School Nurse Salary?

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Jun 10, 2015

I've been looking into school nursing in Boston and couldn't figure out salary. So it's thensame scale that they use for teachers? Do years working at a hospital count as experience? And they count partial masters credits as well for pay increases? It would still be a pay cut, but the hours, vacations, and summers are worth it! Plus a per diem job on the side. It also seems like their yearly increases are more than my 2% raise.

It can really depend on the district in Boston and the Boston area. Boston public itself pays pretty decently in the school nursing realm and there is a difference with your Masters, partial does not usually count (and some may say the difference isn't significant, depending on district). Some of other bordering public districts also pay pretty decently. Yes, it is much less than the Boston hospitals (especially if you factor in OT), but that goes without saying :).

Charters and private schools in Boston/Boston area usually pay less, but you also usually manage far less students. I work in a public charter, and I am not on the teacher's scale. In some charters you are; my charter recently created a nurse's pay scale that starts higher than the teacher's scale; previous nursing experience does bump you up a bit. A 3% raise is what I expect regularly and what I got for next year. I love the schedule. I also pick up a little extra money by managing the yearbook for the school.

Oh, and I do qualify for MA teacher's retirement - best perk for me .

nursmimi, BSN, RN · Jun 15, 2015

Arkansas...the LPN at the school quit and I wanted the job so bad that I agreed to finish out her contract for the remainder of the year-$14.25/hr. My husband was not super happy with me, but I convinced him that they would have to give me a raise the next year. I got $20 for my 2015-2016 contract, $25,000/yr. I work 180 days a year and am paid 12 months. Yes, I am now making less money than I did as an LPN before becoming a BSN RN, however I LOVE this job! And compared to the $0 I made in nursing school, well, we are rich LOL! My husband also makes good money, so we are fine. He understands that his happiness is directly related to MY happiness

Pnurse24 · Sep 1, 2015

Missouri (South KC metro area)

$13.62/hr

High School (1900 kids!)

Paid over 12 months (still get summer off)

Paid insurance and dental.

40 hr weeks

7a-3p

The pay makes me sad.... but the job makes me happy so its a sacrifice I make! :/

I also work PRN at a LTC facility and make $22/hr when I have free time!

Lindseyrae82 · Sep 9, 2015

I am hoping to get a school nurse job in the Austin area. Are any of the nurses from Texas that replied working in Austin? Trying to find out approximate salary. I know it can probably vary between the metros. Thanks so much!

clockwood · Sep 19, 2015

I live on the central coast of CA. With 5 years credit of nursing experience, I make 54,000/year. (Same as teacher salary schedule). Considering the pricey cost of living here (1200/ 1 bed apt), it's not a ton of money. BUT, I live a stone's throw from the beach. Tons of hiking, clean air, nature, minimal traffic, 10 minute commute to work. That's all priceless to me. I also only work 184 days a year. And I'm done by 3:30 (ok, sometimes I stay late). I get a week off at Thanksgiving and Easter, and three weeks at Christmas...plus all the federal holidays. Not to mention SUMMER! No night shifts. It's a low stress job relative to hospital nursing! I pay $7/mo for primo health insurance and in 5 years I will start accruing retirement. It's a great quality of life.

JerseyTomatoMDCrab, BSN · Oct 2, 2015

Before I chime in, I wanted to say I am a long time lurker and first time poster. AN has gotten me through a lot so I just wanted to say thank you!!

I'm a first year school nurse in Maryland and I make a whopping 37k/10 month year. It was a bit of a pay cut from working in a very large Baltimore hospital, but not by much to tell the truth. I had already taken a HUGE pay cut when I moved from NJ to MD so this wasn't too much of a shock to my bank account. I work 8:30-3:45. I am home by 4:15 every day, my commute is slashed in half, no tolls, I leave on time everyday and (best of all) NO MORE PRESS-GAINEY SCORES TO HEAR ABOUT.

I love my job now and you can't put a price on that! I have heard "thank you" more times in the first month of school than I did in an entire year in an inpatient setting. I love the kids (they say ridiculous things) and I love the opportunity to teach a child about their own health. Benefits are great and very inexpensive, the pension and retirement are the same as a teacher.

