Starting RN Wages?

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I'm sure it varies with the hospital you work at and the state you live in, but what was your starting wage as an RN, right after graduating?

Nurses get paid by the hour, correct?

What kinds of raises do nurses get? What's the cap on wages currently?

What's a typical work week? I've heard three 12-hour shifts is the most common, and anything over that is overtime.

Specializes in ER/ medical telemetry.

wow, i won't tell what i make as a new grad, but i know my facility pays 18.50 for new grads and other local haspitals start at 19.50.

pretty bad huh......

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Specializes in corrections, LTC, pre-op.
My starting wage was $24.06/hr. Just hit the six month anniversary, so I am now up to approx $24.68/hr. (not counting the differential for evenings/weekends)

I work "Regular Part-time", which means that I can work anywhere between 40-72 hours every two weeks. Anything over the 72 hours is over-time. Also, anything over my 8 hour shift is over-time. Yup-if I have to stay late after a particularly crazy evening, I get paid over-time.

We have a union at our facility.

Also, you do not need a 4 year degree to become an RN...I have my ADN (two year degree).

Its not about the money !!
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Specializes in Float.

And here we go again :)

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

salary.com has a pretty accurate report of salaries for any area of the country. here in chicago a new grad can expect at least $24-25/hr for day shift and $2-5hr more for nights. when i was a new nurse i never had a problem getting OT. one extra day of OT can raise your income to about an extra 10k a year.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
its not about the money !!

no, larry, it's not about the money. chill, ok? just answering a question :o

to answer further questions: yes, this is after a 2 year degree...one that took me 4 years part-time to complete. no, in my area we do not make more money with a bsn.

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I happen to know a recruiter in LI and this is what he says:

New grad pay 28.73/hr. We pay 10% for evenings and night and 25% for Saturday and Sunday.

I think they pay extra for BSN and they cap out at around 105,000 before diffs for nurses with lots of experience.

Holy hell, where on LI is that? Nassau or Suffolk? Do you happen to know? I guess the higher standard of living here demands higher wages - that's pretty cool for starting out.

Who caps out at 105k a year? The BSNs or just RNs in general? I'm guessing that's what they cap out at when working regular weeks all year round? Which probably means a ceiling of $50-55 or so, right? Unless I'm misunderstanding you.

So 10% more for doing the 6 PM to 6 AM shift, and 25% more for working a weekend? Wow, that's cool too.

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Specializes in Float.

PM... sorry I'm not familiar with LI so I don't know which area. Are you thinking of persuing nursing or are you already in the profession?

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PM... sorry I'm not familiar with LI so I don't know which area. Are you thinking of persuing nursing or are you already in the profession?

Considering pursuing it. I'm still young, and really unsure of what to do with my life. I work in business now at a reputable company, and I could stay there for the rest of my days and be pretty set, but I don't want that. I can't stand business. I don't feel I'm doing anything with my life.

When I was in HS, the sciences always intrigued me. Anything dealing with medicine, health, the human body - it all piqued my interest. It still does. I've been fighting with myself on the idea of going to pursue medical school to become a Dr., or to jump into the field sooner as an RN, maybe pursue a CRNA or something like that.

I don't mean to be shallow, but money has to be a consideration. I'm happy to hear RNs make decent wages here on LI. I also know I'll enjoy a job in medicine more than a job in business - at least I'll feel important. I'll be able to care for others, save lives (and lose them, I know it's not all sunshine), and feel good about what I do. I feel like that will give me a purpose.

In particular, I'd like to aim for something like pediatric critical care or ICU. I love children, and I dislike patients who lie, and from what I've heard from people in the field, the only patients who lie are those who's lips move. :) When all they can say is "goo-goo" or "wahhhh" they're likely not lying to you.

In the end, I'm still not positive where I'm headed. I'm fleshing out my options now. All I know is, I'm miserable where I am now (at this company), and if I went for an ADN, I'd be done in 1.5 years more of college, be able to start working as an RN, making decent pay, and doing something good with my life. Then I can always pursue an RN-BSN and then from there, a masters for a CRNA if I desire.

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Specializes in Float.

Ahh I see cool. So do you already HAVE a bachelors? If so you might want to consider a BSN fast track program. You likely have many of the courses you need. I think most of those would be done in less than 18 months...I think some in 12-13 months.

