I'm a senior in high school currently. I have been researching for a six figure job that takes less than 8 years of education. I have found several over the past month but recently I found out about CRNAs who have the best money to education ratio by far. What I want is a job that I can go home with a smile and a heavy paycheck. Satisfactory seems to be amazing with this job and the pay is above what I was aiming for.
I never looked into the medical field until now yet it seems like something I could really get into. The reason for having less than 8 years of education is so I don't waste all of my youth. I know there are plenty of alternatives but, CRNA seems like a safe route to a happy and successful life.
This is the biggest decision of my life so I'm not taking it lightly. I do not want to switch my career and waste my time picking a direction through life. So before I make it I want to know exactly what I'm getting into.
I want to know from people who have been through this already, why or why not CRNA? Any advice or additional tips will be very appreciated.
Also anything that you found surprising or caught you off guard while becoming CRNA? As in is it what you expected?
(How hard the schooling is for CRNA is not one of my concerns)
Had I gone into college better informed I likely would have pursued the route I mentioned. I never said nurse anesthesia wasn't a good field, but just be aware salaries aren't what they once were. If a high salary is a huge motivator (when isn't it, right?), and you're set on anesthesia, becoming an anesthesiologist is the obvious choice if you haven't started college / BSN.
OP, I think CRNA is a terrific goal and, even if you don't end up going that far, nursing in NorCal is a pretty solid career move that will yield those six figures that you're looking for (so long as you work within the SF/SJ/Sac region).
In response to the "become an anesthesiologist" comments, I would certainly choose to be a specialty physician over being a specialty nurse any day of the week but it's not as though one can simply choose it. The competition for medical school is fierce and the competition for the ROAD to riches is even stiffer.
There is nothing that would prevent you from completing the med school requirements in pursuit of your BSN and applying to med school if you chose.
I personally think money is a legitimate reason to choose a career and I don't think one needs to love what they're doing. For me, I only want to not hate it.
I would encourage you to aggressively pursue the CRNA path. Don't eschew the military option to achieve your goal, either.
It's not engineering per say, you get a computer science degree, 4 years, and can apply for this position or many like it. Comp science majors usually get jobs faster and at a better salary compared to other people
You'll need to get your 4 year BSN. Then you'll need to work for 1-2 years as an RN in the ICU before applying to the CRNA program. The CRNA program is 2 years, I believe. So yes, it can certainly be done in 8 years. The key to this is keeping your grades up--the programs are competitive. One plus is that, at least in my area, employers will pay a portion of the CRNA education.
I would encourage you to shadow a CRNA if you can. I did, and I thought the job was boring. I can't see myself enjoying it. But CRNAs have a pretty high level of job satisfaction, so if it's what you want to do, go for it! It's good to have a plan in mind.
ETA: Also, for the record, I see no problem with having an income goal in mind. Lots of nurses have discussed money motivation on here. At the end of the day, everyone goes to work for a paycheck. If you want a higher income and are willing to work hard for it (and you will have to work very hard if you pursue the CRNA path), then more power to you. As others have said, just know what you're getting into. Shadow medical surgical RNs, ICU RNs, and CRNAs, because you'll likely be filling all of those roles on this path.
AllRightMike, the CRNA role is not a "fast track" to a highly paid career. I wish it were, because it was what drew me into nursing. Along the way, however, I decided to finish my BSN and then go to medical school instead of spending more time pursuing the CRNA track. Here are my reasons:
CRNA's make a lot of money, it is true. However, if what you are interested in is anesthesia, anesthesiologists make an awful lot more.
CRNA's are nurses with expanded roles. You do not simply sign up for nursing school, get your BSN, and then go straight into CRNA school. That is not how it works. You have to get your BSN, then two to three years of critical care experience, then apply to CRNA school. Critical care departments generally do not hire new grads. In fact, all the places I have applied have told me straight up they do not hire anyone will less than 5 years of experience "because all the new grads are just here to get their experience for CRNA school." Food for thought, bro.
As others have mentioned, seats in CRNA schools are competitive. I have friends who have applied and been wait listed year after year.
Going the CRNA route will not save you time for the above reasons. From the time you sit in your first nursing class till the time you graduate with your CRNA, based on my conversations with CRNA co-workers, is going to be about 12 years or more. In 12 years, you could be graduating from your residency in anesthesia.
CRNA's are going to be required to have DNP's soon. A DNP is like any other doctorate. Think money. Lots of money.
For all of the above reasons, plus a few more (I want to know more pathophysiology, I want to check out being a surgeon, and a few more), I decided against CRNA. If you are already working as a critical care nurse and you want to expand your role and make more money, wonderful. CRNA is a great idea. If not, I would highly recommend against taking it as Option A. I know more than one person who is making $35,000 per year working at a nursing home because they got stuck paying student loans when they wanted to be a CRNA.
Nurses are nurses first of all, and that is something to bear in mind. All of the expanded practice roles (DNP, CRNA, FNP, etc. etc.) come secondary to the primary role of nurse. I think you should examine your motivations and see whether you want to be a nurse or something else. If it's something else, go for that and don't waste time in a detour situation.
it sounds like your trying to take the path of least resistance, which is not always a good idea.
I try not to dichotomize the "do what makes money" vs "do what you love" argument. Both stances are fairly unwise due to their obscene polarity. I also do not buy into the cliche statements of "making a difference" or "impact" type sayings.
One thing I have learned in during my years is that that absolute polar decisions are usually not the right answer in life. People really tend to think too much in black or white, ignoring the wide shades of grey in the middle.
Honestly do something you like, not love, do something that pays the bills and then some. Find a happier medium. Unfortunately there is no easy way to fortune, unless you inherit it. Any six figure job will either be difficult to get, or difficult to license for. Most of them are math heavy, which I state, because I saw you said you do not like engineering. Usually the reason people who are not engineers say they do not like engineering is because they do not like maths. Otherwise if you have never done it, how do you know you do not like it?
You will be hard pressed to find a job that pays a lot that is not somewhat math intensive or has a math intensive requirement to get there.
No easy jobs pay 6 figures.
The glamor of wanting fast cars and babes or whatever it is you desire will probably lead to burn out at some point in college if you don't at least somewhat enjoy learning/working.
Try to dodge being the philosophy or english major doing what he or she loves while being broke and working at Hardee's. Also try to dodge being the person working some money pumping job you hate 100 hours a week on the verge of suicide.
AllRightMike, the CRNA role is not a "fast track" to a highly paid career. I wish it were, because it was what drew me into nursing. Along the way, however, I decided to finish my BSN and then go to medical school instead of spending more time pursuing the CRNA track. Here are my reasons:
CRNA's make a lot of money, it is true. However, if what you are interested in is anesthesia, anesthesiologists make an awful lot more.
CRNA's are nurses with expanded roles. You do not simply sign up for nursing school, get your BSN, and then go straight into CRNA school. That is not how it works. You have to get your BSN, then two to three years of critical care experience, then apply to CRNA school. Critical care departments generally do not hire new grads. In fact, all the places I have applied have told me straight up they do not hire anyone will less than 5 years of experience "because all the new grads are just here to get their experience for CRNA school." Food for thought, bro.
As others have mentioned, seats in CRNA schools are competitive. I have friends who have applied and been wait listed year after year.
Going the CRNA route will not save you time for the above reasons. From the time you sit in your first nursing class till the time you graduate with your CRNA, based on my conversations with CRNA co-workers, is going to be about 12 years or more. In 12 years, you could be graduating from your residency in anesthesia.
CRNA's are going to be required to have DNP's soon. A DNP is like any other doctorate. Think money. Lots of money.
For all of the above reasons, plus a few more (I want to know more pathophysiology, I want to check out being a surgeon, and a few more), I decided against CRNA. If you are already working as a critical care nurse and you want to expand your role and make more money, wonderful. CRNA is a great idea. If not, I would highly recommend against taking it as Option A. I know more than one person who is making $35,000 per year working at a nursing home because they got stuck paying student loans when they wanted to be a CRNA.
Nurses are nurses first of all, and that is something to bear in mind. All of the expanded practice roles (DNP, CRNA, FNP, etc. etc.) come secondary to the primary role of nurse. I think you should examine your motivations and see whether you want to be a nurse or something else. If it's something else, go for that and don't waste time in a detour situation.
