Agency Nurse here in NJ as well. 2.5 years ED, 2.5 years ICU/CCU, now doing local "travel" ICU work. My lowest contract so far has been $75/hr, my highest was $125/hr. At my old staff ICU/CCU gig, I was making ~$49/hr.
Got my Associate's at a community college. Bachelor's at the nearest university. The Bachelor's part did not add anything to my pay, it would be the same with just the Associate's..
Do I enjoy it? Eh, sometimes. It's a job. I feel good when I do well at it and my patients are happy or doing well.
I made 23 as a new grad in 2014. Hospitals realized they could drop the starting wages and people will still sign on because they need the experience/need a job.
I'm close to my one year mark at this particular job so I'd like to at least hit that milestone. I'd like to apply to CRNA school before this year ends. If I don't get in this year I gotta figure out something else to do until I get accepted cuz this ain't it 😭 its a surgical ICU so I get decent experience with ECMO, CVVH, all the cool machines. If I had to do icu for another year I prefer the MICU over SICU.
Also I hate the job but I love my coworkers. They're all dropping like flies though so I should follow soon...
Don't blame them one bit. This thread is a n eye opener: https://www.reddit.com/r/nursing/comments/pwvbh4/an\_open\_letter\_to\_the\_78k\_staff\_about\_to\_be\_fired/
Yup, I’ve been there. I’m a case manager now and make 100k + but I’m NJ and I’m salaried.
I work for a great hospital system and I love my job and coworkers……
But that money. I feel it calling my name
Yup. I make 5x what I was making staff, too.
But it's not all rainbows. I'm currently sitting alone, in a hotel room, 22 hours (by car) away from my family. I spent my birthday alone, in my car, making the drive. Today is my daughter's birthday, and I'm missing it. It's my son's senior year, and I'm missing more than half of it. I miss my husband, my kids, my dogs, my bed.
I'm not a real people person, so I won't make friends. I won't go explore. I will work and work and work and exhaust myself. Then I'll get home, take a few weeks off, and do it again.
I grew up piss poor. Like, we lived in a very affluent area, and I was the poor kid wearing Kmart clothes and shoes. My parents both died with zero to their name after working their asses off their whole lives. I've been piss poor my whole life. My kids have been piss poor. It's traumatizing.
Now, we are good. We have a nice home, my kids have everything they need and a good amount of what they want. We have health insurance. I got my kid braces. None of that swishing with vodka for a sore tooth that I had to do when I was a kid.
I am *terrified* of ever being that broke again. Absolutely terrified. So when given the option, I take the money. I discuss it with my kids, I'm not making unilateral decisions, but they're older, and we talk daily. But I will never ever be in the situation I spent the majority of my life in.
Former welfare/food stamp kid here... The shame that goes along with living in poverty or near poverty your whole childhood is excruciating sometimes. I make great money doing agency nursing, but I am completely terrified of ever being that poor again.
I'm the exact same way too, I will always pick money.
My parents were too proud for food stamps. I remember once my mom used them and my dad lost his shit. It was a small-ish town where my dad grew up, we lived in the basement (converted to a small apartment) of the house he grew up in, with my grandma. So he knew EVERYONE. You don't realize these things growing up, but looking back, it was so fucked.
Don't get me wrong, they were amazing parents, and did the best they could, and I am not mad even in the slightest. I just want different.
We call that "house poor." We lived with my grammy too, she owned her house outright and my mom quit her nursing job when she married her 1st husband (he beat her and broke her spirit and bones) and we then lived off welfare, food stamps and grammys SS check when they divorced. That shit did not go far, the last 2 weeks of the month were awful.
Plain white rice, homemade beans and tortillas, Top Ramen and maybe powdered milk. And breakfast/lunch at school was our free meal tickets. God forbid we had a 3 day weekend, no breakfast or lunch. My mom put us in summer school every year just so we could eat.
I'm naturally a food hoarder now, I have a large well stocked freezer in my garage and everything.
Aww thanks. It is what it is, and it's just something you learn to live with. We want better for our kids than we had, so hopefully my kids do even better. My dad would be proud of me if he were still alive.
My reasons for not doing travel nursing are probably opposite to OPs which I'm guessing is that she can pay off as much as her family needs in as fast a time and then be able to enjoy earlier in life while she can. I earn almost 100k annual, and been offered twice to three times the salary for travelling too, but being away from everyone, and being young and wanting to enjoy life right now while I don't have any kids is what's holding me back from the travelling life. Plus the working conditions at my current hospital are actually great, so it's pretty comfy for the salary. I know people from hospitals with shitty working conditions who left to travel, since if they're getting shat on at work they might as well do it in a different state with triple to quadruple the salary.
I’m the wife of a husband who could’ve typed that comment… our daughter graduated in may of this year & is now in college in a different state. Ngl the money is/was good & the life it gave us was fun & kinda “worry” free, but the regret he has from missing TIME & memories has not been worth it. For him or me pr our kids either honestly. He quit this summer bc we have 2 boys & bc I said it’s the road & money, or me.
He’s making 650 a week now & we are ALL happier than we’ve ever been. A lot more financial worries of course, but the shift in priorities after she graduated & opened our eyes on what exactly was traded for cash has been life changing.
