Ard123

This is an update. As of August 2017, my gross salary is now expected to be 172k this year with minimal overtime (maybe 32 hours of total OT since the beginning of the year). I will also probably get an additional 2500 from education pay. I'm going to push to get a little more overtime this year to reach my goal of180k, which would be an all time high for me. Our union is also undergoing collective bargaining at this time, so I'm hoping that the bargaining would result in even higher pay (hopefully).

So I'm going to add to this post. The reason we live and get paid so well is because our unions fight for us to have good wages and good working conditions. I know that there are people in other parts of our country who want more pay, better working conditions, more recognition. You deserve it, and I will tell you that it is possible. If you're already in a union, reach out to your rep and get involved. Fight harder, smarter, and with more people. That's how we did it here.

The apt is in hayward, work is in sj. I got this apt a while ago and I know the landlord who hasn't took it upon himself to raise renthe very much. it's ok, not the best, but it's a place to live, and so far I'm saving at least 800 + / month compared to other places, which will help for a home down payment . I figure a bit of sacrifice now will be a nicer return in the future.

How much bonus do you get a year (on average)?

as of feb 2017 Location: northern Cali, san Jose Job type: RN, outpatient for urban area, I work remotely 70% of the time, sun-thurs, 9-5am, 40hr schedule. I'm pretty efficient, so I actually probably only work 36hrs/week with 4 hrs down time/week Base pay + weekend differential/hr= $74 + 7.40= $81.40/hr = $169,312/year (does not factor in overtime) Cost of living: It's all relative, but if you'd like to compare my pay, here is a COL conversion calculator PayScale - Cost of Living Calculator Living situation: $1750/month for 2 bed apt, but I plan to rent out 2nd bedroom for 850/mo in 3 months Overtime (separate from base pay): I've worked 12 hours OT since the beginning of 2017 (1.5 differential of base, hourly after other weekend diff is $118/hr). So add an extra 12x$118= $1420 to my total pay at the end of the year... and I plan to work a bit more Benefits (separate from base pay): the usual- comprehensive medical, dental, vision; 401k plan with 1% matching; free gym; 3 weeks vacation/year; 2 weeks sick leave/year; mileage reimbursements if I have to drive; 30 hours paid ed time plus up to $500 travel accommodations if out of area; planning to get Spanish speaking differential (50cents/hr more) if I can get myself to study; and health spending account that will allow me to shelter 2500 from taxes this year when I get some dental/vision work done;all in all, employer estimates approximately $30k in benefits; So all in all (pay plus ot plus bennies as of Feb 2017)= 169.3k+1.4k+30k= 201.7k Not bad, Look forward to paying the bills, savings, and having some fun

Positives: A good union will fight for your wage and rights. We all heard of horror stories of staff being fired by employers at the drop of a hat. Or workers being exploited, Whether it be working unpaid after hours, having unsafe patient/nurse ratios , etc. A good union make it harder for those situations to happen. Your union is as good as its participants. The more active and influential members are, the better collective bargaining outcomes become (example , northern California where the average rn hourly is above 65/hour and nurse/patient ratios don't exceed 1:5 on medsurge).getting this bargain TAKES THE HARD WORK OF A COLLECTIVE TEAM. That being said, unions are meant to make the working conditons of its members better. For all of you anti socialists who think unions kill competition and jobs, I have nothing to say other than I'm probably getting paid more and living better than you because of my union, and my workplace is still financially solvent despite the collective bargaining measures they need to adhere to. Negatives: You pay dues. But, like anything good, its got to be financially sustained to operate well . Your union is only as good as its participants. The less motivated/less active/less influencial a union is, the less they can bargain for you. Makes sense right? (Example, north Carolina, where average union wage is 23/hr) do you see where I'm going here? So for folks in NC, if you want to see the change you deserve (and trust me, it can get better), collectively get up off your butt and start using your union to make the changes you want to see.

This is an end of year update from my initial post. As of today, my base hourly pay has remained 71.25/hr, or about $150k/year base salary (does not include overtime). After factoring overtime (I did about 100 hours this year), I've been able to increasing my gross taxable pay for 2016 to about $175k. Not the $200k target I was shooting for, but not bad at all for this year. COL is still high in Oakland, Ca for everyone else but me, because I still have a pretty good rate for my living situation; I'm paying $1000 for one of two rooms in a shared 2 bedroom apartment (parking and utilities included) in a rent control area, when market rate is about 1300-1500 for just one room (not including utilities). The pot is going to get sweeter next year. I anticipate a 4% raise to 74/hr, and a 10% hourly diffrential when I switch over to a guaranteed 40hr/week alternative schedule, brining my hourly to 81/hr (168k/year without overtime). Plus, in addition to my bennies (dental/medical, 401k, employer matching, hsa) my pto gets increased to 3 weeks/year. I'm still a staff RN level 2 with 4.5 years experience (not management) I got to thank the Man above and the union for this setup.

