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Discussion

Salary question??

Starting salary for new nurses in my city is $18/hour. As far as I can figure, this comes out to more or less $33,000/year. Can I plan on making more than this after a couple of years? What do RN's do to earn more than this? I would love to go into nursing, but I am hesitant to leave teaching because I need to earn more than the low $30's to support my family. Any advice on this issue? Thanks.

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  • Experts

If you stick around at the same facility and accrue experience, then you can probably expect pay raises that will increase your earnings. In other words, find a facility that you like as soon as you earn your nursing license, and stay there as long as possible. I am aware that there are exceptions in some cases, but I have known many job hoppers that are not doing too well with regards to their earnings. This is because they are started at the same beginning pay rate every time they switch jobs. Good luck, and I hope you find some rewards in nursing!

Also, do not forget about overtime shifts. Overtime will significantly boost your earnings.

In Houston RN's with a BSN who are just starting can earn around 25.30/ hr. Go to salary.com to see how you fare in your city compared to other new nurses. It's a really interesting report when you put in all of the numbers.

  • Experts

Don't forget to count the differentials when you estimate your yearly earnings. Most staff nurses earn extra money per hour (called "differentials") when they work the unpopular shifts or take on extra responisbilities. For example, differentials are usually paid for hours worked during the evenings, nights, or during the weekends. That adds up.

At my hospital, new grads start with a base salary of approximately $19.00 per hour. For every hour worked between 3 and 11 pm, the earn and extra $4.00 per hour. For every hour worked between 11 pm and 7 am, they earn an extra $6.00. I think weekend hours add an extra $4.00 per hour. There are also small differentials for being the Charge Nurse or a Preceptor for new employees.

If you do the math, you'll see those differentials add significantly to a nurse's actual income. The base salary is usually just the starting point -- not the entire amount paid.

Check out the differentials that are common in your area before making any judgments about the income that can be expected as a nurse.

New nurses start at $34/hr in central California. No kidding.

New nurses start at $34/hr in central California. No kidding.

Yes this is true. I live in central cali and I started out making $26/hr in 2005 and now I make $46/hr per diem. but if I would to go back full time I would probably make at least $31/hr

i live in boston/ma and i just graduated as a rn. anybody knows how much is the rate here for a new grad:twocents:???????

marcia:nurse:

Yes this is true. I live in central cali and I started out making $26/hr in 2005 and now I make $46/hr per diem. but if I would to go back full time I would probably make at least $31/hr

I live in the bay area. I started out at around $18 an hr. in 1990. I now make, with diff, $63 an hour per diem. I'm pretty sure the bay area is the highest paying for nurses. Maybe the original poster should consider moving here. I think new grads start around $30 or $40 an hour.

I live in the bay area. I started out at around $18 an hr. in 1990. I now make, with diff, $63 an hour per diem. I'm pretty sure the bay area is the highest paying for nurses. Maybe the original poster should consider moving here. I think new grads start around $30 or $40 an hour.

Central California is competitive with the Bay area in salary (we have to be to keep nurses) and the cost of living is much less. You can buy a very nice home for $200,000. It doesn't have the "glamour" of SF or LA, but it's a nice area and you are only a couple hours from th cities.

  • Experts
Central California is competitive with the Bay area in salary (we have to be to keep nurses) and the cost of living is much less. You can buy a very nice home for $200,000. It doesn't have the "glamour" of SF or LA, but it's a nice area and you are only a couple hours from th cities.
I agree. Even though the temperatures reach 110+ degrees during the late summer months of July and August, I absolutely loved living in the Central Valley of California. However, I am sure that the original poster does not wish to uproot his/her family to relocate to a new area just to take advantage of the higher pay rates. The geographic regions that pay extremely well tend to be in higher cost-of-living areas, and the states that offer lower pay rates tend to be in low cost-of-living areas. In other words, it all balances out.

Even in Central California, the home prices are closer to the $250k-$300k range, so the higher wages balance things out.

Sorry for the dumb question but what does per diem mean? Is that what you're paid and hour or a different type of pay? in addition to???

Also, is Central California a bad area? Hubby and I live in the Midwest and would eventually like to move to Cali. I know SF has an outrageous real estate market............. Central sounds much more affordable and $30 an hour is not bad.

  • Author
I agree. Even though the temperatures reach 110+ degrees during the late summer months of July and August, I absolutely loved living in the Central Valley of California. However, I am sure that the original poster does not wish to uproot his/her family to relocate to a new area just to take advantage of the higher pay rates. The geographic regions that pay extremely well tend to be in higher cost-of-living areas, and the states that offer lower pay rates tend to be in low cost-of-living areas. In other words, it all balances out.

Even in Central California, the home prices are closer to the $250k-$300k range, so the higher wages balance things out.

I don't have the flexibility of moving right now. Dh loves his job, and we have family here to help us with the kids. BUT, California sounds great! I'm in the midwest, pretty far from any coast... and $18/hour after graduating doesn't excite me all that much, but I'm switching careers to follow my passion!

  • Experts
Sorry for the dumb question but what does per diem mean? Is that what you're paid and hour or a different type of pay? in addition to???

Also, is Central California a bad area? Hubby and I live in the Midwest and would eventually like to move to Cali. I know SF has an outrageous real estate market............. Central sounds much more affordable and $30 an hour is not bad.

I am a native Californian...I spent my first 22 years in my hometown of Oxnard, which is a coastal city in Southern California. At 22 years of age I realized I could not afford a house in my hometown on my $40,000 yearly income as a factory worker, so I moved to Central California in 2003. Back then, I purchased a 2 story house in a desirable part of the city for $145,000. The next year, droves of people from other parts of the state began moving to the Central Valley, because they had been priced out of the real estate market in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The same house that I had bought 4 years ago is now worth $280,000. You can find something decent in the $250,000 range.

Go to http://www.realtor.com and type in the postal zip code '93313.' Good luck. Central California is gorgeous, but extremely hot with bad air quality! Also, my former city of residence (Bakersfield) is one of the most rapidly growing cities in the nation...

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