There are still weeks when I look at my bank account and cringe a little but I am a good budgeter. I would rather be happy and poor than rolling in cash and too tired/miserable to enjoy it!

HelloWish, ADN, BSN · Oct 2, 2015

I think the school nurses in my area are paid a teachers salary (in DFW, TX). So as a brand new nurse that is $50k which is really awesome given no holidays, weekends off, 8 hour days, and summers off.

I am considering this option, but I think I will have to get my BSN first and see if I can actually find a school nurse job. I will graduate in May with my ADN.

Anyway I have a question for school nurses. Do any of you work PRN to supplement your income, in the DFW, TX area? Can you work PRN only over holidays like Christmas break, spring break, and the summer? Or, do the major hospitals require that you fulfill a certain quota each month to maintain PRN status? To me it would be ideal to be a school nurse during the school year as parent of a school aged child, but have some PRN times over the holiday's and summer.

peacockblue · Oct 4, 2015

30 years experience but only 10 in a school. Follow teachers salary scale. $50,000

SnowyJ, RN · Oct 5, 2015

Upstate NY here.

I started my job as a school nurse 3 years ago. I am in a union, and wages go by "step" increase. Regardless of the fact I had 25 years of hospital experience, I was still placed on Step 1 for salary the first year. (All new school nurses start on step 1.) Each year you get a 4% salary increase, (and there is a cap) but the increase can vary depending on contract negotiations. My starting salary was embarrassingly low...$34,000. A huge cut from the hospital. BUT no weekends, no holidays, and great health and dental benefits at low cost. I also get home ever day by 4 PM.

I am am member of the State retirement system, which is good.

I miss the money from my old job, but I love school nursing.

KGillihan · Oct 5, 2015

I am in the suburbs of Chicago-- I make $44,000. 6hrs a day. 180days a year. I work in a behavioral school with 34 students. ages 5-22.

Every year I get a raise. BUT the salary varies greatly district by district. Last year I worked in a different district and salary was $40,000 and I had 1,200 students. This summer I was offered a position in my daughters district of Wheaton, a pretty high class suburb-- and pay was $18/hr! As a single mother of 2 girls, I couldn't even pay rent on $18/hr. Then the district in the town next to me pays $50,000.... It just jumps suburb to suburb.

CASchoolNurse831 · Oct 16, 2015

Central CA

3 years ago when I was initially hired, we were on the teacher salary schedule so I started at 39k. I got lucky - the following year the union was able to put the School RNs (4 of us for 25 schools) on the same salary schedule as the school psychologists and SLPs. The district finally gave in to our requests BECAUSE they had so many nurses quit due to the salary and we were all threatening to do it again at once if something didn't change. As much as we loved working with students, we live in an extremely expensive area and we were going to be forced back into working in a hospital to be able to financially support ourselves.

We were able to negotiate our pay increase because our neighboring districts paid their nurses a much higher salary. I am a 3rd year School Nurse, I currently make 77K (include my 1K stipend for having my CA School Nurse Credential). Next year I will make 80k (we are getting another 5% salary increase - as are all certificated staff in the district). We max out at 96K after 20 years.

Long story short, our pay scale is 76k - 96k with approximately 6 schools each, 185 days.

I have a smaller population compared to the other 3 nurses because I oversee our regional program for students with moderate-severe special needs who often come with complex health concerns and specialized procedures. We have 5 LVNs scattered throughout the district also who typically help with procedures, emergency med administration, etc.

Thank you all for your previous comments! I strongly believe that we need to stand together regarding School Nurse pay. In CA, in order to be a School Nurse, you must have a bachelors degree, RN license, and School Nurse Credential (1 - 2 more years of college in addition to your BA within 5 years of hire). Public Health Nurse certification and audiometry certification are also highly recommended. It is absurd to expect nurses with all of these qualifications to be compensated so little. This is an extremely demanding, autonomous specialty with so much grey area and typically little support.

Nothing changes if nothing changes, I hope School Nurses everywhere are able to stand up for their profession and fight for appropriate pay. I applaud every school nurse out there, YOU GUYS ROCK!!!! :)

samgagnon55 · Oct 21, 2015

CA_ 49K with 4 years, once I get masters/credential 54K, after 17 years max out at 91K.