You make a valid point. I am considering relocating from Oakland to Sactown because of the COL difference, but I'm hesitant about the 105F summers and 30F winters (Ok, perhaps the weather example is a bit pale in comparison with what the rest of the country has to deal with, but I grew up in SoCal, so my perception of hot and cold is a bit off). What is the going rate in Sacramento area now a days?

Not bad for a new grad, I'm still only at 71/hr after 3 years at an outpatient specialty, but then again I work days with no differential.

Sarah, as much as I love the appeal of the city, I've chosen to live in Oakland because of the COL woes that you're experiencing, and am paying less than half of what you pay for housing. I seriously think only individuals making 200k and above a year consistently should be dropping that much money for a place to stay. Perhaps you should consider moving to East Bay or further south in the peninsula (ie Daly city or So San) near the Bart, or get a place with roommates.

Sarah, as much as I love the appeal of the city, I've chosen to live in Oakland because of the COL woes that you're experiencing, and am paying less than half of what you pay for housing. I seriously think only individuals making 200k and above a year consistently should be dropping that much money for a place to stay. Perhaps you should consider moving to East Bay or further south in the peninsula (ie Daly city or So San) near the Bart, or get a place with roommates.

Thanks for the insightful post. The only drawback to my situation is that I can't find a similar set-up anywhere else in the country if I decided to move (not that I would, but the option would be nice). Which brings me to another point- I think rns get paid too little everywhere else for the amount of hard work we do and the liability we take on. Everyone in this field needs a serious pay raise. I'm a complete advocate for stronger unionization elsewhere in the country ,; the CNA collectively raised wages here in northern california. Unionization is the only realistic way that I can see rns in this country bargain for higher and more fair wages.

t Not to be sarcastic, if you want the change and equality: work for it 1. one needs to put in the work to educate themselves of the inequality (snoop around: mgma is a good source to find MD pay, most institutions/organizations disclose their CEO pays on their financial statements, ask- you'll be surprised what you find) 2. one needs to find other like-minded people to share this information with 3. organize a group of like minded individuals who are tired of the inequality (umm, a union?) 4. get ready to stir the pot- strikes, boycotts, petitions to your government officials, get the news involved, make viral videos that get other people to support the cause of lessening the inequality 5. negotiate for better conditions when you've pissed off enough people How well your collective accomplishes the above steps is the best chance there is to get the pay/life you deserve. Can it happen? Yeah, the process above is exactly why I'm getting paid the way I am. If the good people of my union didn't put the in the sacrifice and work to fight for better RN pay in Northern California, I wouldn't be on this forum inspiring you to go for the same

I put a lot of thought about the lifestyle costs of working and living in California as an RN in comparison to other places in the country, and here is my quantitative analysis of the costs and benefits of working in Oakland, Califonrnia: First off, I am working as an RN with 3.5 years experience, base pay 71.25/hr, full benefits; base salary $150,000 a year, but due to overtime, I've already increased my income ceiling to date to about USD180,000 (working an average of 42hrs/a week). Trying to get to $200K (if I can leverage OT and work an average of 45hrs/week) This is a high cost of living area, but I found a COL calculator by CNN Cost of living: How far will my salary go in another city? - CNNMoney just to see if my pay justifies the COL (Includes an estimate for housing, food, transportation, taxes, etc) Here's what I found plugging in my region, and base salary of 150,000 (just the base, no overtime included): My base salary of 150,000 in Oakland, CA is equivalent to: ... Making 178,000/year in brooklyn (Approx $85/hr) ... Making 146,000/year in boston (approx 73/hr) ...Making 103,000/year in Atlanta (approx 51/hr) ... Making 119,000/year in Chicago (approx 60/hr) ... Making 122,000/year in Philidelphia (approx 61/hr) ... Making 111,000/year in Las Vegas (approx 56/hr) ...Making 190,000/year in Honolulu (approx 95/hr) ...Making 115,000/year in Miami (approx 56/hr) ...Making 87,000/year in Memphis (approx 43/hr) ...Making 103,000/year in Charleston (approx 51/hr) Browsing through the forum in the respective areas above, most RNs don't seem to make the income above in their respective region, with the exception of a few RN's in Las Vegas (correct me if I am wrong please, I'm always curious about pay updates in other parts of the country) The above may not always be true for all individuals, as COL may vary based on personal spending habits, but generally speaking, somebody living a middle class lifestyle should expect the COL estimates above. In summary, living and working in my part of California is generally more profitable than most (if not all other) parts of the country. In practice, I'm finding the above to be true, as I am able to substantially save up to 50% of my after tax take home pay. What does this all mean? I might have to pay more up front to live in Oakland, CA area with a slightly higher COL than many parts of our country, but the pay here outpaces the cost of living in comparison to what other RNs are paid elsewhere. As an added benefit, although owning a home costs more, the resale value of a home in this area is relatively stable. In the long run, even if I have to pay more for a house, the home will be worth even more when I sell it, leaving me more money for retirement and/or the option to roll it over to an even larger/grandious home elsewhere in the country. Lastly, you can't beat the weather.

