperwork or have some issues with your license transferring over, particularly to California. I work bedside on a tele floor and started off at $34 as a new grad not including night shift down in southern Cali. So it seems that pay rate does vary quite significantly from state to state.
Did you start at a new grad program or did you go straight to being a floor nurse?
I thought Louisiana started out new grads at like, $23/hr? So how are you making near double?
Even if I only made my base pay (which is $22.91), I would be making about $43k. $43k x 2 = $86k.... So not really double...
But I don't only make base pay, I also get evening, night, and weekend difs, holiday pay, education, and little bit of miscellaneous stuff, and oh, our yearly bonus that's been averaging about 5k a year (Last year's was $6k).
Again, I'm not including overtime or incentive pay that can be up to $22 extra per hour. If you don't want to count my bonus, then I make about $60k.
Even if I only made my base pay (which is $22.91), I would be making about $43k. $43k x 2 = $86k.... So not really double...
But I don't only make base pay, I also get evening, night, and weekend difs, holiday pay, education, and little bit of miscellaneous stuff, and oh, our yearly bonus that's been averaging about 5k a year (Last year's was $6k).
Again, I'm not including overtime or incentive pay that can be up to $22 extra per hour. If you don't want to count my bonus, then I make about $60k.
Yep in nursing there is a ton of ways to make more at the end of the year.
barcode120x, RN, NP
763 Posts
Side note, don't forget that if you are from another state and are looking to work in a different state that you may need to do some paperwork or have some issues with your license transferring over, particularly to California. I work bedside on a tele floor and started off at $34 as a new grad not including night shift down in southern Cali. So it seems that pay rate does vary quite significantly from state to state.