RN pay more than new grad NP pay

barcode120x, RN, NP · Jun 11

You might have already answered your own question. Money is the issue. It's quite common that typical NP jobs (urgent care, primary care) straight out of NP school don't pay as well as bedside nursing and it will take some time to climb up the ladder unless you're lucky with a good employer, find lucrative contract work, or go into NP specialties that pay well. It's also important to think about your NP career. Were you expecting to get paid more as the incentive to go for NP? If you quit your NP career to go back to bedside because of the pay, there's a chance you could be hurting whatever future NP career positions you have because of the lack of experience and the gap in that NP experience.

FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP · Jun 11

I'm surprised you did not research NP pay before making the decision to become one. If you only become an NP to make more money, then you should not be an NP.

You are a new NP w/o NP experience, so I fail to understand why you felt entitled to make the same as an RN with 10 years experience. You don't have 10 years experience as an NP.

Some people in your situation work as an NP and also work part-time as an RN until their NP pay increases.

Before giving up on being an NP, research what your long term pay is going to be. Usually NPs with experience make more than RNs.

Location is a big factor. I'm in California and make $200K per year as an NP. There are RNs here that make the same, or even more.

Luann89 · Jun 11

I agree with the other comments. Your pay is based on your NP experience. I would like to know where you work that you made $135K as a bedside RN because here in middle TN I think the average is around $70K +.

Nancy Ingram · Jun 12

The south pays much less.

MrsClarex4 · Jun 12

I work in NY, I know Im just very disappointed, Its a hard step backwards. I never felt entitled, Did some digging and found other hospitals are starting new NPs a bit higher than 115K more around 120 -125k , so I didn't do it for money but I still have bills to pay living in NYC is not easy. I still have my per diem RN job to supplement but its hard to work 4-12hr shifts every week days/nights with small children. I spoke to many of the doctors where I worked as an RN. They are trying to figure something out for me. So now its a waiting game. I appreciate everyones in put. I will stick it out as best I can. I understand that everyone has to put the time in. - Thanks

barcode120x, RN, NP · Jun 12

MrsClarex4 said:

I work in NY, I know Im just very disappointed, Its a hard step backwards. I never felt entitled, Did some digging and found other hospitals are starting new NPs a bit higher than 115K more around 120 -125k , so I didn't do it for money but I still have bills to pay living in NYC is not easy. I still have my per diem RN job to supplement but its hard to work 4-12hr shifts every week days/nights with small children. I spoke to many of the doctors where I worked as an RN. They are trying to figure something out for me. So now its a waiting game. I appreciate everyones in put. I will stick it out as best I can. I understand that everyone has to put the time in. - Thanks

Maybe your docs at your hospital can hook you up with something nice. 120k range as a new NP here in California sounds about right when I started looking late last year early this year. Most typical primary care and urgent care positions I saw around the Inland Empire was around that range. I had a change in jobs/position and started rehab NP full time in February of this year. Starting salary was around 128k but it was because I had zero rehab experience and zero clinical experience (my only prior experience was being a medical examiner and annual wellness home visits over the last year which does not translate). I had no qualms because it was a specialty I had no experience in and they were willing to train me from the ground up.

One of my close NP friends is currently doing part time Kaiser RN because pay is insane in Cali but also works a few days as week as a primary care NP despite the lower pay but understands the income potential as the years go by and he says his NP work is nowhere near as tough as bedside nursing.

I mentioned this already, but I definitely recommend looking into some sort of contract-PD work. Something along the lines of wound care, annual wellness visits (AWV), or medical examiner. My PD employer offers a AWV and medical examiner for the VA on the side and pays extremely well, self schedule (you chose your hours and days) and is a huge supplement to my income and the work is easy.

Hope this helps, good luck, and hope you end up taking the path you desire!

MrsClarex4 · Jun 12

barcode120x said:

Maybe your docs at your hospital can hook you up with something nice. 120k range as a new NP here in California sounds about right when I started looking late last year early this year. Most typical primary care and urgent care positions I saw around the Inland Empire was around that range. I had a change in jobs/position and started rehab NP full time in February of this year. Starting salary was around 128k but it was because I had zero rehab experience and zero clinical experience (my only prior experience was being a medical examiner and annual wellness home visits over the last year which does not translate). I had no qualms because it was a specialty I had no experience in and they were willing to train me from the ground up.

