Comparison of US and UK pay

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I am a RN working in the US. I am just beginning to look into the comparison of pay and cost of living. If I moved to the UK, can I expect to make more or less? Can anyone give me any information on this? Also, is the shortage of nurses in the UK comparable to the shortage we have here. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Specializes in ICU, Haemodialysis, acute medicine and s.

Thank you Cariad and Madwife for being so honest. I do agree that sometimes it is hard to read the bad things but I also agree it is important to understand these things can happen and what you face if they do. Madwife i am disgusted in the way the agency treated you, I'm hoping they didn't expect their breach fee on top of abandoning you did they? Are you back working as a nurse now or doing something different.

I constantly worry wether we will be able to manage money wise when we come over, but i'm sure we will be able to survive on my wage if i do a little overtime, but i am hoping my hubby will be able to find work too. However we aren't giving up much in the UK to come here. Hubby is the breadwinner at the moment and brings home approx £1800 per month and with £1500 of that going out in bills and rent etc. it doesn't leave us much to eat and have a life, so we are used to managing on little money. I currently do bank shifts as I can't get a permananet job due to lack of them, and those that there are are completely unwilling to show any flexibility with regards childcare and to pay childcare full time for 2 kids makes it not worth working, so i do bank shifts when i can to pay for treats and holidays, and they seem to be few and far between at the moment due to cost cutting and fitting them in with my hubby's ridiculous job (he works 60+ hours per week, and travels away from home probably 50% of the time) so I am looking forward to getting back to being a proper employed nurse, and hubby is looking forward to taking a back seat a little. Still scares me though and I hope I can find some good friends through sites like these that will also help us when we finally get over.

EN :- the chocolate is awful , I can asure you, and can you imagine the mess in 120 degrees Arizona heat, best change your tastes to jelly belly beans :uhoh3: :lol2:

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Specializes in med/surg.

Thank you so much for your candid replies everyone!

Madwife I can't wait to get my English a**e over the pond:lol2:. Maybe one day I'll meet you all in Arizona & we can all be daft together!!

Now just to make some semblance of paying homage to the title of the thread - my DH has a business that is already taking off in the USA so hopefully between us we can be comfortable enough. We won't have a mortgage either so that'll help.

Pay wise I'll be earning about £3.00 per hour more than I do here but my pay here is "all-inclusive" - there's absolutely no unsocial hours etc so I personally will be earning a bit more in the USA & when you add in all those clever little "stealth" taxes we have here in the UK I think we'll be a bit better off in the USA but I also don't think it's just the pay that makes a difference.

When we're in the States the kids spend so much more time outdoors. My eldest swims with a local team when we're on vacation. Also we like to hire a boat & just spend the day out on the river enjoying each others company. We have friends who have a boat too & we often spend time out with them and as they have kids the same ages as two of mine we won't be completely alone when we go.

Hey EN have you tasted US chocolate? :barf02::D

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

The chocolate is nasty but if you get Hershey milk choc Symphony that tastes ok. Plus you can get some good ok cadburys in World Market when you are desperate but it costs an arm and a leg

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

The partners getting employment always seem to be a bit of an issue but you can afford for your other half to stay at home for a few months to settle in and have a good look around then you will probably find something that interests them. Remember this may be an ideal opportunity for them to try something new or different. After all you may have to come here and work as a nurse but they dont have to do what they did before, and there are lots of opportunities for change.

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Specializes in ICU, Haemodialysis, acute medicine and s.
The partners getting employment always seem to be a bit of an issue but you can afford for your other half to stay at home for a few months to settle in and have a good look around then you will probably find something that interests them. Remember this may be an ideal opportunity for them to try something new or different. After all you may have to come here and work as a nurse but they dont have to do what they did before, and there are lots of opportunities for change.

At the moment my husband is in retail management, but i think he would like to do something different and his main goal is to own his own business eventually making custom gaming pc's. I think the fact he does not have to work a 60 hour week would give him the opportunity to do this, I'm presuming he can set up a business on a green card and not have to meet all the requirements that would have to met if we were aiming to come over on a business visa, such as employing at least to USC's etc.

So you say it is possible to support a family on a nurses income alone? This is what was worrying me, that just my wages might not be enough to pay rent, run a car etc. although we are not planning on going mad, and will only get a 2nd car if and when hubby starts work, and we do live pretty cheaply.

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Specializes in med/surg.
The chocolate is nasty but if you get Hershey milk choc Symphony that tastes ok. Plus you can get some good ok cadburys in World Market when you are desperate but it costs an arm and a leg

I don't mind "Dove" it's OK. Mind you truth is I don't usually fancy chocolate due to the heat, Ice cream with Choc fudge sauce is much more appealing:lol2:

Oooooooooo that's just reminded me of Breyers cookies & cream - mmmmmmmm only 3 days to go before I can get me some of that!!

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Specializes in ICU, Haemodialysis, acute medicine and s.
I don't mind "Dove" it's OK. Mind you truth is I don't usually fancy chocolate due to the heat, Ice cream with Choc fudge sauce is much more appealing:lol2:

or chocolate brownie cheesecake from the cheesecake factory :redbeathe

are you due to go on a trip over to Florida in the next 3 days???? we go back in September and i can't wait

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Specializes in med/surg.
or chocolate brownie cheesecake from the cheesecake factory :redbeathe

are you due to go on a trip over to Florida in the next 3 days???? we go back in September and i can't wait

Yup - fly out Tuesday! CAN'T WAIT!!!!! 3 wonderful weeks of sun, sea, sand & *** :lol2: Well the latter when the kids aren't around of course;)

Weather forecast for our area is in the 80's & the "outlaws" have switched our pool heating on for us.

Still, come September you can be the one gloating!

where in FL are you going? We're Central, near the gulf coast, about 40 minutes drive north of Tampa.

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Specializes in renal,peritoneal dialysis, medicine.

hershys

:barf02:

cadbury yeah!

nestle yeah

rowntree yeah

mars yeah

pmsl

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Specializes in ICU, Haemodialysis, acute medicine and s.
Yup - fly out Tuesday! CAN'T WAIT!!!!! 3 wonderful weeks of sun, sea, sand & *** :lol2: Well the latter when the kids aren't around of course;)

Weather forecast for our area is in the 80's & the "outlaws" have switched our pool heating on for us.

Still, come September you can be the one gloating!

where in FL are you going? We're Central, near the gulf coast, about 40 minutes drive north of Tampa.

We are doing the disney thing again, bit of luxury this time at the animal kingdom lodge with free disney dining plan. Orlando is one of the areas being offered to me to move to so going to take a day or so to have a drive round and look at the non-tourist areas and get a feel for it all.

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Specializes in ICU, Haemodialysis, acute medicine and s.
hershys

:barf02:

cadbury yeah!

nestle yeah

rowntree yeah

mars yeah

pmsl

boy your in trouble :lol2: even the US versions of UK choccy bars taste vile, apparently they are not allowed to use the same levels of cocoa that we do in the UK whichis why they are so sweet and sickly

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Specializes in renal,peritoneal dialysis, medicine.
We are doing the disney thing again, bit of luxury this time at the animal kingdom lodge with free disney dining plan. Orlando is one of the areas being offered to me to move to so going to take a day or so to have a drive round and look at the non-tourist areas and get a feel for it all.

aww shuddup

:)

have used up all my holidays:(

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