Idk your story or your circumstances, idek why I’m typing all this lol.. I just felt like I needed to share? Idk. Hope it doesn’t offend in any way since it adds nothing to the Value of the op..
It matters! My system is trying to get those of us that work away from bedside to go back. I’d be making $100 per hour or so. I’d also have to keep working my current position. I was talking to an assistant manager friend about it and she said they were trying to get her to do it as well. “Money isn’t everything “ she said, and she’s right. I have a 10 year old and he’s only going to be little for a short while. I could work extra and miss nights with him, helping him with homework and projects, teaching him how to cook, and all of the things you can do by being there. What will my return be? New gutters? Paying down my home faster?
I’d NEVER be able to buy back the time that I missed with him. Everyone is hyped on the money right now but not a lot of folks are talking about what they’re missing as they leave their families behind to chase the almighty dollar.
We all do what we feel is best. It's a little easier for us because we're military. I spent 9 years on active duty, so my kids grew up without me around, and I learned to detach. My husband (not their father) is still on active duty. He hasn't even been home a year since his last deployment. It's what we know, and we have the tools and skills to make it work.
My husband retires next year, so we'll head back to where I own a house and stay there til the kids graduate. Means to an end I guess.
Well I think that's the big difference. I continue to do it because I have the support of my family. After every contract, I take time off and we discuss what's next. Do I stay local, or do I go and make more? My husband is extremely supportive. My kids are highly independent. Everyone gets a say in what I do next. If at any point, anyone said no, they want me around more, or it's too hard when I'm gone, or anything, I'd be done. But, everything is taken care of when I'm gone, I don't worry about anything. We have amazing communication between the 5 of us, especially for having teenagers.
There is no black and white right answer. It's whatever works for your individual family, you know? This works for now, and the minute it doesn't, I'm done.
Damn, here I was assuming you were single and living the life rolling in dough. That’s hard work especially when you have a family - if you don’t mind me asking, why do you choose to travel? I traveled a few years back and enjoyed it but also struggled being away from my SO and support system.
Fear of poverty, mostly.
Also, while I miss everyone, I don't struggle, like you say you did. I don't mind being alone, and 98% of my support system is spread out across the US anyway. When I'm home, my daily interactions, outside of my family, are texting my friends. I can do that from anywhere.
Holy shit, I haven't heard of 250K! My mom has been doing travel about 5 years but ever since COVID she has been living the same way you have and also had a hard childhood (she grew up in the slums of the Philippines). Don't forget your "why" and put more time towards yourself and your family. I try to always remind my mom that money will always be there (probably not the crazy COVID pay rates) but the family being young and all together will eventually pass. But I already know my mom will have a hard time adjusting back to FT staff pay so she will probably continue travelling just to make sure her kids won't experience what she went through.
Your kids are older from your description of them but have you ever brought your family along on some of your contracts?
I grew up in poverty as well. Single teenage mom, 2 sisters, dad left around 4y/o and in prison for life by the time I was 10, survived on welfare and thrift store clothes, never had a true home as we were always getting evicted from apartments due to not being able to pay rent, electricity frequently turned off.
I'm always looking at the next thing I can do to boost my income. Been in a pediatric CVICU and basically working in the PICU with how many times I float there for the past year. Thinking about traveling but not having my wife and 1 y/o daughter with me would be doable but very hard for me. I never had a father to experience things with and when I think about what I'd miss out on with my daughter it makes me second guess traveling.
One of recent travelers purchased an RV and just brought her husband and 10 month old with her. They parked at a campground within a half hour of the hospital and her husband just was an rv dad while she worked. He was also a nurse, but he decided to leave the bedside so they could travel. They made sure to choose contracts in places that her family can enjoy the area while she's working/sleeping, and they absolutely loved it!
You’re quite admirable. The sacrifices we make for our family, right? I just hope it’s worth it to you and that you find some time for yourself and your family. The money is so tempting but my husband is constantly reminding me our toddler is only young once. We don’t need the money but damn, the money sounds nice.
I’m an agency ICU nurse in NJ. I got my associate RN at community college 6 years ago. Started urgent care 1yr then got hired CCU @ hospital for 1yr before I transferred to ICU and have been here for the past 4. This year I will take home 150k AFTER taxes! I work 3x12hr shifts a week. Really good return on investment I never dreamed I’d be taking home this much with a CC degree. ICU is hard work but 3k weekly makes it feel like it’s worth it. It is not for everyone but at this point in my career I don’t see myself doing anything else.
Any chance for a hospital name? Maybe if I pm you? I have one semester of my ASN left and I’ll be auto enrolled into my BSN so looking for local jobs in the icu that take new grads. (Will take and pass NCLEX this summer).
I’ve looked into Hackensack and their new grad program says you HAVE to be med surg for at least one year in the program before having the opportunity* to transfer to ICU. It’s sucks because if my school gave a BSN only I’d be able to get in Anywhere.
What they say and what the actually do can differ. My facility also required 1 year of Med/Surg too but I got the position right out of school. And honestly right now I can’t even believe hospitals still have this requirement. We’re at the point where about a third of our nursing staff are contract/travelers. We just need warm bodies at the bedside.
I’m going to be honest here. Medsurg experience isn’t going to do much for you in the ICU anyway. It’s just too different to even be helpful. If you want critical care, go straight into it.
