Possible to make it work?

U.S.A. Hawaii

Published

I'm curious about any RN's in Hawaii and how they're doing? I'm considering a move there and have been getting mixed signals about how possible it is to live and work in Hawaii as an RN and still be comfortable financially.

I understand the pay is higher than most mainland rates, but does it match well to the cost of living? Is working in Honolulu as a full time RN an acceptable means of income? Or do you barely scrape by?

Thanks for any input

Yah, it is expensive. I pay 1625 for a one bedroom condo in Waikiki - although I have a dog and my options are limited. Waikiki wasn't my first choice.

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Specializes in Surgical and Cardiovascular ICU.

New Grad jobs are still few and far between here! We have 3 Nursing Schools all pumping out lots of New Grads. Most of the New Grad's get their foot in the door by working for a year or more as a NA or Tech! If you do land a job the pay rate is pretty good, even as a New Grad you'll be near $50/hr after your first year. Experienced RN"s are making $53-$55 base rate at most hospitals on Oahu, with a charge or night differential taking that up to nearly $60/hr.

The biggest expense in cost of living here is the housing...if you plan of buying a house at current median price of $700k, you probably won't be able to do it! If you're content with just needing a place to crash, maybe with a roommate or two you'll be able to find something for under $1k/mo and be able to live very comfortably! Other cost's of living are not that outrageous, especially compared to the West Coast...maybe 20% higher and I think our gas is even cheaper than California right now at around $3.45 gallon. If you shop at Costco and catch things on sale, even groceries are not that much more expensive. Hit the Happy Hours otherwise you'll pay a fortune for drinks!

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New Grad jobs are still few and far between here! We have 3 Nursing Schools all pumping out lots of New Grads. Most of the New Grad's get their foot in the door by working for a year or more as a NA or Tech! If you do land a job the pay rate is pretty good, even as a New Grad you'll be near $50/hr after your first year. Experienced RN"s are making $53-$55 base rate at most hospitals on Oahu, with a charge or night differential taking that up to nearly $60/hr.

The biggest expense in cost of living here is the housing...if you plan of buying a house at current median price of $700k, you probably won't be able to do it! If you're content with just needing a place to crash, maybe with a roommate or two you'll be able to find something for under $1k/mo and be able to live very comfortably! Other cost's of living are not that outrageous, especially compared to the West Coast...maybe 20% higher and I think our gas is even cheaper than California right now at around $3.45 gallon. If you shop at Costco and catch things on sale, even groceries are not that much more expensive. Hit the Happy Hours otherwise you'll pay a fortune for drinks!

Great information. I'm still in awe about the starting salary of a RN in Hawaii. ; )

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that's the job rate at every major hospital on oahu.

^^ LOL! That's the rate for nurses IF you have acute care experience.

Guys like me have graduated from nursing school here in Hawaii, and can't even get into new graduate programs! So much competition, favoritism among floor managers, other nurse aides talking smack about you to put you down, so you don't get into the new graduate RN program, and even floor staff RN's treating you like trash.

I am contemplating on moving to the mainland next year if my other attempt does not work out.

Well, good for you Mcubed45, that you have probably have a full-time hospital RN job probably at Queen's or an HPH affiliate facility or elsewhere.

But for new graduates like me who's living from pay-check to pay-check with my CNA pay, it's no fun at all playing the waiting game, seeing some of your classmates get into nursing positions while I'm still just a CNA. No fun at all. =(

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Don't let some of these people detract you. I moved to Honolulu from near Seattle in February and work at a major hospital here. They paid me a 5K relocation allowance and put me up in a 4 star hotel for 30 days in order for me to get housing. I started out at a base of 49.10 per hour plus differential during my probationary period and have increased to 54.55 plus differential.e.

^^ LOOOL!!! Nurseman, please don't make me laugh so hard!

You have at least one to two years of acute care nursing experience from a hospital facility on the mainland. Hence, that's the reason why you were hired here in Hawaii as an RN. I'm guessing you're working at Queen's, since they "foot your shipping" bill. No?

You started out at a base hourly rate of $49.10 because of your already gained acute care nursing experience from the Seattle area, or wherever you were working at before you came to Hawaii.

Unlike new graduate nurses like me, struggling to thrive and live in Hawaii. If it weren't for my parents to support me, heck, I'd be a working CNA living in an IHS facility or on the streets of Kakaako. I kid you not.

There is so much competition, stiff competition, and even favoritism amongst floor managers when it comes to selection for RN new grad positions. There are some questionable candidates who get into the program, some don't even do hospital extracurricular activities (i.e. committee members), and still get into the program.

Anyhow, please don't come on here, making the nursing industry in Hawaii look rosy pink, when the truth is, for new graduates like me, it's hard to find a job, hard to survive here off a CNA paycheck, and would definitely like to live independently, so that my folks can retire in peace.

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^^ LOL! That's the rate for nurses IF you have acute care experience.

Guys like me have graduated from nursing school here in Hawaii, and can't even get into new graduate programs! So much competition, favoritism among floor managers, other nurse aides talking smack about you to put you down, so you don't get into the new graduate RN program, and even floor staff RN's treating you like trash.

I am contemplating on moving to the mainland next year if my other attempt does not work out.

Well, good for you Mcubed45, that you have probably have a full-time hospital RN job probably at Queen's or an HPH affiliate facility or elsewhere.

But for new graduates like me who's living from pay-check to pay-check with my CNA pay, it's no fun at all playing the waiting game, seeing some of your classmates get into nursing positions while I'm still just a CNA. No fun at all. =(

The OP didn't mention anything about the new-grad job market. They asked a general question about nursing pay in Hawaii.

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How many years of experience do you have?

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