Starting Pay for New Nurses in Texas...need help!!!

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I have two job opportunities/offers and I need some major advice. One is for St David's South Austin Medical Center in Austin and the other is for Scott and White Memorial in Temple. St David's has told me they start new RN grads at 22.02 an hour. Is this typical? And Does any one know how much Scott and White pays new grad RN's? Scott and White is suppose to be contacting me this week with an offer...but I need to make a decision about St David's soon by today or tomorrow. St David's is for an acute med/surg telemetry unit and Scott and White is for a med/surg oncology unit.

I am from Washington state so the pay scale for RNs is much different and I am trying to get an idea about the Texas pay scale for new RNs.

Also, can any one give me any opinions on St David's vs Scott and White for starting out? Or living in Austin vs Temple? Or Telemetry vs oncology?

Lots of questions, but I am having a very hard time deciding so if anyone has any advice on any of these topics whatsoever, please send them my way!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Yes, the new grad pay rate of $22 hourly is very typical for Austin. Although Austin has one of the highest costs of living in Texas, the pay rates tend to be low because of the surplus of nurses who have moved there during the past few years. I do not know how much nurses are paid at Scott and White, but do not expect too much.

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Specializes in Medical Surgical Orthopedic.

$22 sounds about right, although you can make that number go up a bit if you work nights. Austin is one of the more expensive texas cities to live in, but I love it there. It's kind of a quirky place and can be fun if you're young and/or adventurous. I don't know anything about Temple.

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Thanks so much for the responses! I think I am leaning more towards St David's in Austin. I am going to see if they have night shift, though they did tell me they needed day shift (which is odd to me!). I honestly have no preference. I keep thinking even if Scott and White paid more, would I want to live in Temple. I am 26 and still pretty active and Austin seems to have a lot going on.

Any thoughts on the two hospitals? or the two different units, telemetry vs oncology?

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Specializes in Cardiology.

If you are young and single, take the Austin gig! Temple is a dump!!

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Temple is not a dump. It is a smaller town. However, Scott and White is well known for having an excellent new grad program and people move from across the US to work there when offered a position. Competition is fierce. I definitely would not turn down St. David in anticipation of an offer from S&W that might or might not happen. Congrats on your job offer in Austin. There are people crawling all over one another to get a position in Austin.

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Thanks everyone!!!!! Scott and white did end up making an offer which did pay more, but after considering everything I chose at David's! I really want to start on telemetry and I'm from a big city so Austin fits me better. Lol I'm young but not single and have a four year old but Austin seems like it has a lot of things to do! We actually just purchased a home in north Austin in a great community! So I'm very excited to start! Both are wonderful hospitals and seems to have great programs for new RNs. I just had to consider where I wanted to live and raise my daughter. Thanks everyone for their advice!

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

That is typical for the Austin area. Both hospitals are pretty well-known and I don't think you could have gone wrong with either choice. I do like Austin better than Temple, though... :) Congrats!

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Think you made the right choice, you know you can find apartments that are pretty nice for around $800 per month, which you will be able to afford on that salary. I am an LVN trying to move to the area, going for my RN and let me tell you, that's all the jobs there are RN jobs. I would love to move home but can't if I don't have work! Take in all the free shows in the live music capital (just remember just because its the live capital doesn't mean its always the best music!)

Temple is great, scott & white its great and its only what 45 min from Austin...plus they have other hosp in that area Round Rock for instance that you could transfer to later if you ever consider it again.

Best wishes!

Check out 2222 and 360 for places to live, that was my favorite neighborhood to live in. You will spend more but its very nice and comfy in that area.

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Poor thing! Your working south and living north???? Ummm let us know.how you like the traffic, leave 3 hours before your shift, plan for childcare 3 hours after, and GOODLUCK! Left the atx area never to look back!

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3 hours? I'm on day shift luckily and have done a few dry runs using toll ways and it only takes me like 25-30min on weekdays??? I have heard though if I was night shift traffic would def be horrible. but I'll make sure to keep an eye on traffic!!! I'm from Seattle, wa so I can't imagine my living in the city.

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How do you like the job at St. Davids? I was offered the exact same new grad jobs but a few months later than you... I'm torn between the night shift at Scott and White oncology floor and Telemetry floor at St. Davids. S&W does pay more, but I would have a one-hour commute one-way for each shift. Not sure if the long drive is worth the extra pay, especially before/after a 12-hour night shift. I loved oncology in clinicals and would be honored to work with those type of patients.

I'm only 25 min from St. Davids South Austin. Absolutely loved the staff at St. David's that interviewed me. Seems like a great place to work.

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