What was minimum wage when you first started?

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

I have read a couple threads on here with people asking if nurses would be willing to work for ridiculously low wages; often as low as minimum wage. Got me thinking about what minimum wage was at my first job...my first job was at a round table for $5.75. Soooo glad I don't still make that! What was minimum wage when you got your very first job?

[caliotter3]

All of $1.65, and my first job paid me $1.66. I was a very valuable employee.

[Valerie Salva, BSN, RN]

$3.35/hr. I worked in a sweat shop soldering pc boards and cables.

[hotnurse84]

it was 5.15....i was 16 I think. I put fried chicken and veggies in a box to go!!!

[kcochrane]

$2.15 ish back in the 70's. Although I did work as a waitress for $.50/hr and tips. They were allowed to pay less then minimum for some reason. I made between 7-11 dollars in tips per day.

[RNperdiem, RN]

I worked for $3.20 at the local movie theater during college.

My first nursing assistant job paid $4/hr base pay. I lived at home during nursing school, and that $4/hr job paid the tuition(community college), books, health insurance, car insurance, and all my expenses except room and board.

[christieb01]

Minimum wage was 4.25 and I worked at an amusement park. We worked 60+ hours and did not receive overtime because we were seasonal employees and state law said they didn't have to pay time and a half for over 40 hours. We had to pay about $2-3 a week for uniform rental and $15/month for the rooms we lived in- at least two people to a room, bunk beds, about 8' by 5' rooms.

I only lasted a month and then quit because I hated it so much.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

$2.10 as receptionist in motel. Hate to admit how long ago that was, but we still connected people to long distance with CABLES punched into the switchboard. Yikes

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Worked at a Kentucky Fried Chicken from 1975 to 1977 for $2.05/hour.

[rita359]

Think the minimum wage was in the dollar or so range. My first nsg job was about 3.25 an hour. I have pay stubs from back then. I thought I was making decent money and was able to save 50 dollars a month.

[MERRYWIDOW46]

Minimum wage was $1.90 when I was doing shipping/packing at a printing company 1972-1973.

First RN job, 1976, was $4.95 and after a year got $0.25 raise.

1978 first Agency job paid $6.50

[elkpark]

I don't recall what I got paid at any of the jobs I had before I went into nursing (too long ago :)), but the prevailing rate for new grads in my medium-sized Southern city when I graduated from nursing school in '84 was roughly $8.15/hour -- and I remember thinking that I couldn't imagine what I was going to do with that much money!