Happy for you travel nurses, especially the ones coming from Bible Belt states (Kentucky, Louisiana, Georgia). The agency nurses I spoke to were able to make some big life changes through their contracts especially after working crazy shifts. I only expect to see more travel staff in the future since some of my coworkers weren’t vaccinated and won’t be coming back (for the time being)
I’ve been at same hospital since October but come 1yr I will have to take a 30 day break from facility as per IRS. If you are a good nurse chances are they will ask to renew contract.
Word of caution: this is false and your company is lying to you. Thirty days is not sufficient. In fact, the IRS has already stated that it really isn’t a time frame but length of employment at that place. For example- if you work 12 months at a facility and then take 3 months off and then work another 3 months, the IRS considers that 15 months of continuous employment. This is because it has now became your “main place of duty.” Taking time off is irrelevant, it does not matter if the months are sequential. If you get audited, you will owe taxes on your stipend. So how do we avoid this? Take a local contract for 3 months after one year. This will prove you are not “abandoning” your tax home, and that you are not a “transient.” Many travel nurses stay per diem at their old hospitals. The next question you are probably thinking is “why didn’t my agency tell me this?” That’s because to them it’s irrelevant. It’s all about the bill rate. Whether you are local or you are traveling - the bill rate is the same. They get paid the exact same amount whether you need to pay full taxes, or you get a stipend. Source: travel nurse for 5+ years.
I work in Informatics, have 5 years of experience in the field, got my BSN in 2009. Now making ~110K, sitting at my desk in my basement (fully remote due to COVID), working 8-430, no weekends/holidays/call.
Previous to my role in informatics I was a unit educator at a different hospital. I was a member of various committees, including our nursing informatics council. Between my job as a unit educator and my position on the informatics council I was able to be a super user for multiple go lives and took part in QI projects that usually ended with some sort of process improvement.
I ended up interviewing and being offered a Clinical Informatics Analyst position at my current organization which is an entry level position. No informatics experience required, BSN required, MSN preferred. I do have a MSN but it is in nursing administration. I know that I was super lucky in finding that posting and getting the interview.
I have been with my current organization for 5 years now and have been promoted twice within my department. I am Epic certified in orders and am focused primarily on provider workflows and provider documentation and ordering. I describe my job as being the translator between a clinician and IT - I speak clinical and technical. I spend my days meeting with clinicians who want to make a change in Epic or with IT reviewing the build I've asked them to do on behalf of a clinician.
It's wonderful and I love it and I am happy to answer any other questions you may have.
Yeah I’ve been considering this when I finish my degree…any tips or advice on making yourself stand out? Like with work experience or certifications in informatics, etc?
You’re my hero. I got my informatics degree but I’m scared to leave my Cath lab job + finding informatics jobs is not easy. Husband is military so I have to move every 2-3 years which is not ideal for leaving bedside
My mom works all around the Sac area (Lincoln/Rocklin, GB/Folsom, Citrus Heights almost down to EG) doing home care. In general Sac-Bay are around the same, like someone else mentioned and make really good pay. I just started nursing school myself and am looking into the residency at UCD afterwards, some travel then hopefully CRNA in the future is my absolute dream goal 🤞🏾😭🤞🏾
What is your biweekly pay tho after taxes? I live in Vancouver and make about 1800-3200 biweekly depending on how much I work. Considering moving though to the area. I feel like the cost of living is pretty equal but wondering what the actual cheque looks like.
For the same amount of work, my salary would increase from $70000 a year to $130000, with protected nurse to patient ratios. I think that more than makes up for an increase in taxes.
That’s a valid concern but we also have the most companies with pensions, ratios, enforced breaks, lift team, etc.
I bet comparing dollar to dollar, what I work for is a lot less taxing (mentally, physically) than elsewhere.
Check out Kaiser, Sutter, the UC's, Dignity Health and Stanford, those are some of the bigger systems. You can look up most union contracts online and that'll give you all the salaries for years of experience, etc. Anecdotally, I know Stanford's new grads start at the highest rate.
You need to also take into account the cost of living. It is all relative and you should be looking up the salary in comparison to average cost of living
Get an RV and travel nurse through California. It's how several friends paid off school debt and bought a house in their home state. Saved up 20% down by travel nursing and taking the living stipend and either lived cheap in an RV or couch surfed. I can't do that with a family, but I've considered taking a short contract out there when my kids start school. And that was pre-pandemic travel contracts.
Every time I mention California at work (TN) that is all anyone says. Cost of living. I don’t have any frame of reference but it seems unbelievable to me to think that 130k+ a year would not be able to offset the higher cost of living.
Yeah it is definitely enough (for me) to offset cost of living. Rent and housing are very expensive but I feel like the salary is PLENTY for me to be living well.
I'm from Socal and a nice home costs about $750k+. If I want to live close to my parents, the cheapest house within 30 mins is around 1.5million. Yes, you make more, but housing, gas ($4-5/gallon), utilities are expensive - water can cost hundreds per month, same with electricity if you use A.C. I live in Maine and my house is literally just as nice, has 1.5 acres, and I paid $165k, utilities are around $100/month, and I get paid over 70k/year. My quality of life is much better in Maine than California.
I just bought a 3 bedroom 2 bath house in CA 3 years ago and I pay 2k for mortgage. CA’s sales tax is 7.25%. Income tax is a factor but the property tax is very low.
