Pay Rate in Seattle or San Francisco

adventure_rn, MSN, NP · Sep 5, 2019

You'll probably find out way more details on both of these locations by searching in their respective state forums (go to the USA tab then navigate to the specific state).

From my understanding, San Francisco salaries are much higher than Seattle, with some of the highest RN salaries in the country. That said, the cost of living in San Fran is moderately higher than the cost of living in Seattle. Depending on your other expenses (i.e. student, loans, kids, buying a house with a mortgage etc.), neither of them may be terribly affordable on a nursing salary unless you're willing to live farther out and commute in.

The hospitals in both regions are unionized and their contracts are publicly available; therefore, you can figure out more or less exactly what your base pay and differentials would be. Just google the name of the hospital and "collective bargaining agreement." The documents are usually around 70 pages, but there should be a page with a spreadsheet where you can figure out your hourly base salary.

mn05bsn · Sep 6, 2019

18 hours ago, adventure_rn said:
You'll probably find out way more details on both of these locations by searching in their respective state forums (go to the USA tab then navigate to the specific state).
From my understanding, San Francisco salaries are much higher than Seattle, with some of the highest RN salaries in the country. That said, the cost of living in San Fran is moderately higher than the cost of living in Seattle. Depending on your other expenses (i.e. student, loans, kids, buying a house with a mortgage etc.), neither of them may be terribly affordable on a nursing salary unless you're willing to live farther out and commute in.
The hospitals in both regions are unionized and their contracts are publicly available; therefore, you can figure out more or less exactly what your base pay and differentials would be. Just google the name of the hospital and "collective bargaining agreement." The documents are usually around 70 pages, but there should be a page with a spreadsheet where you can figure out your hourly base salary.

thank you

gromit1084 · Oct 31, 2019

In seattle area, I would say the average hourly rate is somewhere between $35-45/hr depending on experience and specialty. Cost of living in seattle is also crazy high, probably comparable to SF.

booter512 · Oct 31, 2019

Union hospitals usually offer good benefits, pay, etc., but that doesn't mean a right to work state is terrible. Unions set wages etc, whereas a right-to-work state hospital may do better. When my wife and I (both of us RNs) moved to Virginia, we were told that we would start as a Clinician I (1st year in the hosptial) and a Level X (X being the number of years you had been a nurse). We bargained between units and another hospital until we were both finally offered Clinician 3 Level X jobs, which meant we were part of the units leadership group which made clinical decision policy for the unit, and heard grievances. A friend from the hospital I was leaving gave me some great advice. He said, "Every hospital will tell you where you'll start and what you'll start at, but remember, all things are negotiable, even when they say they aren't. He was definitely right.

Leatherwings, BSN, RN · Nov 6, 2019

Cant speak to Seattle, but most of the Bay Area hospitals have pay listed on the websites, you'll just have to poke around a bit to find it. That being said, for a 5-7yrs in the SF area you should be around 150-170k depending on place and specialty etc. Keep in mind I am writing this from the inside of my in-law studio that costs $3100/month. I came from Boulder Colorado which I though was expensive, but this place is almost lawless when it comes to money.

Pkham · Nov 10, 2019

On 11/6/2019 at 2:38 PM, Leatherwings said:
That being said, for a 5-7yrs in the SF area you should be around 150-170k depending on place and specialty etc. Keep in mind I am writing this from the inside of my in-law studio that costs $3100/month.

Your base salary will be around that much without over time. As a new grad I was making 120k, which now I make more oh happy life. Keep in mind I am writing this from the inside of my brother in-law's garage that I pay him $1000/month. (Desperately saving to buy a house outright in another state.)

Mergirlc, MSN, APRN, NP · Nov 10, 2019

I can't comment on the pay rate, but the posters above me are right on about rent and/or buying a home in the SF Bay Area. I live here and the only reason I live here is because I moved back to my childhood home. It's beyond expensive anywhere near the Bay Area.

To put it in perspective, I just visited the Cleveland OH area and saw an ad for a renovated condo for sale in a nice suburb for the price of a base model of a Toyota Corolla. That same price here will only get you the Toyota Corolla...but hey, at least you can try to live somewhere in that Corolla by going to various cities near SF and trying to find parking where you can spend the night and hope the neighbors don't call on you to move.

I don't know where you are residing at now, but don't leave unless you're already independently wealthy or have a huge trust-fund.