What is my true hourly wage?

llg, PhD, RN · Dec 31, 2013

You don't have a single hourly wage. You make different amounts based on the particular hours of the day/week you work. If you want to calculate the average amount you earned per hour in a given week (or pay period) .... add up the actual amount you earned that week (or pay period) and divide it by the number of hours you worked that week (or pay period).

If your schedule is not completely regular (e.g. more night shifts some pay periods than others), the average hourly wage will vary. You'll earn more on the weeks in which you worked lots of nights and less on the weeks you worked all day shifts.

If you want to know what you would make if you didn't work any night shifts, multiply the amount you would earn per hour without the night differential and multiply that by the number of hours that you would work the day shifts only.

schnookimz · Dec 31, 2013

The answer to this question is that this is really simple math and it's your paycheck!!! Shouldn't you know how this works?

You sure you're ready for day shift?

Hoosier_RN, MSN · Feb 18, 2014

Don't you get a check stub? It should tell you base pay and all sorts of other stuff.....

Sam J. · Feb 18, 2014

I worked at a funky family-owned place (factory) about 100 years ago that gave us a handwritten check only, no paystub- if we wanted to see our hours, we had go 'look at the timesheets' locked in the office, under watchful eyes, and were not allowed to make a copy of them. I lasted about a month. If you can't figure out what or how much you are getting paid, I would say you can't afford to work there?

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Feb 18, 2014

Your hourly rate is your base rate, or what you make with no differentials. Do you have your hire letter? Have you got any raises since then? It should be on your pay stub what your base rate is. They then add on the differentials. Which also should be listed on your pay stub.

If you are a union facility, look at your contract. If your evening diff is x anount of dollars, then you know that when you work 7p-11p of a 7p-7a shift, it is your base rate plus that differential. The differential changes at 11pm, so it would be your base rate plus that differential. Your weekend shifts are more of a differential (in most facilities). Additionally, if you are charge nurse there's a differential, and if you are a BSN or certified then there also could be an added hourly rate.

Even with a direct deposit, you should be getting pay stubs each week. Go back to your hire letter and see what your rate was when you were hired. It is possible that with night shift, if you are in charge, if you have a BSN you could make upwards of $5.00 more an hour. Sometimes $7-8 more per hour for weekends. Depends on the facility.

If nothing else, I would think that if you took a round number off your hourly rate--see what you can do with $20.00 per hour. Does that work for your budget? Cause anything else would be gravy. But you should be mindful of what you are making.

MatrixRn · Feb 19, 2014

"I'm trying to figure out my true hourly wage. I work nights, I get shift diff for 32 hours per 2 weeks and also get night shift diff for 48 hours per 2 weeks. I also get my base hourly wage for 72-75 hours for two weeks. I'd like to get off night shift, but also need to live at a decent wage. Does anyone know how to figure this out?"

^^Oh my. Look at your pay stub and divide your total pay by the number of hours that you work.