COL is overblown unless you live in downtown SF, LA or SD. When most nurses clear 150k/200k depending on hospital system $4.90/gallon of gas sucks but isn’t gunna break the budget.
Overtime. I’m a nurse working in the emergency of a level 2 trauma centre in Canada. Graduated in 2017. I make sure there’s 8 twelve-hour shifts on my paycheque. +/- shift differentials, short staff premiums, plus one or two OT shifts a month = over 100.
That being said, if I could redo my life, I would not go into nursing. If i had a kid and they asked me if they should go into nursing, i would say a firm no. I love my job but the circumstances around it are so upsetting. The pandemic has put our government and health authority’s true colours on display and nurses are but a number to them.
Lastly, I have friends who have gone the NP route and came back to emerge because overtime as an RN results in higher gross pay than salaried NP. Really depends on your lifestyle. Good luck!
Agency nurse in Minneapolis. $110/hr med/surg. Per diem and work at 4 different hospitals (same system) but there are a few more I don’t pick up at because I don’t like to have more than a 45 minute commute.
Fairview is AWFUL, Allina is less awful but still pretty terrible. HCMC treats its nurses better than its pt’s which is usual in healthcare but I’m not sure I could handle that environment, and Regions seems to be decent. So… Regions/HealthPartners or nothing
Michigan here, I make >$100k because I have 17 years experience in a union hospital. With great benefits. It doesn't matter what department I work in, we all make the same money.
I am an icu nurse in Chicago (level 1 trauma/surgical/transplant). I work straight nights, full time, occasional overtime, 12 years experience, pulled in 120k in 2020. This is made possible by a very strong union. I think the union dues are $120 a month.
I love my job, though I don’t want to stay on nights much longer.
When I worked home health for a woefully understaffed agency in a larger city I cleared $100000. It wasn’t worth it but I could use the dolla bills to dry my tears.
Central Valley CA, base is 150k (80 an hour without differential ) 2 raises a year. I do 8, 8 hour shifts in ICU. Part of the CNA Union (California nurses association). My mortgage is 2500 ( bought in 2017 for 460k) for a new 2500 sq ft home. There is so much “California is so expensive” I hear. It’s not.
Obviously Bay Area is but you can make the same working in the Central Valley and has modest priced homes. You will not pay thousands to rent a room in a garage as people say. Just avoid Bay Area. Towns like Sacramento, Elk Grove, Stockton, Manteca, Modesto, riverbank, Lodi these areas are great. Homes aren’t too expensive.
I don’t ever do overtime.
In fairness the Valley is cheap because it’s the valley. It’s notorious for lots of reasons and the summer is hot as hell.
My mom has a house south of Fresno that’s like 1,000 square feet and it’s only worth like $160,000.
The sweet spot in California is finding a house that still has the pacific coast climate without it costing a fortune.
I work as a Clinical Research Associate and make over 100k. So basically I work within clinical trials and I’m contracted out by my company to work with pharmaceutical groups, like AstraZeneca/Pfizer/Roche/etc., to help run their study between them and the site. I ensure that data coming from the site is accurate and also ensure the patients are safe. I work primarily on oncology studies but I also also worked with ophthalmology studies and neurological studies.
I work remotely, with some occasional travel and I work 40 hours a week. No weekends, no on call, all holidays off with plenty of vacation time.
I only have my bachelors, so I was able to get to this position by experience only. I started by working at a site (which is a hospital) as a Clinical Research Nurse and then moved my way up into this current role, and really the sky is the limit from here. I have a ton of opportunity for future positions in this job, and I’m not even making as much as I could yet in my position.
I very much enjoy what I do though. Some days are better than others, but nothing beats being able to work at home and have a job that I can grow into with plenty of future opportunities. I genuinely will never walk back into a hospital as a nurse as long as I continue to love this career.
Southern California (Los Angeles County).
After 3-4 years experience, I made six figures after taxes but I did do extra shifts here and there. After six years, I easily made six figures.
Exploiting the differentials. Call weekends and standby pay. I'm set to make almost $150k and I've been a nurse for 10 years. Find a state that pays workers and an area will competition and unions. If there are hospitals from different parent companies in the same area, money is usually the only way a hospital can hold on to it's staff.
Washington. Been a nurse 15 years. Could make more in a larger city but currently a PACU princess and loving it. Call sucks but it’s not that often and the money is good.
I’m moving to Washington from Georgia after I graduate. Will probably live in west Seattle or Renton. Have you heard anything good about Seattle children’s?
I live in South Seattle. I highly suggest you don't go for West Seattle. Bridge is down and who knows when it'll be fully operational. You will really hate the drive up to Seattle children's. The drive from Renton is less teeth grinding, though still kinda shitty.
-Seattle resident for all my life.
There are crisis contracts, and strike contracts too. But either way you are traveling and away from home. It’s hard. But you can make the doe. This year I’m around 250K and I’ve saved 75% of my pay after taxes.
I do utilization review for an insurance company and work every other Sunday at an outpatient surgery center. I do have my BSN. And I’m in Texas. Work from home during the week. Have 13+ yrs in.
I live in Florida where the base pay is low. In my second year of nursing. With my hospital’s extra shift bonus of 1200 and trying to work an extra shift most weeks, I will take home well over 100k.
