THE REAl DEAL!!

U.S.A. California

Published

So I know its not all about the money, but just curious. For you nurses in the Bay Area (Oakland, San Fran....) I heard that nurses are starting at $60/hour. Is that true????

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.

with experience? i dunno.

But i know that all my friends working in san francisco, oakland are starting with no RN experience at around 39-41/hour for day shift.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry, CCU.

The cost of living is insane, I think people should keep that in mind when looking at the Bay area's pay rates. I don't think nurses are "starting" at 60/hr, maybe it's that much for an experienced per diem.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Labor & Delivery.

My friend is a new grad at SF General- she started at $50/hr with no benefits.

She said she'll go down to $42/hr when/if offered a position with benefits.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU/CCU.

I know that it's not true for new grads. A new grad at my SF hospital makes almost 43/hr. With my night shift differential, I make around 50/hr. Of course, in my neighborhood, a studio (one room!) apartment rents for at least 1500/month, and the average cost of a home in the Bay Area is over 700K. A gallon of gas costs $4 now. In any other part of the country, I'd be very comfortable raising a family on my wages, but around here I'm barely touching middle class. You have to take our cost of living into account before you start getting excited about our high wages. In my opinion, the best things about working here are the strong union influence and the resultant low ratios, no mandatory overtime, lift teams, etc...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in none yet.
I know that it's not true for new grads. A new grad at my SF hospital makes almost 43/hr. With my night shift differential, I make around 50/hr. Of course, in my neighborhood, a studio (one room!) apartment rents for at least 1500/month, and the average cost of a home in the Bay Area is over 700K. A gallon of gas costs $4 now. In any other part of the country, I'd be very comfortable raising a family on my wages, but around here I'm barely touching middle class. You have to take our cost of living into account before you start getting excited about our high wages. In my opinion, the best things about working here are the strong union influence and the resultant low ratios, no mandatory overtime, lift teams, etc...

it will be another 2 months before i even start the lpn program of which i have just gotten accepted into. i live in southern california and i was wondering if you all in the bay area are making that much per hour, what kind of hours do you all get? is it 8 or 12 hour shifts.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU/CCU.
it will be another 2 months before i even start the lpn program of which i have just gotten accepted into. i live in southern california and i was wondering if you all in the bay area are making that much per hour, what kind of hours do you all get? is it 8 or 12 hour shifts.

My hospital offers either 8 or 12 hour shifts, but I haven't met any new grads who were hired for 12's. Unfortunately, I think that my hospital no longer hires LPN's, so I can't tell you much about job opportunities in that area. A close friend of mine is an LPN, and she was mostly working in long term care facilities until recently when she took a job working at a local prison (where the pay is pretty good, and the benefits are awesome).

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You do not see LVNs being hired in hospitals up here any longer routinely. There are some that have been there for years and are still there, but since the ratio laws have gone into effect you do not see the need as much as before.

You may be able to get a job in a nursing home, but they do not have ratio laws and their pay is not anywhere near that of the hospitals.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment