Published
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.
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.
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!
HeartsOpenWide, RN
1 Article; 2,889 Posts
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?