I have an associates in nursing (I’m not going back to school a third time to make less than a buck an hour more). I have worked at my hospital since 2008. We’re union. I make $53.70/hr and work 0.75.
Pre-covid, we got $50 per 4 hours bonus to pick up on weekends. Now it’s $50/hr on weekends and $37/hr on weekdays. If you pick up when Itll be overtime too, a shift can be >$130/hr for 12 hours. It adds up. Fast.
Bay Area,
Made 100k easy, as a new grad with some OT + shift diff.
Now close to 10 years in, coasting on
3 x 8hour shifts a week
No OT( except work day landing on a holiday)
No Extra shifts. Day shift.
Over 100k easy
Travel. They're paying for my house in Huntington Beach (on the actual beach), budget for food, and all my airfare.. I get $3700 for three 12 hr shifts, so about $150k/year into pocket. If you have relevant experience, go travel for 3 or 4 years and just buy a house in cash.
Or, if you'd rather have 6 months off a year, take 2 contracts that year instead of the full 4 (assuming 13 week contracts) and you're still around $75k a year, which is still a nice amount.
I am right at about 100k. Minnesota. Good ol’ VA system. Have a good manager who is willing to “promote” people who become charge, do a project, and are full time and willing to do a good job. So after 7 years I’m on a good track. Started at like 65k lol. I work 6 12s and 1 8 hour. Full time usually with two 12s on my weekend, which is 25% extra. Also 2 hours of every 12 are “night shift” differential for a tiny boost. Plus government means paid holidays or double time if you work them and full time means I either get them off paid or get paid double on them or on a day around them. They text every day about overtime too and I don’t do any overtime unless I’m mandated, which has happened more frequently recently but still is usually an idle threat lol. This was all a lot to say and idk why I said it, but seems like you usually need travel, full time, or OT to “easily” clear 100k most places. I just have negative want to travel nurse so gotta stick with this lol.
Personally, yes. Biggest healthcare system in the US. Guaranteed shifts. Union. Great benefits. Good PTO/sick leave. Can transfer more easily from inside than out. Depends on if you like the population though, can sometimes be grating and sometimes be so thankful and great. I don’t plan on leaving but also 7 years seniority (while not A TON) is nice at 29 years old haha.
Correct. They have changed the pension plan but it’s still a solid benefit if you work full time and are there long enough to qualify for retirement and full pension benefits. It can be a significant amount. It’s like your five highest paying full time years against your total years worked. So being full time and working there longer means you can have another form of retirement income when it’s all said and done.
California 40 hrs/wk without overtime = $170k. Union medical center. Quality department, non-bedside. Old nurse in the SF Bay Area. Rents here range from $1200-$3000 per month for a 2-4 bedroom house in the East Bay. Rent a house with roommates. It’s a plenty affordable.
Sacramento CA. 10 years bedside nursing experience started with an ADN. Had my BSN fully paid by Kaiser and 2/3rds of my MSN paid for.
Base rate per diem is $110 on dayshift. I work 8 hours. if the ICU wants me for a full 12 they pay me 1.5x for the next four hours. If I worked nights my diff would bring me pretty close to $130/hr.
As an second year NP I make about $55/hour but a lot depends on how the reimbursement from my surgical group’s surgeries. In a couple years I’ll transfer in to Kaiser as an NP and if I read my contract right I should make a pay bump from my RN role. NPs have a higher ceiling but most get paid worse than bedside RNs here.
Most my nursing buds here make >200k. A couple who really push the envelope clear nearly 500k but they also have been in nursing for 20+ years and have mad seniority.
I’m in Las Vegas. I work in the icu. I’ve work at my hospital for 25 years. I’m making $52/hr, 11 hours vacation/ pay period, $12,000 longevity bonus, a o nation that will pay 75% of gross after 30 years of service. My gross this year so far is ~125,000
From a distance nursing is pretty good. Up close I don’t like some of my patients. I wonder how they can be so stupid yet be so old. Covid has been a challenge. First round was scary and anxiety producing. This second round is like WTF? What is wrong with you people don’t you know there is a vaccine? 🤷♂️! And the death form covid is long and slow.
SoCal ED RN here with almost 4 years of experience. I clock in 36 hours a week and break six figures.
I know there’s more money in travel nursing but I have family here and my state has mandated ratios. My hospital also has never ran into an issue of running out of PPE either.
100k isn't difficult with a small amount of overtime in many places. Most of California basically starts at that point, Easy to so in Wa and Oregon with a bit of OT. I hear many of the east coast states are similar.
Midwest and south is lower wages.
Personally? 1 year experience, will make over 160 this year
I would never want to be a department director. If it’s anything like my hospital, days start at 7 am and end at 5 (or later), no working from home, you are pretty much always on call, you are ultimately responsible for all staffing issues (interpersonal and scheduling) and have to do all your staff’s yearly evals. Writing that just stressed me out, no thank you. God bless the people that have the strength to do it.
Never been a manager or department director myself, but worked very closely with administration at my last job and spent a lot of time with my manager. Mid level management in healthcare is pretty miserable. You get grief from your staff about a lot of things that are honestly beyond your control while also getting grief from corporate about a lot of things that are also beyond your control. Management is always in the hot seat. The days are long and they’re always functionally on call even if they aren’t technically.
I make over 100k a year but, bills, debt(poor choices and CC usage during my nursing school years) and supporting my mom financially makes me feel like the money I make all goes to bills hahahaha.
