RN with 2 1/2 yrs experience, may relocate to Seattlearea

tokmom, BSN, RN · Apr 30, 2011

Hard to say. The job market is pretty much the same as everywhere else, I think.

To live in Seattle is very expensive. Most choose the suburbs or work in hospitals in the suburbs and go play in Seattle. :) An expensive place to live is in the Eastside of Seattle. The further south you go, the cheaper it gets. Houses an hour away will approx cost you 200,00 give or take some while houses in Seattle will start about 300,000 for something bigger than a cracker box. If I were you, I would start looking on zillow to get somewhat of an idea.

As for COLA. It's more expensive out here, but the pay is more, I think. At my hospital, as a 2 yr RN, you would be making 28-30/hr. There are other hospitals that do pay a few bucks more. I just prefer a smaller hospital with better staffing in a more rural area.

If you want to look at nurses union wages, try WSNA, or SEIU 1199. Most contracts are online and most hospitals are union in the area.

Good luck on your potential move. It's a beautiful state if you don't mind rain a few months out of the year. The best part is you have the mountains and water next to each other. Plenty of places to go play.

windmill182 · May 10, 2011

I just wanted to say that I grew up and spent 20+ years in the Midwest. When I moved to Seattle the cost of living was really, really, really hard to get used to. I went from having a nice 1 bedroom apt w/ garage at $400/ month to a small 675 sq foot 1 bedroom @$850/month. Yes, you may make a little more out here (??). I know nurses in Missouri that were making around $25/hr though. So, I dont know if the pay is that much better out here? I also hear that property taxes in King Co are pretty outrageous. Although, I love the mild weather here. (I dont miss the snow, and if I do its 40 minutes away.) You really have to get used to the rain. Seriously....rain rain go away....

You never know how much you appreciate the sun until its gone for days on end.

There is a ton of diversity here. If you love "big city living" but still love the serenity of nature then it might be for you! I plan on going back home though when possible. I just miss the simplicity of "smaller city living." Good luck to you and your family : )

CCL RN, RN · May 10, 2011

I just wanted to say that I grew up and spent 20+ years in the Midwest. When I moved to Seattle the cost of living was really, really, really hard to get used to. I went from having a nice 1 bedroom apt w/ garage at $400/ month to a small 675 sq foot 1 bedroom @$850/month. Yes, you may make a little more out here (??). I know nurses in Missouri that were making around $25/hr though. So, I dont know if the pay is that much better out here? I also hear that property taxes in King Co are pretty outrageous. Although, I love the mild weather here. (I dont miss the snow, and if I do its 40 minutes away.) You really have to get used to the rain. Seriously....rain rain go away....
You never know how much you appreciate the sun until its gone for days on end.
There is a ton of diversity here. If you love "big city living" but still love the serenity of nature then it might be for you! I plan on going back home though when possible. I just miss the simplicity of "smaller city living." Good luck to you and your family : )

You can find a 1br apr for under &1k/month??? I'd love to know where, lol. 675 sqft? $850/month is a steal! Probably not anywhere I'd like to live. I'm paying $1200/month for

But seriously, to the OP, I've found the area rich with jobs, but short of deals. People say the market is rough, but that's only true for new grads. I had an official job offer at every job I applied at...

Joe33 · Oct 27, 2011

I have found the job market in Seattle to be not as bad as other places (like California). I graduated in 2010 and had 3 job offers at nursing homes right when I moved up here. I worked at the one I liked for a year, sending out hospital applications a couple of months before my 1-year mark. I applied to maybe 10 places and got an interview and was hired in a med-surg residency program at the 1-year mark working at a nursing home. While I was working in the nursing home, several newer graduate nurses (at around the 1-year mark and with only nursing home experience) left because they received offers in hospitals in the area. And nursing home jobs are very, very easy to get if you are already working in a nursing home. The job market is not so bad in the Seattle/Tacoma area for nurses (Swedish just opened a new facility, so did Franciscan Health. And Swedish is still using agency nurses heavily right now).

CCL RN, RN · Oct 29, 2011

Swedish just cut back a couple hundred FTEs...300 or 400, can't remember. I seriously doubt they are using agency nurses heavily. Seriously doubt it. Even the Per Diems aren't getting work..