Starting pay question?

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So I am a student nurse, still have a while to go, but I received some disturbing news today at my hospital I am doing clinicals at. I am getting my BSN degree. They said Associate degree nursing get paid 15.00/hour and that BSN nurses get 16/hour with top out being 17-18/hour. I am disturbed by the fact that I won't ever make any more than 17-18/hour. Is this normal? This seems really low for what nurses do. Plus we don't even get full 40 hour weeks only 36 hour work week. Can someone please tell me if this is normal or not?

Thank you in advance!

That seems really low but it does depend where you live... I live in the Bay Area in CA and I have heard that starting pay is anywhere from 38-50 an hour!!!

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I live in the Bay Area in CA and I have heard that starting pay is anywhere from 38-50 an hour!!!

Is the cost of living there very high?

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I am also in east Tennessee and I'm an lpn and make $17 an hour. I have 2 friends that are recent bsn grads and told me they make $18-$19 base pay and $22-$23ish after differentials. Yes, cost of living is low here. Maybe they quoted you lpn pay cause that sounds about right for lpn???

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Specializes in Forensic Psych.

That would disturb me as well! I think I'd verify that info. I've been given bad salary information before.

The hospital I work for (hoping for a job offer as an RN as well) has some of the lowest starting salaries around, with new grad RNs making $24/hr. I can't imagine working for less!

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Specializes in PACU, Oncology/hospice.

Thank you everyone for all the information! I shall see the actual salary when I get a job, but I pretty much refuse to work for that I told my husband and he said: we will move lol I guess that sounds stuck up, but I just feel like that is really low. Anyways thank you all though so much for all the info!

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Here in LA it is about 18-20$ an hour, plus shift diffs, extra for certifications, one hospital(maybe all) does 3$ extra just for working in an ICU, NICU area. Oh and here, BSN and ADN make the exact dollar amount if they are the same rank.

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Specializes in ED.

In my state, BSN and ADN nurses make the same. The starting rate is $18.94/hour at my hospital, but I work nights, so I get a 15% shift diff, plus I work in the ER, and we are required to work 8 hours of OT every other week. It's not awesome money, but it's not bad, and I also have the opportunity to pick up extra shifts and get even more OT pay.

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LPN about 23.00

RN about 32.00

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

SE WI is anywhere from 21-24 as a new grad without differentials. It may be a bit higher in the Milwaukee metro area.

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Specializes in L&D.

Didn't read all the responses, but in the South, pay is lower, but NOT that low! Maybe that is base pay and they are not adding in shift diffs.

Here it's about 19-20 with 5-6$ more with shift diffs.

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As hard as nursing school is and everything that RNs have to do I would not work anywhere for 15-16 dollars an hour. If that is the case I might as well cut my losses now and go back to the factory lol.

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