1. Northern California (Oakland) 2. 3.5 years experience, base pay 71.25/hr, full benefits; base salary $150,000 a year, but due to overtime, I've already increased my income ceiling to date to about 160,000- 170,000 (working an average of 42hrs/a week). Trying to get to $200K (if I can leverage OT and work an average of 45hrs/week) 3 1750 for my 2 bedroom apartment, subleasing second room, so my share is 900/month. This is a high cost of living area, but I found a COL calculator by CNN Cost of living: How far will my salary go in another city? - CNNMoney just to see if my pay justifies the COL (Includes an estimate for housing, food, transportation, etc) Here's what I found plugging in my region, and base salary of 150,000 (just the base, no overtime included): My salary of 150,000 in Oakland, CA is equivalent to: ... Making 178,000/year in brooklyn (Approx $85/hr) ... Making 146,000/year in boston (approx 73/hr) ...Making 103,000/year in Atlanta (approx 51/hr) ... Making 119,000/year in Chicago (approx 60/hr) ... Making 122,000/year in Philidelphia (approx 61/hr) ... Making 111,000/year in Las Vegas (approx 56/hr) ...Making 190,000/year in Honolulu (approx 95/hr) ...Making 115,000/year in Miami (approx 56/hr) ...Making 87,000/year in Memphis (approx 43/hr) ...Making 103,000/year in Charleston (approx 51/hr) I was a bit surprised by the pay contrast in comparison to other parts of the country, and it makes me think that RN's elsewhere should be paid more. I'm just curious, are any RN's making the above figures in the respective cities?

1. Northern California (Oakland) 2. 3.5 years experience, base pay 71.25/hr, full benefits; base salary $150,000 a year, but due to overtime, I've already increased my income ceiling to date to about 160,000- 170,000 (working an average of 42hrs/a week). Trying to get to $200K (if I can leverage OT and work an average of 45hrs/week) 3 1750 for my 2 bedroom apartment, subleasing second room, so my share is 900/month. This is a high cost of living area, but I found a COL calculator by CNN Cost of living: How far will my salary go in another city? - CNNMoney just to see if my pay justifies the COL Here's what I found plugging in my region, and base salary of 150,000 (just the base, no overtime included): My salary of 150,000 in Oakland, CA is equivalent to: ... Making 178,000/year in brooklyn (Approx $85/hr) ... Making 146,000/year in boston (approx 73/hr) ...Making 103,000/year in Atlanta (approx 51/hr) ... Making 119,000/year in Chicago (approx 60/hr) ... Making 122,000/year in Philidelphia (approx 61/hr) ... Making 111,000/year in Las Vegas (approx 56/hr) ...Making 190,000/year in Honolulu (approx 95/hr) ...Making 115,000/year in Miami (approx 56/hr) ...Making 87,000/year in Memphis (approx 43/hr) ...Making 103,000/year in Charleston (approx 51/hr) I was a bit surprised by the pay contrast in comparison to other parts of the country, and it makes me think that RN's elsewhere should be paid more. I'm just curious, are any Rn's making the above figures in the respective cities?

That's pretty impressive, thank ask how much ot are you getting

Pay varies by geography. Most of the country pays rns 50,000 - 70,000 a year . Where I live , the competitive pay for staff rns can run anywhere from 120,000 to 180,000, not including overtime (with ot, some nurses have made in excess of 300,000) Cost of living is higher here , but our level of pay still exceeds the income of other rns across the nation when adjusted by the Cost of living index. (I found a COL calculator online , and adjusted my 165k income in my area against Oklahoma city and got a figure of 100k.) this was just an example but it was good to know that my income is roughly equal to earning 100k in a Midwest town, which is definitely not shabby at all. Also, with all the overtime I'm accumulating , I'm looking to push over 200k this year, a perk that comes with having a strong regional union. So what does this all mean? Some places better than others. Nursing is a guaranteed middle class job in most of the country. But like any industry, if you look and work hard enough and position yourself correctly, you can break into the upper middle class, which isn't bad for a traditionally blue collared profession .

