What should my starting salary be?

[PA_CoffeeFreak]

First off, I haven't passed the NCLEX just yet but when I do I have a job offer at an outpatient surgical clinic. While I am a new graduate, I have three years of experience working as a surgical tech. The duties that I did as a tech would be very similar to what I would be doing as a nurse for this clinic. What do you think my starting salary should be? Do you think my three years of experience should factor in? Please share your thoughts. I am new to the Pittsburgh area :)

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

I think that your surg tech experience should factor in. There weren't any surg techs in my class, but those of us that were EMT's or PCT's were typically given a slightly higher pay rate than the new grad that had never worked in healthcare. Here in Pittsburgh, inpatient new nurses start at $19-$22/hr, and I know that normally outpatient areas make less than inpatient. Hope this might have been able to give you some sort of idea.