One of my close NP friends is currently doing part time Kaiser RN because pay is insane in Cali but also works a few days as week as a primary care NP despite the lower pay but understands the income potential as the years go by and he says his NP work is nowhere near as tough as bedside nursing.

I mentioned this already, but I definitely recommend looking into some sort of contract-PD work. Something along the lines of wound care, annual wellness visits (AWV), or medical examiner. My PD employer offers a AWV and medical examiner for the VA on the side and pays extremely well, self schedule (you chose your hours and days) and is a huge supplement to my income and the work is easy.

Hope this helps, good luck, and hope you end up taking the path you desire!

Thanks for the input, looked into a few AWV PD jobs as you recommended, its a few companies here in NY that do that some bad and some good, with nice rates. Also I have never heard of medical examiner for the VA! Very interesting! Something I will look into and do some research.

barcode120x, RN, NP · Jun 12

MrsClarex4 said:

Also I have never heard of medical examiner for the VA! Very interesting! Something I will look into and do some research.

It's basically doing worker's compensation except it's for veterans. Basically you see veteran's for a claimed condition, do an interview (HPI, etc), physical exam for that claimed condition, and just answer the VA's medical questions. The tough part is that it's a non-treating position so you have to get in the mindset of that of solely just doing an interview and assessment and that's it. The last half is their charting system. It is VERY different from the usual inpatient/outpatient EHRs some of used to so it is a very, very daunting system to understand and learn. I will say it's not for everyone because the fact that it is a non-treating position, the charting system is crappy (but gets easy once you get used to it), and having to go through medical records to help you answer questions can be a pain with their EHR. It is very, lucrative position. I would imagine NY would have a decent amount of employers for it. Search up Loyal Source Governmental Services (LSGS). That's the big company that does it but there are many small companies that are contracted with LSGS that do the same thing.

MrsClarex4 · Jun 12

barcode120x said:

It's basically doing worker's compensation except it's for veterans. Basically you see veteran's for a claimed condition, do an interview (HPI, etc), physical exam for that claimed condition, and just answer the VA's medical questions. The tough part is that it's a non-treating position so you have to get in the mindset of that of solely just doing an interview and assessment and that's it. The last half is their charting system. It is VERY different from the usual inpatient/outpatient EHRs some of used to so it is a very, very daunting system to understand and learn. I will say it's not for everyone because the fact that it is a non-treating position, the charting system is crappy (but gets easy once you get used to it), and having to go through medical records to help you answer questions can be a pain with their EHR. It is very, lucrative position. I would imagine NY would have a decent amount of employers for it. Search up Loyal Source Governmental Services (LSGS). That's the big company that does it but there are many small companies that are contracted with LSGS that do the same thing.

LOL this sounds even more interesting, I used to be in the military and work in medical soooo its right up my alley! Been searching for VA jobs but they are hard to get into. Thanks for all the info!

FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP · Jun 12

MrsClarex4 said:

I work in NY, I know Im just very disappointed, Its a hard step backwards.

If you get 1-2 years NP experience, your earnings can go up substantially. My first NP job (2018), I made $115K per year w/$10K sign on bonus. After 18 months, got a job offer from a pain management clinic for $160K per year. I also got a primary care job offer for $135K per year. You just have to get that first 1-2 years of NP experience. During that period, you may discover you wish to specialize and some specialties are more lucrative. I ended up getting my PMHNP post-graduate certification, which increased my pay a lot.

Good luck.

FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN · Aug 20

MrsClarex4 said:

I work in NY, I know Im just very disappointed, Its a hard step backwards. I never felt entitled, Did some digging and found other hospitals are starting new NPs a bit higher than 115K more around 120 -125k , so I didn't do it for money but I still have bills to pay living in NYC is not easy. I still have my per diem RN job to supplement but its hard to work 4-12hr shifts every week days/nights with small children. I spoke to many of the doctors where I worked as an RN. They are trying to figure something out for me. So now its a waiting game. I appreciate everyones in put. I will stick it out as best I can. I understand that everyone has to put the time in. - Thanks

I'm in NP school right now, and I appreciate your post. I have decided not to leave my RN position until I get something I really want. It seems like the pay and the location are the big problems for you, but I am encouraged to hear that you enjoy the work. It is completely reasonable to want to be paid more as an NP, it is a greater level of responsibility. It is wrong to say that you should not be paid more than you were as an RN with 10 years of experience. You are now an NP with 10 years of RN experience. So you should be paid more. Best of luck to you, and please update us.

You are in a rough position because the best time to negotiate pay is while you are interviewing, rather than after.