I went to school at age 28 to become an RN. Have been licensed for a whole 6 weeks now :) I never knew what mental work being a nurse is! I use to just think of "tasks" and many of those I associated nursing with are actually done by nursing assistants. I come home MENTALLY tired more than physically because you are always reassessing the pt and the pt situation to be sure any treatments are appropriate and for any changes in status. There is a huge catch phrase in nursing if you haven't already heard it "critical thinking" and there is a reason it's talked about non-stop. You always have to look at the big picture!

Why I ultimately chose nursing was the flexibility of scheduling, the job options - there are sooo many components you are sure to find a good fit, and I could make good pay even if I chose to work part time (I'm a parent). Once I got into it I found I liked the patient care and interaction more than I ever imagined I would.

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Ahh I see cool. So do you already HAVE a bachelors? If so you might want to consider a BSN fast track program. You likely have many of the courses you need. I think most of those would be done in less than 18 months...I think some in 12-13 months.

I went to school at age 28 to become an RN. Have been licensed for a whole 6 weeks now :) I never knew what mental work being a nurse is! I use to just think of "tasks" and many of those I associated nursing with are actually done by nursing assistants. I come home MENTALLY tired more than physically because you are always reassessing the pt and the pt situation to be sure any treatments are appropriate and for any changes in status. There is a huge catch phrase in nursing if you haven't already heard it "critical thinking" and there is a reason it's talked about non-stop. You always have to look at the big picture!

Why I ultimately chose nursing was the flexibility of scheduling, the job options - there are sooo many components you are sure to find a good fit, and I could make good pay even if I chose to work part time (I'm a parent). Once I got into it I found I liked the patient care and interaction more than I ever imagined I would.

Oh no no, I've got no college degree yet, I'm still a baby. Only 20. Took a year or so off out of HS 'cause I had to start working. My father passed away from lung cancer and I got a job at UPS to cover myself with benefits, and to make money to help my mom. I got promoted to a supervisor position rather quickly (where I'm at now), and started back in school this past Spring.

I had a few plans, and as I look at them more, becoming an RN sounds like my best bet. I like the idea of caring for people, developing a closeness with patients, having them care for you and rely on you.

It sounds like despite the mental stresses, you love the job. One thing I'm appreciative of is the mental stress my current job has taught me to deal with. Having upper management loom over you about deadlines, where being a minute late is grounds for an hour of screaming, helps me see how stressful a job can be. From what I've heard, my current job is one of the most stressful out there - it's just so time-oriented. I'm banking on the idea that if I can deal with this, I can deal with the stresses of an RN too.

I like the job flexibility as well. I like the idea of working 3x a week, and being able to opt for another day or two for some extra cash. I like the idea of being able to start making money at 22, get a BSN by 24, then if I decide, put work on hold and pursue a masters to become a CRNA, finish by 26-27 and be making very good money by my mid-late 20's.

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Specializes in ER/ medical telemetry.

sounds like an awsome plan...

you go pursue your dreams,

we need you!

oh no no, i've got no college degree yet, i'm still a baby. only 20. took a year or so off out of hs 'cause i had to start working. my father passed away from lung cancer and i got a job at ups to cover myself with benefits, and to make money to help my mom. i got promoted to a supervisor position rather quickly (where i'm at now), and started back in school this past spring.

i had a few plans, and as i look at them more, becoming an rn sounds like my best bet. i like the idea of caring for people, developing a closeness with patients, having them care for you and rely on you.

it sounds like despite the mental stresses, you love the job. one thing i'm appreciative of is the mental stress my current job has taught me to deal with. having upper management loom over you about deadlines, where being a minute late is grounds for an hour of screaming, helps me see how stressful a job can be. from what i've heard, my current job is one of the most stressful out there - it's just so time-oriented. i'm banking on the idea that if i can deal with this, i can deal with the stresses of an rn too.

i like the job flexibility as well. i like the idea of working 3x a week, and being able to opt for another day or two for some extra cash. i like the idea of being able to start making money at 22, get a bsn by 24, then if i decide, put work on hold and pursue a masters to become a crna, finish by 26-27 and be making very good money by my mid-late 20's.

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Specializes in ED, Cardiac Medicine, Retail Health.

New grad (5 months) $33.00/hr for weekend only option (three twelves) Boston MA. Of course the cost of living is high but I guess there are issues where ever one lives. I love having four day off in a row. I rarely have to use earned time and it seems as if I am going on vacation after my last shift (Sunday). I am no spring chicken so giving up my weekends are no big deal as I do more during the week anyway. And the schedule is great because I am back in school working towards my BSN.

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