RN starting salary in OKC

U.S.A. Oklahoma

Published

I really have no clue how much new grads are making starting out. I've heard about $18/hr base plus differentials--does that sound about right? How much does the average RN with experience make after a few years?

Marilyn (who should be getting her acceptance/rejection letter in the mail today--I'm so excited!! Wish me luck! I'll post later, I'm pretty confident I'm getting in)

Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.

I'm wondering how accurate salary.com is. Can someone (a current RN or LPN) tell me if salary.com is close what is actually paid in Oklahoma? I've been wondering that for a long time.

Kat

I've wondered as well.... Good question!

0 Votes
I've wondered as well.... Good question!

It took some digging, but somehow I got a total of ~$50,000 for a staff nursing working in ICU (I would love to do NICU but they didn't give an estimate for a staff nurse working in NICU. Although this would be an AWESOME wage, I just can't help thinkng that's not a figure that's going to happen in this state.

Any other thoughts here? I'm just really curious about this...

0 Votes
Specializes in Level III cardiac/telemetry.

According to the Oklahoma Nurses Association, the average nursing salary in OK is around $43,000. Check out this website - you can click on any state and get salary info. http://html.10news.com/sh/idi/health/nurses/index.html

OK ranks 47 in the nation for pay rates. But remember that we also have a low cost of living.

0 Votes
Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.

Neat link Lana, thanks. I think that seems about right.

0 Votes

Shift diffs are generally 2 for evenings, 2.5 for nights and 3 for weekends.

What does that mean? I'm totally ignorant to most things regarding nursing.

Also, I really thought an RN would make more than $18/Hr. I make $10/Hr at a warehouse job right now and I average a little more with the overtime I pick up.

0 Votes
According to the Oklahoma Nurses Association, the average nursing salary in OK is around $43,000. Check out this website - you can click on any state and get salary info. http://html.10news.com/sh/idi/health/nurses/index.html

OK ranks 47 in the nation for pay rates. But remember that we also have a low cost of living.

I have lived in Oklahoma most of my life (i.e. 31 years. And, I've been in Wisconsin for the past year and in Texas for 5 years prior to that.) I just earned my BSN and was hoping to move back closer to my family and friends in Oklahoma, but with such poor nursing wages in Oklahoma, I can't afford to move back.

And, Oklahoma's cost of living is NOT that low. In the following article, which compares salary with cost of living, "Which pasture is really greener?", Oklahoma is ranked 22nd (out of 50) when you adjust salary with the cost of living. Texas came out on top, so I'll probably be moving back there.

And, when you look at LanaBanana's article, "Not enough nurses", Oklahoma has the 4th worst (i.e. lowest) nurse salary in the U.S. and the 5th worst nurse supply (i.e. 5th lowest nurse to resident ratio) in the U.S. I'm definitely disappointed, to say the least. :o

--

AcceptableRisk

0 Votes
Specializes in Hospice, Nursing Education, Primary Care.
...

And, Oklahoma's cost of living is NOT that low. In the following article, which compares salary with cost of living, "Which pasture is really greener?", Oklahoma is ranked 22nd (out of 50) when you adjust salary with the cost of living. Texas came out on top, so I'll probably be moving back there.

AcceptableRisk

I looked at the link you posted which states: "One of the limitations of this analysis is that the voluntary nature of the ACCRA COLI data collection means that not every eligible city in a state is represented in the data during any specific quarter." One thing that I see is that the factor used for cost of living in Texas is the same as the cost of living in Oklahoma. Where you live in Texas vs where you live in Oklahoma can make a big difference in the cost of living. For example, the cost of living in Dallas is higher than the cost of living in Tulsa. According to Money Magazine's 2006 Best Places to Live, the median home price in Tulsa is $96,000 and in Dallas it is $166,475. The median family income in Tulsa is $49,120 with the purchasing power of $61,247. The median family income in Dallas is $44,515 with a family purchasing power of $52,566.

I am thinking that Money's article was based on statistics that were more accurate than those cited in the article about greener pastures (which acknowledges the weakness of their data).

It seems like there are many factors in deciding where you want to live. Best of luck to you in your decision making process. ;)

0 Votes

Ok, so I am almost 100% sure I will be going back to school to get my nursing degree. I know this is probably a totally ignorant question, but can someone pls explain to me what this means (below) - particularly the "shift diffs"?

Thanks SO much!

Depending on what hospital you work at:

Mercy and Oklahoma Heart HOspital 17/hr

Baptist 17.21/hr

Deaconess 17.45/hr

OU med center 17.60/hr

St. anthonys 17.93/hr

Shift diffs are generally 2 for evenings, 2.5 for nights and 3 for weekends.

These are the bigger hospitals in the city. HOpe this helps

0 Votes
Ok, so I am almost 100% sure I will be going back to school to get my nursing degree. I know this is probably a totally ignorant question, but can someone pls explain to me what this means (below) - particularly the "shift diffs"?

Thanks SO much!

Shift differentials mean that if you made an hourly rate of say 18.00 and you work the pm shift (3-11pm.) then add $2.00 to your base pay. If you work nights (11-7am), then add $2.50, etc. If you just work days, then your hourly rate is the same.

PS. Most hospitals have their own rate of shift diffs.

so, they may vary a little

Kim

0 Votes
Specializes in BURN, LTC, Critical Care.

Because of the skills and knowledge required, registered nurses can earn respectable salaries. Depending on the location, the type of health care facility, and the availability of registered nurses in that area. Nurses may earn anywhere from $50,000 to $70,000 per year. Some registered nurses earn well over $80,000 per year for their work, and most nurses also receive additional bonuses, with child-care and educational expenses provided for. In general, registered nurses working in hospitals receive the highest salaries, with home healthcare facilities and nursing home nurses receiving the lowest salaries. This is a relative generalization, however--salaries ultimately depend on factors such as the size and funding of the facility, the population of the urban area, and the relative demand for registered nurses.

googled the question...

0 Votes

New grads in Oklahoma City right now are making between 19 and 20 an hour.

Experienced RN's salaries are varied.

And PRN positions pay more because you aren't eligible for benefits.

I know of some new grads with 6 month experience are getting 19 something an hour for their full time employment with benefits but are making near 30 for PRN work. It totally depends on the area of nursing, the experience of the nurse, and the facility.

0 Votes
Specializes in CCU.

Can anyone comment on the new grad starting starting pay for metro area hospitals as of now? OU, Integris, oklahoma heart, mercy, etc?

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment