Pay Scale for Flight Nurses?

Our flight nurses are on the same scale as other RNs. I've transported for neonatal on our LF and I wasn't paid anymore or any extra either.

student4ever said:

Just interested in how much flight nurses usually make, as I am interested in being a flight nurse someday in the future. Is it more than say, a hospital ER nurse would make? I would love if some of you experienced flight nurses could give me an idea of how much flight nursing positions pay. Thank you!

In our area flight nurses make less than what I make as an ER nurse in an Urban level 1 trauma center at the same amount of experience level. As it was explained to me, the demand is so great in our area to be a flight nurse, the pay scale can be less. They don't have to pay more because people just want to do it to say they do it basically. Its a shame, because in many ways they are way more in danger than a lot of other nursing professions, but I guess, its a choice you make..

Same story here in the DFW area with our free-standing flight programs. The trade-off is the opportunity to do the job and the possibility of better hours. Some work 24-hour shifts which translates to 1-2 days per week. (Leaves room for a lovely agency position to supplement the lost income!)

Good luck in your pursuit! :)

I have a family member which is a flight nurse in the same town where I am an ER nurse - they get paid about 15,000 more than I do. They work 10 24hr shifts monthly - where I work 12-15 12hr shifts during the month. They dont get paid overtime like I do nor do they get holiday pay. But - if ya like "the good stuff" - its definitely the way to go. I am hoping to start my paramedic schooling to be more marketable so I can fly too!! Good luck!

I am an ER nurse and a flight nurse...I get $5.00 less an hour in my flight nursing job...I do it for the love of the game, and keep my other job to pay bills...and both are level 1 trauma centers...(the helicopters are owned and operated by a different but closeby level 1 trauma center and I work in a level 1 trauma center ER.)

student4ever said:

Just interested in how much flight nurses usually make, as I am interested in being a flight nurse someday in the future. Is it more than say, a hospital ER nurse would make? I would love if some of you experienced flight nurses could give me an idea of how much flight nursing positions pay. Thank you!

In Michigan at the University of Michigan Survival flight. they are at the clinical nurse speacialist scale. Clinical Nurse III, compared to a clinical nurse I . the pay can be anywhere from 60K to 100K a year. Yes they are paid more than a regular floor or ER nurse.

Most hospital based programs are fortuate enough to make the same wages that their colleagues do, I think that you will find that most free standing flight programs pay significantly less that the going nursing rate in the area. And we all do it/ and did it for the love of it!

student4ever said:

Just interested in how much flight nurses usually make, as I am interested in being a flight nurse someday in the future. Is it more than say, a hospital ER nurse would make? I would love if some of you experienced flight nurses could give me an idea of how much flight nursing positions pay. Thank you!

We get paid "$2 hazard pay" for flying which isn't much different than the ED. They don't like paying for the time you aren't "flying"....while you await a mission,so many programs don't pay much more than a regular ED nurse. At least that's what I've found. Other flight nurses, in programs elsewhere, say they actually "lost" money flying...just something you need to check in to in your area.

I must not be the norm when it comes to flight nursing salary versus my salary as a neonatal nurse. When I am work and get called for a flight, I get a premium pay, which is about 3.00 more than what I make per hour. If I am at home and get called for a flight (so I'm on/call at home), I get 1 1/2 times my premium salary, so it ends up about 15.00 more than my nurse salary.

Christine, RNC, BSN

student4ever said:

Just interested in how much flight nurses usually make, as I am interested in being a flight nurse someday in the future. Is it more than say, a hospital ER nurse would make? I would love if some of you experienced flight nurses could give me an idea of how much flight nursing positions pay. Thank you!

Prior to anesthesia school, my flight pay was the same as my RN pay in the trauma ICU. Going to the flight program was simply transferring departments within the hospital. Although base pay was the same, we did get 1.5x from lift-off to return to home base as "hazard pay". When we were on-call, we were getting $2.00 to be at home and then double time from the time of a call until we returned. The double time was a hospital call-back policy. With my hazard pay and call time, I made $75,000/year while flying (That includes minimal OT)