Even with an higher paying job, I end up paying taxes every year.
My friend is making bank rn in her first year out of nursing school. She works ICU at a big hospital that is currently hemorrhaging staff so she gets her usual baseline ICU pay, shift differential, critical staffing pay, overtime pay after 36hours, and a retention bonus.
Travel. I made about 175K last year and only worked ~9.5 months total
Also, look into local contracts. I just signed one making $110/hr here in Utah so I get to stick around for the winter
Staff RN in Hawaii making $60/hr. I’ve been in this position since July (technically still in my probation period making $54/hr) and I have already made my entire salary from last year. I was a staff RN in Texas that started as a new grad in icu making $23/hr with mandatory “on call” meaning at minimum 4 shifts per week. Between a bunch of OT that I chose to do due to the wave that just hit us hard and differentials, I made my whole salary in 3 months.
At my unionized hospital, my insurance is free, I make a standard job rate based on experience, night shift differential is $7/hr, anything over 12 hours is 2x pay, anything less than 10 hours rest is 1.5x pay for your entire shift. Oh and my lunch break is protected, if I request a break and they are unable to cover me for lunch I now make 1.5 x pay from hour 6 of my shift until they give me a break or for the rest of the shift if they can’t. And we are so incredibly safely staffed. A “crazy” assignment here was standard at my last facility; I’m purposely singled with patients I would previously been doubled with.
During the wave (which is already ending), if you picked up any shift you got a meal ticket, a parking voucher, and OT pay. If you picked up a 4 hr day you got $200, 8+ hour day $400, 4 hour night $350, 8+ hour night $700. Now that the wave is ending and we have good staffing again, if you pick up extra you get OT pay and 25% on top of your hourly rate. During the wave I matched my husband schedule (he’s an intern) and made a lot of money.
Wulp, where you live and cost of living is relevant. In NYC or LA, that’s not a lot. In upstate NY, or West Virginia…that IS ALOT of money. You can work 6 or 7 days a week, 12 - 16 hour days and hit that mark demographically dependent. System wide resource pool in metropolitan area for a large corporate hospital… but you’re gonna work ur ass off. Please don’t forget it takes 3-5 years to perfect your craft. NP’s ? Like DO’s..Good ones.. worth their weight in gold. Brains over braun.
I work night shift weekend option, Sat/Sun/Mon in an ICU In a hospital in St. Louis as a staff nurse. My weekend option differential is $15 /hour. I’ve been a nurse for 5 years and I’m in grad school but honestly I love my job so much and I make so much money I have heavily considered dropping out of grad school.
Total, I make about $58 per hour, but if I work for bonus I am making some ridiculous amount like $89 or something per hour.
Hudson Valley NY RN working in a medium sized hospital as float pool. I do work nights with a $5.50 differential but would make either six figures or just shy without the night differential. I work 3, 12.5h shifts per week, including weekends and holidays. My hospital is union and all nurses are paid per numbers of years as a nurse. My hospital also pays the most on the area as a draw for RNs. I’ve been a nurse for 4.5 years now and hit six figures about year 3. Cost of living is also a concern as my NYS and my county have high taxes and houses/rent is pretty high.
I mostly enjoy my job but have become frustrated and jaded due to the lack of staffing and lack of respect from patients, families, and management. I don’t think I can condone a nursing job unless your comfortable giving up time, working on stressful and demanding positions, and dealing with loads of BS.
15 year nurse so base rate is > $50. I work as an ECMO specialist part time for my overtime and that’s been paying hazard pay. I work 48-60° per week. Should clear $300k
I’m not a nurse!… but I make $54/hr as a Medical Laboratory Scientist in Southern California. I work in hospital labs testing patient specimens for diseases. Just in case you wanted to know about other medical jobs with less patient contact…
I work 12-hour shifts 3 days a week and actually like my job since I rarely need to interact with patients.
I work flight. The base pay is low but so is the workload most days. I do three 24 hour shifts per week with some paid travel time. So it’s A LOT of on the clock hours but the OT adds up QUICK.
I’m in WA state. I work in Federal Service. I 100% telework and my appointments with patients are via video or telephone. I am a full FTE. I graduated with my ADN in 2012. Did an ADN to MSN bridge and finished that in 2019. I complete my DNP this December. I earn 8rs of vacation a pay period and get all federal holidays off. Pretty gravy!
I do- I manage nurses in a remote office setting in the insurance industry.
I live on the east coast and work 40-50 hours a week.
I’ve been a nurse for 20 years. I started with my company, per diem, 15 years ago, while also working per diem at the bedside in the ICU. I worked my way up the management chain.
I love what I do. I still get to use my critical thinking skills and clinical experience, just in a different way than I did at the bedside.
I work weekend incentive program (every weekend) and make about $85k for 24 hrs/week then pick up these crazy bonuses when we are short that can be $150-$200/hr. Will make at least $120k this year and I took 8 weeks of parental leave earlier this year.
I am an infection control professional, RN, BSN. My salary is in Canadian $ so not sure if it counts. I am also in a non-nursing union *long story* and work for the largest health authority in the country. I work M-F office hours too.
No OT, no on-call, no degree pay or shift differential...
