What is the complaint with nursing salaries?

[Lisa CCU RN]

I don't know, maybe I've been broke too long, but I hear alot of complaints about how you'll never get rich in nursing and how bad the pay is. Well, I look at it this way; I know nurses start out at at least 35,000 to 40,000 a year--that's good money to me. I also know nurses who put in a little overtime and make $1,000 to $1,200 a week. I know that with experience comes pay increases and MSN's are getting $50,000 to $60,000 as NP's and 120,000 plus as CRNA's. In Tennessee this is good money as far as I'm concerned. Is it just that nurses feel they SHOULD be paid more or can you really make more money doing other things? I have been so immersed in nursing and CNA for the past 3 years, I don't even now what other fields pay. I have to account for the job security too--you will always have one. Give me some feedback on this please.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Generally, where nurses make more, they also have a higher cost of living. Just be aware of that before you pack up your bags and house and move.

http://www.salary.com

there is an area there that calculates "real income" based on area. Good place to get a dose of reality for us!

[kadokin, ASN, RN]

i'm a new grad, and i guess i'm still in that giddy stage of being able to pay rent and buy groceries and rent a movie- all from the same paycheck. i am able to live in a clean and safe area, and i'm able to send my son to the best school district in the state (which is also nationally ranked).

but this is all coming from a girl who grew up really poor, so this is coming from my perspective.

but i still think we are, as a group, underpaid and we top out way too fast. not exactly sure what to do about that. i've been looking into getting my bsn, now i'm not so sure- doesn't seem like the monetary payoff will be worth the investment (although the intellectual payoff would be). if anyone has done it let me know if it was worth it.

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i got my bsn. it was my first nursing degree, so i don't have a basis for comparison as far as how much better it is "intellectually". i can, however, tell you this: i do not receive one penny extra for having a bsn vs adn/asn/diploma. i have been offered some opportunities that i was told i might not get if i didn't have the advanced degree. not opportunities for advancement or better pay, mind you, but work in non-traditional areas such as case management and psych. what about the rest of you? is it worth it to have a bsn? i'm glad i have it, but wonder if there are other places where it is seen as something of value by admin/colleagues. i have actually taken some flack because i have a bsn rather than adn from colleagues. anyone?

[kadokin, ASN, RN]

Wisconsin here. I make 72k a year, (salaried, so no overtime though I work more than 40hrs/week) but this income now FINALLY after 8 years experience and one thesis away from a master's degree.

My old job as a staff development nurse I was making 38K. And that was just 4 months ago.

What do you do? What's your speciality? Your position? And what is the cost of living where you are? Just curious. Congratulations on furthering your education. My hat is off to you:)

[kadokin, ASN, RN]

Florida, believe it or not. I'm up to 58K so far, with very little overtime and working 36 hour weeks. Mind you what I took home was $18,000 less than that. :)

Good for you Tweety! Do you have special certifications, etc. that add premium to your pay? Any benies w/that? Do you travel? What is the cost of living where you are? Yeah, that tax cut, the house always wins, don't they?:)

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

I thought I heard Florida was one of the worst pay states for nurses? Is this with experience? I have seen in some nursing magazines nurses in NY making $65,000 to start.

Florida is pretty low comparatively speaking, but we're not as low as some other areas in the south and midwest.

Yes, my pay is with experience, 15 years. 14 at the same hosital, getting good evaluations and good raises, along with some market adjustments. But new grads in higher paying states make as much as I do. So even though it's a nice income, a new grad in California or Connecticut wouldn't think so.

[grimmy, RN]

i thought i heard florida was one of the worst pay states for nurses? is this with experience? i have seen in some nursing magazines nurses in ny making $65,000 to start.

considering how much it costs to live in nyc, 65k is not that much. a lot depends on how you want to live. if you want a house with a yard, you're not going to get it working in nyc on 65k. i grew up in nyc, and houses with a decent sized yard are over $1 million. if you don't mind living in a one-bedroom condo or apt, then you might be fine. we're not even figuring in the costs of commuting, safety, or a family.

i don't think i make nearly enough considering the cost of living in my community. it is the one defining factor for rns interviewing in this area. police, nurses, and firefighters cannot afford to live in the immediate charlottesville area or albemarle county. i commute from a nearby county out of necessity.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Good for you Tweety! Do you have special certifications, etc. that add premium to your pay? Any benies w/that? Do you travel? What is the cost of living where you are? Yeah, that tax cut, the house always wins, don't they?:)

The cost of living where I live in Florida (St. Petersburg) has taken a drastic climb in the last five years, especially in real estate. Fortunately I bought a nice house before the market went bust. But everything from utilities, gas, food, etc. has climbed. But not as bad as some areas.