I did something similar that you are doing. Except I went through and got my masters degree in nursing, worked for a few years, started and sold a business, etc. Im 28 now and start medical school in the fall (just got in last week).
Back when i went into nursing school in 2009, I wanted to be a CRNA also. My sociology teacher said they all had HUGE BIG JUICY, houses on the lake with fat boats and hot babes. So being 19, i took the bait. I had never heard of CRNAs before, so researched, saw the salaries, and applied for nursing school. Finished with the ASN in 2011 and sure enough...... COULD NOT LAND AN ICU JOB ANYWHERE!
But i did get a med surg job while finishing up my bachelors. Then being super impatient and wanting to leave the bedside as soon as I could i took the short cut to FNP school, graduated in 2013 and started working.
I did get lucky with my job though, pulled in around 125k my first year out of school, then another 115k working 8/12 months the next year. I also started and sold a business that year, but unfortunately competition arrived and killed it so i had to sell it off (at least I got a good tax return this year lol).
Since last august I have been finishing up pre med prereqs and i just got into a medical school here in the southeast and I start in the fall.
I mention all this since it is very true it is MUCH harder to get into medical school than anything nursing. I do not state this to be all high and mighty and wave my flag around, but I state it to say... there is a high high barrier to becoming a physician, one that does not exist in nursing. That barrier keeps our salaries higher and prevents the market from being flooded.
I took a PRN job this summer though and it pays about 20 bucks an hour less than my previous FNP job. I mention this because the market is getting super saturated with nurse practitioners ( I live in the southeast). It is in the ER as an FNP. I make 50 something bucks an hour, not too shabby. Until you turn your head and look over your shoulder at the doc sitting at the computer next to you making 200 an hour.
I am glad i did not do CRNA, for much the same reasons as the guy i quoted. Anesthesia would be boring to me. Even MDA would not appeal to me, even though they rake it in (think 2-3 times CRNA salary).
Be knowledge hungry, not money hungry. Just make sure its useful knowledge though..... if not it won't bring in any bill paying green paper.
To add to my already TLDR post.. CRNA salaries will soon drop just as APRN salaries are. Whoever credentials the CRNAs seems to have a better understanding of market economics than the APRN organizations, but they are falling to the wayside also.
My honest 2 cents for the best possible career would be one of the following, all of which require grinding it out
RN- travel nurses make the same as me as an APRN with less school, and are in HIGH demand right now if you can hack out bedside care.
software engineer- great pay, TONS of jobs, just gotta do math to get into it and love staring at computers all day.
petrolium engineer- the highest paying bachelors degree out there. Less heavy on the math than other engineering fields, but you still need to take calc and understand fluid dynamics. Also need to get through organic chemistry.... which is a beast, i just finished second semester of it and it makes anything I have ever taken before look easy (even MSN classes).
computer science/IT- different focus than software engineering but still, its computers... just focus on something difficult to outsource.
Actuary- math heavy, but they can make bank, as in 200-300k per year.
Statistician- another math heavy job that pays well.
MD/DO- if you can handle the schooling it is worth it
Electrician- great ROI since school is only like a year long. You may not make 6 figs but you start EARLY and can start investing at age 19.
One more thing: I had a windfall $150,000 inheritance come in recently. I used it to buy a place of my own, debt free. Even in the depressed economy of Puerto Rico, it did not buy a luxury apartment. Nice, yes. A little love nest for my wife and me. And it's gone. $150,000 tax free went really fast. That's about what a CRNA makes, after taxes. It is not enough to sell your soul for.
Or do what a lot of people I know did. Get your ADN and while you are working your year or two in ICU, complete your BSN. Then you have two years of CRNA school. So it doesn't always take 10 years.
jj224
371 Posts
Had I gone into college better informed I likely would have pursued the route I mentioned. I never said nurse anesthesia wasn't a good field, but just be aware salaries aren't what they once were. If a high salary is a huge motivator (when isn't it, right?), and you're set on anesthesia, becoming an anesthesiologist is the obvious choice if you haven't started college / BSN.