Texas salary and cost of living

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Sep 16, 2009

mlok,

So sorry you are having so much difficulty getting started in your nursing career. You are right in assuming that Texas is currently much more 'nurse friendly'. In most urban & pretty much all rural areas, new grads are still being hired. I would advise you not to limit your search to the 6 largest - take a look at our midsize cities like Beaumont, Tyler, San Angelo, Corpus Christi, etc.

Texas is very very big - Houston alone is about the same size as the state of Maryland. Metropolitan markets vary in salary structures and most of this is driven by market demands. I really doubt whether you will be able to rustle up any relocation assistance because there is no shortage of applicants right now.

Here is a great resource for virtually 'touring' Texas - to find out a bit more about different regions http://www.tourtexas.com/texas_maps.cfm Houston probably is the most similar to that "LA feel" in terms of both ammenities & traffic. Weather & climate is (literally) all over the map - big differences between tropical Gulf Coast & northern areas of the state. Population majority in South Texas, Valley & El Paso population is Hispanic - Southeast TX - Beaumont/Orange has a Cajun feel.

Housing is very reasonable. We never experienced the huge price increases associated with the 90's real estate boom, so we didn't get hit with the dramatic declines either. No state income tax!!! But make sure you are prepared for very high utility costs - especially in Houston. We were the GW Bush 'guinea pigs' for utility deregulation -- with disastrous results (nuff said).

Hope you can join us - we need more good nurses in Texas

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2009

What is the average salary for a new grad?
Average cost for a one bedroom apartment per month?
Can you recommend a few hospitals in a moderately/well populated city? I am afraid the transition from a large California city to a rural one will be too much for me, especially if I will not know anyone.
Also, do any hospitals offer relocation assistance?
Thank you in advance. I will really appreciate any help you can provide!

Hi, there. I was born and raised in California before moving to Texas in 2005. I live in Fort Worth, which is a city with a population of 700,000 people that is located 30 miles west of Dallas.

The average cost for a decent one-bedroom apartment ranges between $450 and $600 monthly in many parts of town. The major acute care hospitals around here are Baylor All Saints, Baylor Southwest, Harris Methodist, Harris Southwest, Huguley Memorial, Plaza Medical Center, Cooks Childrens Hospital, and North Hills Hospital. There are also the rehabilitation hospitals, which tend to be friendly to new grads such as Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital, Kindred Hospital, Lifecare Hospital, Regency Hospital, and a few others.

The average wage for a new grad RN is about $23 per hour in the major hospitals, $25 hourly in the rehab hospitals, and $26 in most nursing homes, which is certainly lower than California new grad pay rates. However, Texas does not have any state income taxes. Gas is currently $2.21 per gallon for the 87 octane fuel. My parents still live in California and told me they paid $2.93 per gallon the other day.

It is unlikely that the hospitals around here will offer you any relocation assistance, because they no longer need to offer such pricey enticements in order to attract new RNs in today's slumping economy.

mlok · Sep 16, 2009

Thank you for your help.

I will begin applying at Texas hospitals once I get some money to pay the endorsement fee. I don't know what I will do if I even get an interview since I live in another state. I will have to come up with some more money for a plane ticket. *sigh*

Again, thank you for all of your help. You really don't know how much I appreciate it. It's really tough.

dream-a-little-dream · Sep 18, 2009

Thanks TX nurses for your feedback to "mlok's" questions. I am also a new grad here in good 'ol Detroit Michigan, graduated in May, have had RN status since Aug 27th, and have been applying for jobs since March! I have had ONE call for an interview, which took place yesterday, for a national Rehab/ST&LT care facility, and they have not called me back, and seemed a little predjudiced against new grads! I heard "extremely busy" about 10 times come out of the nurse managers mouth. Anyway, I and several of my friends are feeling the frustration of the situation here. I've heard from a few shortage about the needs for RN's in TX. Thanks for the information!