Legally and ethically you should report him. However , there's a lot of gaps in the law and enforcement thereafter, and not reporting will most likely lead in no action against you even if he gets caught, unless you intentionally leave behind a lot of evidence connecting you to his crime (ie bragging or telling others of you not reporting your friend , getting caught red handed with diverted drugs yourself, taking money that can be traced back to you) only those sorts of evidence can ever be successfully used against you in the court of law. Otherwise, pleading the fifth and denying allegations with no physical evidence gets you off the hook of any wrong doing (if that is what you are afraid of). But back to the real question : will you or will you not report him? Well, that's up to you. Either way , he is probably going to get caught whether it be you or another employee.

Hi Greg, I was in your situation. I dropped out of medical school to pursue a nursing career. However , I will not advise for or against taking my path. I would just like to give you some insight. I also have some Filipino ancestry, so Ill give you a bit of my own cultural experience as well. Ok, so first off, I dropped out of medical school because I was not 100% committed to the lifestyle of being a doc- the amount of money and prestige didn't justify the stress and hours. At the same time, I had lined up a nursing job that paid 140k year, with an upward potential of up to 300k, with no debt, a 7 to 10 year head start in making money and investments, and minimal risk of termination. So, I made a calculated choice to quit school to pursue the job, having calculated that in the long run, i would work less, have less liability, and make roughly the same as most internal med and some specialty docs. Now I got lucky. i know for a fact that many individuals struggling on your situation (and mine previously) would probably have done the same . However I am the exception, not the rule, and i saw an opportunity and took it. So, my advice: if you are going to quit, make sure you have something lined up that is compatible with your lifestyle . Number 2: like any profession, stay in medicine only if you think you have a belief that you will be happy in it. This is tricky, as the time commitment required to finish training is so long; by the time you realize whether you like being a physician, you may be 7-10 years out with obligatory debt. However, if it is in your blood to be a doc, go for it. If you have major doubts, I'd suggest either exit with a plan or exit with a change in lifestyle (not easy either ). Now about Filipino culture ... where to start .... I grew up in LA a son of Filipino parents, immersed in the extended family and Filipino culture that blended in with an American upbringing. So here is the deal... in the Philippines, there is a saying "come what may" that resonates with many members of the Filipino community (not all, but noticed enough ). The average Filipino family in the Philippines lives off of an adjusted income of about $5k a year. You can imagine the hardship of that type of lifestyle... no savings , living paycheck to paycheck, and hoping to God that you don't get sick. traditionally, Filipinos have not been accustomed to saving money or investing it- there aren't as many opportunities to do so in the Philippines as there are here (hence why there was and still is mass migration to the us). So what is there to do in this type of situation ? Live day by day, live in the now , leave the future to God. Not to say that there aren't individuals in America with the same mindset , I'm just eluding to the fact that it is much more extreme in the Philippines. So I can see where your wife is coming from - she believes that some income in the now is better than a potentially much larger income in the future. It makes total sense- she wasn't conditioned to think about long term wealth accumulation that western culture is accustomed to. So what does this mean to you...? It sounds like she is a matriarch (common enough in Filipino society), so if you grew up in a patriarchal family, this will be a fundamental difference that may be irreconcilable, unless one of you are willing to budge. If you want it to work, you'll need to break down the wealth plan into something very understandable- if you (Greg) quit and become a nurse, chances are you and your wife will be able to live in a 3 bedroom home, a modest retirement, a camary, and w kids with some college tuition assistance . But if your wife supports you through med school, you will be able to comfortably afford a 5 bedroom home, send both kids to private school and college with full tuition assistance, have a great retirement, and afford a new 7 series BMW with a boat and yearly vacations to europe/asia . Good luck pm me if you have any questions

I find the paradox of our society interesting - on one hand, promoting gender equality has been hailed as one of the cornerstones of advancing our society. Yet this post is an example that runs contrary . I'll play devils advocate. What if I were to say "when I started managing my finances, I got a female financial advisor who managed my brokerage accounts. A lot of people however would prefer a male though (in this male dominated field)". How many of you feel comfortable with that statement? Now lets reverse that statement "When my daughter was born, 2 male nicu nurses assessed her after delivery and then she had a male lactation consultant. A lot of women to prefer a female though" both sound strikingly similar in principle. For those who believe the second scenario is appropriate, id like to point this out as a double standard . Food for thought

Yea, I'm sure there's another place in this world for you other than nursing. Can't think of any right off the bat given the many personal requirements that you have that totally contradict what most employers look for in employees. Perhaps consider self employment so you can take it at your own pace. nice rant, ps if you are trolling, this has to be one of the better ones

I have heard of these exceptions, especially with prison nurses. I have to hand it to you, I don't think I'd take it because if the opportunity cost on time being on call, unless I get highly compensated. Just out of curiosity, what are the on call hourly rates and how are they structured?

I have heard of these exceptions, especially with prison nurses. I have to hand it to you, I don't think I'd take it because if the opportunity cost on time being on call, unless I get highly compensated. Just out of curiosity, what are the on call hourly rates and how are they structured?