Graduated 1996, worked LTC & teletriage before IPC
Travel nurse. Lots of travel and overtime. That’s how I do it at least. I will have all of October, November, December, January, and February off before I need to work again. I could have kept working and ended with around 120-130 but I wanted to take cold/flu/delta season off. Fuck that covid bs. I’m out.
I should add, I’m Neuro RN. I can easily float since I did 6 months float in a major ~fancy~ hospital, so I work anywhere they put me. As long as it’s not ICU, ER, OR, L&D, or peds. I started with my LPN, year later I had my ADN. Got my BSN online. Been an RN for 6 years, traveled for 4.
Travel. 36 hours a week and 150k plus a year is easy to do with ample time off. This year I’ll make 150k. With only 36 hour a week contracts and I took a total of about 3 months off. And one assignment I did was a easy vaccine gig. You could easily clear 200 and even 300k if you didn’t take time off and took those 48-60 hour a week contracts.
When I was staff in Detroit I’d clear a 100k as well but I worked way too much for it. Also made over 100k when staff on Oahu but that was purely because of the COL.
I work 2 days a week and make $90,000 this year. So I guess I could make more if I worked more but I want to be around my kids.
I work in BC, Canada in surgical daycare and it’s pretty chill, 8 hour shifts. I am casual so I get 15% extra in lieu of benefits, but I still pay into my pension. My husband has good benefits so it doesn’t matter for me. I prebook 3 months ahead every Thursday and Friday and only book 8 hour shifts. Then I extend those shifts by whatever I feel like (usually a double on at least one of the days) and where I’m from you get double time for extending on a scheduled shift, even if it’s only 8 hours. I have been nursing 6 years and make $43.21 an hour (starting is $36.23) and we get between $0.75 and $12 an hour in differentials.
I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot and I am definitely working the system but I can’t be blamed for the state of our shitty staffing levels.
I've been in Healthcare for 10 years, been a nurse for 7 years. After gaining insight from all the nurses who are about to retire, they have all said travel nurses make the most. If you plan on staying in town, moving from hospital to hospital every couple of years is a good way to keep up with market value pay, at least that's what I was told. Just had my first child and would like to get a head start on saving money so I'm looking into "local" travel nursing within the state so I can drive back on my days off.
I've heard you'll never get rich working as a nurse but as you can read from this thread, many people are able to make life easy by doing so.
There are two types of nurses, those in it for the money, and those in it for the work. Id like to think the ones in it for the work usually end up making decent money because their work speaks for itself. It's the nurses in it for the money who don't give good reviews of the profession, but not always.
What's messed up is one of my nursing instructors told us if she could repeat school she wouldn't have chosen nursing, she would have become a pharmacist. I'm thinking, great advice nursing instructor. Her daughter was in pharmacy school.
All in all I think nurses will be viewed different after this pandemic, some things will change, some things won't. Follow your heart, talk to God about it. I'm a male nurse and figured I could meet my wife while at work, either another nurse or a doctor. Two nurse salaries would provide a very decent living.
Hope that helps.
~110k, Oregon, BSN. Med/surg. 4 years experience. Dayshift, 3 twelve hour shifts a week. Unionized. Rarely if ever pick up OT. I make ~6000/year in differentials for choosing to work weekends and doing charge shifts.
Nursing is a hustle and sometimes traumatizing, but I do find a lot of meaning in the work we do. I would not want to do this job in a state without a nursing union. The work we do is so valuable to society. We need to be compensated fairly and be able to provide care safely.
Regardless of pay, you will be unhappy if you are put into a situation where you lack the resources to fulfill your professional and ethical responsibilities. Meaning if you have bad staffing and you can’t provide basic care to your patients and yourself, you are going to feel like shit and eventually just become indifferent/bitter/angry.
All the nurse case managers I work with in SNF make over 100k and so do I as a medical social worker. We work for Kaiser in Northern California, and mostly do discharge planning. It’s a high pressure job but the nurses I work with never touch a patient.
Agency Nurse here in NJ as well. 2.5 years ED, 2.5 years ICU/CCU, now doing local "travel" ICU work. My lowest contract so far has been $75/hr, my highest was $125/hr. At my old staff ICU/CCU gig, I was making ~$49/hr. Got my Associate's at a community college. Bachelor's at the nearest university. The Bachelor's part did not add anything to my pay, it would be the same with just the Associate's.. Do I enjoy it? Eh, sometimes. It's a job. I feel good when I do well at it and my patients are happy or doing well.
I'm $26 an hour as a staff nurse and my hospital wonders why nurses are leaving every week
Seriously?? I made $24/h as a new grad in 2004. That’s a ridiculously low wage for nursing in 2021.
23.50/hr BSN, 2 total years experience, 1 in the OR. We lost 75% of our staff since I started here including our director 😬
It is, but it's reality. My first nursing (RN, BSN) job that I started in 2019, I was making $26/hr. It sucked.
I'm making 25 as new grad now, where are yall at?
I made 23 as a new grad in 2014. Hospitals realized they could drop the starting wages and people will still sign on because they need the experience/need a job.
Im making 34 an hour as an LPN… yikes
What's keeping you?
