After reading past informal survey posts on allnurses, I wanted to pose this question for 2013. The intent of this post to to give myself and others a good range of pay for nurses across the US right now based on experience and location. This will be an informal guide for me to start a masters paper on (Subject: area cost of living and nurses salary). Several years ago I believe Houston was voted for best place for a nurse with cost of living adjusted, but I think this might be changing.
Things to note while reading other's salaries:
-Generally, high paying locations relate to high cost of living (SF, NYC, etc). The reverse seems to be true as well (lower cost of living=lower pay). 65$/hr may be the norm in San Francisco, but the average 1br apartment is $2800 without parking and a house costs well over $1 million. Please take this into account. We live in a big country and cost of living varies widely (especially housing costs)
If you post, please state your:
1. State you work in
2. Years of experience
3. Specialty/unit and work setting (clinic, hospital, prison, etc)
6. Non-union. Terrible health insurance and other bennies, highly abusive work policies
7. There's no cheaper living than in the South. But then you have to live in the South.
New Job:
1. Oregon, Portland Metro
2. 2 years exp
3. ICU (though pay is specialty-agnostic)
4. $36.40/hr
5. $5/hr for 12h nights. No weekend diff.
6. Union. Super ultra platinum deluxe health insurance, ridiculously good work policies and bennies. No cancellation, OT shifts are double time, holiday bonuses, decent 401k/TSA, decent pension.
7. As west coast living goes, Portland has the cheapest cost of living compared to San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. And you get to live in an awesome place.
I just changed jobs, and I think the move illustrates the pay difference you can get moving into a larger metro area.
Former Job:
1. PA (SE but on the very edge of what could be considered the Philly Metro Area)
2. New grad when I started the job.
3. Lvl II Trauma Center, working in the ED
4. Fresh out of school I was getting $21.50 during my orientation. After 6 months and a satisfactory review I was bumped up to $22.50. Shortly after THAT, we were told that the hospital had reviewed comparable salaries in the region and was giving out raises to make out hospital "competitive. I think they were just frightened because we had a high turnover and were threatening to unionize. Nevertheless, when I left I was at $25.56 an hour.
5. 10% night shift diff, no weekend diff.
6. We were trying, but hadn't yet achieved it. For the sake of my former coworkers and the patients we served, I hope they get it.
New Job:
1. PA, SE, firmly in the Philly metro area (served by SEPTA and everything -- exciting!)
2. 1 year of experience now.
3. Also a Lvl. II Trauma Center, in the ED
4. $27.00 base. I feel that I was told the starting salary for new grads (not that they hire m/any) is around $25, but I have no paperwork to back that up.)
5. $3/hr night shift plus $1.50/hr weekend diff.
6. Nope, and from the sound of things staff seem satisfied enough that they don't feel they need it. We'll see if that bears out. Hopefully so.
And that is the difference 60 miles (among other things) can may to pay scale.
I just changed jobs, and I think the move illustrates the pay difference you can get moving into a larger metro area.
Former Job:
1. PA (SE but on the very edge of what could be considered the Philly Metro Area)
2. New grad when I started the job.
3. Lvl II Trauma Center, working in the ED
4. Fresh out of school I was getting $21.50 during my orientation. After 6 months and a satisfactory review I was bumped up to $22.50. Shortly after THAT, we were told that the hospital had reviewed comparable salaries in the region and was giving out raises to make out hospital "competitive. I think they were just frightened because we had a high turnover and were threatening to unionize. Nevertheless, when I left I was at $25.56 an hour.
5. 10% night shift diff, no weekend diff.
6. We were trying, but hadn't yet achieved it. For the sake of my former coworkers and the patients we served, I hope they get it.
New Job:
1. PA, SE, firmly in the Philly metro area (served by SEPTA and everything -- exciting!)
2. 1 year of experience now.
3. Also a Lvl. II Trauma Center, in the ED
4. $27.00 base. I feel that I was told the starting salary for new grads (not that they hire m/any) is around $25, but I have no paperwork to back that up.)
5. $3/hr night shift plus $1.50/hr weekend diff.
6. Nope, and from the sound of things staff seem satisfied enough that they don't feel they need it. We'll see if that bears out. Hopefully so.
And that is the difference 60 miles (among other things) can may to pay scale.
THIS...the Philly Metro Area has a WIDE range and variety of pay scales.
And I heard that a particular hospital JUST got unionized...it also included a particular hospital in Philly as well. I found out in a union newsletter about three weeks ago. Nurses cannot join the union due to the position of leadership. ()
However, In one local area hospital which has a union, the benefits if the union benefited ALL, so I had a great Bennie package and wages-and couldn't join the union for the same reason above, but with better results and respect for the staff overall. The hospitals and health systems in the area have a "friendly" competition..so it behoves them to want to attract nurses; especially if they have particular programs that have a reputation of good care nationally. It depends on the facility and organization.
THIS...the Philly Metro Area has a WIDE range and variety of pay scales.
And I heard that a particular hospital JUST got unionized...it also included a particular hospital in Philly as well. I found out in a union newsletter about three weeks ago. Nurses cannot join the union due to the position of leadership. ()
However, In one local area hospital which has a union, the benefits if the union benefited ALL, so I had a great Bennie package and wages-and couldn't join the union for the same reason above, but with better results and respect for the staff overall. The hospitals and health systems in the area have a "friendly" competition..so it behoves them to want to attract nurses; especially if they have particular programs that have a reputation of good care nationally. It depends on the facility and organization.
Sounds like the support staff were unionized by SEIU. AFAIK they don't represent RNs.
$27 base seems low in Philly for a nurse with a year experience. When I started as a new grad the city hospitals were offering $27-27.80 for new grads.
Sounds like the support staff were unionized by SEIU. AFAIK they don't represent RNs.
$27 base seems low in Philly for a nurse with a year experience. When I started as a new grad the city hospitals were offering $27-27.80 for new grads.
The range is 26-32 for a new grad; 1 year 27-38; depends on the hospital; that is of recent in my experience and colleagues who were willing to share their salaries, and it does not include differentials. I have a LPN background; I get a significant increase after working at an org after a year due to the year equivalencies on the clinical ladder, however, I started out the same rate as a new grad or someone with a year experience.
4. $29.59 (one of lowest paying hospitals in CA) 5. Work days (differential only for night shift) no weekend differentials. Time and half to work Christmas and Thanksgiving.
I am from CA, couldn't get a job and look forward to coming back! My rent is almost $1000, cost of living is not cheap in this area for how much they pay us. I am barely scraping by with this joke of a paycheck. CA is where it's at. I miss ratios, unions and a solid paycheck.
$20/hr sucks if your rents over $700/month. Yikes! I was getting $22.50/hr at my last job and my mortgage was an amazing $450/mo. It was easy to pay my bills.
) 
ashleyisawesome, BSN, RN
804 Posts
1. PA
2. 1 year and 2 months! :)
3. med/surg- surgical unit, mostly ortho and some general, GYN, Onc, urology surgery
4. Base pay - $24.33/hr
5. .75 shift diff for evenings, .85 for 8h nights, $1 for 12h nights, + $1 for being charge nurse (charge has full assignment)
6. Union? nope.