Who do nurses make more than?

Nurses General Nursing

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Im passionate about this field, but let's be realistic here..I want to have a good job in ALL aspects aha I mean do nurses get bragging rights I mean what can a nurse actually do or buy?? I live in phila pa and want hmm lets say a really nice apartment in a building that has a pool gym etc etc just a really nice one maybe cost about 1k a month or a little more also I want to be able to afford my car payments and insurance plus internet, cell, clothes for me AND my daughter will I be able to give my daughter almost whatever she wants ( I have just one child) with that being said I want to do all that and have money in my pocket at all times ..So my question is will being a nurse cover all that? I want to help people I want to be that good nurse caring understanding gentle nurturing BUT i also want to make a living ya know SURVIVE ahaha is it possible and please dont tell me to cut my expenses I will not! SO give it to me straight lol will nursing cover this and oh yah I also want to vacation at LEAST once a year LETS NOT FORGET BABYSITTER almost slipped my mind aha and I would also like to be able to buy things at the spur of the moment or just all of a sudden go out to dinner at a nice restaurant worry free!!! is it possible basically I wanna know the real deal about the money part thanx in advance

Specializes in ER, progressive care.

I am married. No kids. My husband is military so sadly I don't think we'll own a house for awhile until I know we're going to settle down for awhile somewhere, but as of now it seems like we will be moving every couple of years. With that said, we rent. Our apartment is $925/mo. My husband pays with it with his BAH (basic housing allowance). I pay the other bills (cable, internet, electric, etc). We split insurance costs since we both have full coverage on our vehicles. I bought a brand new car (2012) and paid it all off within a year. We are doing just fine. When my husband was deployed I supported myself for the most part.

For the record, I live in Texas, about an hour away from Austin. I make nearly $30/hr with my shift differentials, $35/hour with OT.

Nurses are not rich by any means, but the pay is decent and you can live off of it.

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A new nurse, on average, makes about $3,000 after taxes over here in the midwest. I would be able to afford a very nice apartment and have extra money if it wasn't for my student loans which adds up to 1k a month. So, I still have to budget myself. So the answer is no, I really doubt you would make what you are hoping for. Nurses do NOT make a lot of money. We do however make enough to get by and a little extra. So maybe this career doesn't have the salary you are looking for.

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Why do you want to give your daughter "everthing she wants"? That's a good way to spoil her. And spoiled children often go on to be awful adults.

At any rate, nursing is probably on of the best jobs in terms of comparing how much you make to how much school you needed to get there. A LPN with a year or less of education can expect to make at least 40k a year. And a RN with an associates will make about 60k. Give or take 10k for both, depending on the cost of living where you are. Also remember what kind of a nursing job you choose will affect pay. A LPN in a doctors office won't make much, but the work is relatively low stress and you will have "normal people" hours. LPNs in LTC will make close to RN wages, but they bust their hump.

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Nursing pays better than most other jobs you're likely to get as a woman with a Associates or Bachelors degree. I've been an executive assistant, meeting planner, and hotel convention sales manager. Made $12 - $18 an hour. My mom is a librarian and was thrilled when she made more than $10 an hour.

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Nursing pays better than most other jobs you're likely to get as a woman with a Associates or Bachelors degree. I've been an executive assistant, meeting planner, and hotel convention sales manager. Made $12 - $18 an hour. My mom is a librarian and was thrilled when she made more than $10 an hour.
And to be a librarian you need a masters degree. A masters!!! Talk about no return for your investment.
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Yikes! Sounds like the wrong reasons to go into nursing to me!

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If one tends to live beyond their means, they will tend to do so no matter how much they make. The retail cashier who spent $300 dollars he didn't have on sneakers will become the RN who spends $15,000 he doesn't have on a new jet ski. I know people who make twice as much as me, but they have more debt and less savings because of their "gotta have it" mentality.

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

You have to create a budget and live within it.

Avoid debt/credit cards.

Drive a used car to avoid new car payments and high insurance costs.

Eat at home most of the time.

Take your lunch to work.

Shop at thrift and second hand stores (did you know you can often purchase brand new name brand clothing at many Salvation ARmy or similar shops?)

Participate in cost savings programs that your employer might have that will allow you to pay for child care or health care costs pre tax.

For most of us in nursing, our wealth is not in our bank accounts, it is in our families and our work. Learn to be content.

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Your finances will depend on how much you spend to go to school and how much (less) you can live on while getting your education. Nursing school doesn't have to be expensive but for me I wasn't able to work much and went in to debt because of it. So now I have huge student loans as a reward for being very devoted to school work. Nursing is not an easy job. Its the hardest thing I have ever done and I have worked some back breaking jobs.

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^^yes, this. You have to learn to be content. If you look for happiness in "stuff" you'll never find it. I speak from experience. Been there, done that. Doesn't work. Enjoy your daughter by spending time with her, teach her things. She'll remember that, not all the crap you bought her, or the expensive restaurants. And you won't really find happiness in buying more and more stuff. Find hobbies where you set goals for yourself. Lifting weights, sports stuff like that. Having what you want and being happy are often two very different things.

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You can ALWAYS outspend your income, no matter how HIGH it is! The trick is knowing a want from a need and staying out of debt.

Having said that.......$$$$ alone is a p-poor reason for becoming a nurse, or anything else for that matter.

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Why do you want to give your daughter "everthing she wants"? That's a good way to spoil her. And spoiled children often go on to be awful adults.

At any rate, nursing is probably on of the best jobs in terms of comparing how much you make to how much school you needed to get there. A LPN with a year or less of education can expect to make at least 40k a year. And a RN with an associates will make about 60k. Give or take 10k for both, depending on the cost of living where you are. Also remember what kind of a nursing job you choose will affect pay. A LPN in a doctors office won't make much, but the work is relatively low stress and you will have "normal people" hours. LPNs in LTC will make close to RN wages, but they bust their hump.

A new LPN down here is lucky to see $28-30K annual pre-tax, btw. But, we don't have a state income tax...just sky high rates on OTHER taxes.

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