I'm a med-surg staff nurse. We have "pay for skills", so I get extra from being med-surg certified, ACLS, precepting, and leadership (being a relief charge nurse). When I get my BSN I'll get a 4% raise. I've been working in this hospital for 13 years.

New grads here make $20.00/hr, so if they work 3 12-hr shifts they make about 37,000 plus a year. As I said in an earlier post, I hear of salaries like that and think it's dreadful, for college educated people, the stress and responsibility. But when I was a new grad I thought differently, I couldn't wait to get my hands on "all that money".

[southern_rn_brat]

I have to say I feel my pay rate is ok. I mean seriously, no way could they pay me what I'm REALLY worth:chuckle

I'm in tennessee too, same as the OP. I work only 12 hr shifts on weekends and made about $38k this year after taxes.

I can work extra if I want, which I dont want lol.

btw Merry Christmas guys

[guzzebear]

It depends where you live. In California, $30,000 will barely pay for a studio apartment and your basic needs.

In other parts of the country, you can live nicely on that type of salary.

I live in LA and getting paid $26.00/hr with $4.00 night diff. $30.00/hr is pretty good for a new grad....with no experience... (Extra bonus....helping people and LOVING your job:):balloons:

OH and after 6 months I get $28.00 with $4.00 nights.....

[featherzRN, MSN]

I get $43/hour in california per diem and $35/hour with bennies (outpatient, day shift). And that's at a low seniority job - even though I have 15 years experience, I took a stretch off and had to start near the bottom just a few years ago. Of course the cost is outrageous out here so that's a factor! :)

[CA CoCoRN, RN]

It depends where you live. In California, $30,000 will barely pay for a studio apartment and your basic needs.

In other parts of the country, you can live nicely on that type of salary.

Right. This year, working a four day work week for most of the year, I broke the 6 figure mark. HOWEVER, in California, with housing prices the way they are, and my need for quality childcare, I haven't cleared enough to buy a house. At least a house that's not an hour or more drive from where I work and currently live.

[dreamlandeals]

In my last career, my salary topped out at $127K a year. I didn't live extravagantly; i socked a lot of money away (was paying all the bills and supporting my husband at the time). I used all my savings to live off of in the 3.5 years after i got laid off until i graduated from nursing school. I worked during that last year as a CNA, but my salary basically covered gas and car maintenance, as i had a 100-mile round-trip commute for school every day. During this period, i also went through a divorce and had surgery- something that cost me $20-$25K out of pocket, as i had minimal private health insurance.

My employer pays new grads $18.54 an hour, with night and weekend shift differentials. They hire new grads mostly for day/night rotation, but my schedule worked out through most of the summer and fall to be mostly weekday day shifts. thus, i've been making around $668 a week, or $34.7K a year. My non-nursing friends are horrified by this. I could make more money workin as a clerical office temp. Obviously, i didn't go into nursing to get rich- if i'd been that concerned about money, i would've stuck to my job hunt longer in my old field...in fact, i got 2 job offers from my old employer and one of it's competitors just weeks after i went back to school, making my former salary. I was tempted, but i declined.

no, i don't think we're paid enough in this area. it's a struggle for me to meet my expenses *and* put some savings away. people think cost of living is low throughout the south, but in my part of NC, that's not really true. plus, throw a wrench in the plans (car problems, etc.) and things get all out of whack. right now i'm on unpaid leave because i had hip surgery last month. didn't qualify for FMLA, so i'm not getting paid, have to pay COBRA for my health insurance ($350/month), *and* my employer doesn't have to hold my job, or even find another position in the hospital if my job gets back-filled. we can't get short-term disability insurance until we've been there for 3 years, either. the longer i wait, the less likely it is that i'll get my job back..but if i try to go back before i'm healed, i run the risk of causing permanent physical disability.

sorry that turned into such a rant. i'm a little overwhlemed right now.

back to the subject at hand...$35K a year is offensive, imo, when you consider how physically, mentally, and emotionally brutal bedside nursing is. throw in some unprofessional coworkers and a hostile work environment, and it's a wonder *anyone* will do this job- for any amount of money. I know all positions aren't like this, but far too many are.

bottom line: pursuing a career path for purely monetary reasons is never a good idea, regardless of the field. but to assert that one's *only* motivation should be a passion for caring for people is (as many threads before have discussed) a big reason nurses haven't taken action to demand better pay and working conditions. there should be no shame in nurses expecting fair compensation and respect as the medical professionals we are.

so true