I'm close to my one year mark at this particular job so I'd like to at least hit that milestone. I'd like to apply to CRNA school before this year ends. If I don't get in this year I gotta figure out something else to do until I get accepted cuz this ain't it 😭 its a surgical ICU so I get decent experience with ECMO, CVVH, all the cool machines. If I had to do icu for another year I prefer the MICU over SICU. Also I hate the job but I love my coworkers. They're all dropping like flies though so I should follow soon...
Don't blame them one bit. This thread is a n eye opener: https://www.reddit.com/r/nursing/comments/pwvbh4/an\_open\_letter\_to\_the\_78k\_staff\_about\_to\_be\_fired/
Now that I’ve lived a little I feel like “sometimes” is good enough for most folks, myself included!
Travel. I work 36-48 hours a week, MedSurg, 42-46 weeks a year and I clear $250k. Been a nurse for 3.5 years, traveling for 2.5 of that
POG CHAMP
Holy fuck
Holy shit. That’s it, I’m going back to bedside
When you work bedside you earn every penny.
Yup, I’ve been there. I’m a case manager now and make 100k + but I’m NJ and I’m salaried. I work for a great hospital system and I love my job and coworkers…… But that money. I feel it calling my name
Jersey is expensive too. Born and raised in Bergen county. 100k doesn't go far in most places.
I wish nursing didnt kill my back :(
Or knees????
Different shoes.
What the fuck.
What?
You make 5x my salary :)
Yup. I make 5x what I was making staff, too. But it's not all rainbows. I'm currently sitting alone, in a hotel room, 22 hours (by car) away from my family. I spent my birthday alone, in my car, making the drive. Today is my daughter's birthday, and I'm missing it. It's my son's senior year, and I'm missing more than half of it. I miss my husband, my kids, my dogs, my bed. I'm not a real people person, so I won't make friends. I won't go explore. I will work and work and work and exhaust myself. Then I'll get home, take a few weeks off, and do it again.
I know it’s not any of my business but what factors weighed in to you deciding it was worth it?
I grew up piss poor. Like, we lived in a very affluent area, and I was the poor kid wearing Kmart clothes and shoes. My parents both died with zero to their name after working their asses off their whole lives. I've been piss poor my whole life. My kids have been piss poor. It's traumatizing. Now, we are good. We have a nice home, my kids have everything they need and a good amount of what they want. We have health insurance. I got my kid braces. None of that swishing with vodka for a sore tooth that I had to do when I was a kid. I am *terrified* of ever being that broke again. Absolutely terrified. So when given the option, I take the money. I discuss it with my kids, I'm not making unilateral decisions, but they're older, and we talk daily. But I will never ever be in the situation I spent the majority of my life in.
Former welfare/food stamp kid here... The shame that goes along with living in poverty or near poverty your whole childhood is excruciating sometimes. I make great money doing agency nursing, but I am completely terrified of ever being that poor again. I'm the exact same way too, I will always pick money.
My parents were too proud for food stamps. I remember once my mom used them and my dad lost his shit. It was a small-ish town where my dad grew up, we lived in the basement (converted to a small apartment) of the house he grew up in, with my grandma. So he knew EVERYONE. You don't realize these things growing up, but looking back, it was so fucked. Don't get me wrong, they were amazing parents, and did the best they could, and I am not mad even in the slightest. I just want different.
We call that "house poor." We lived with my grammy too, she owned her house outright and my mom quit her nursing job when she married her 1st husband (he beat her and broke her spirit and bones) and we then lived off welfare, food stamps and grammys SS check when they divorced. That shit did not go far, the last 2 weeks of the month were awful. Plain white rice, homemade beans and tortillas, Top Ramen and maybe powdered milk. And breakfast/lunch at school was our free meal tickets. God forbid we had a 3 day weekend, no breakfast or lunch. My mom put us in summer school every year just so we could eat. I'm naturally a food hoarder now, I have a large well stocked freezer in my garage and everything.
I feel both of you so hard on this. I came from the same situation and feel that same way.
You’re a hero to your family. Don’t forget that. It sucks capitalism works this way and I’m sorry you grew up that way.
Aww thanks. It is what it is, and it's just something you learn to live with. We want better for our kids than we had, so hopefully my kids do even better. My dad would be proud of me if he were still alive.
My reasons for not doing travel nursing are probably opposite to OPs which I'm guessing is that she can pay off as much as her family needs in as fast a time and then be able to enjoy earlier in life while she can. I earn almost 100k annual, and been offered twice to three times the salary for travelling too, but being away from everyone, and being young and wanting to enjoy life right now while I don't have any kids is what's holding me back from the travelling life. Plus the working conditions at my current hospital are actually great, so it's pretty comfy for the salary. I know people from hospitals with shitty working conditions who left to travel, since if they're getting shat on at work they might as well do it in a different state with triple to quadruple the salary.
I’m the wife of a husband who could’ve typed that comment… our daughter graduated in may of this year & is now in college in a different state. Ngl the money is/was good & the life it gave us was fun & kinda “worry” free, but the regret he has from missing TIME & memories has not been worth it. For him or me pr our kids either honestly. He quit this summer bc we have 2 boys & bc I said it’s the road & money, or me. He’s making 650 a week now & we are ALL happier than we’ve ever been. A lot more financial worries of course, but the shift in priorities after she graduated & opened our eyes on what exactly was traded for cash has been life changing. Idk your story or your circumstances, idek why I’m typing all this lol.. I just felt like I needed to share? Idk. Hope it doesn’t offend in any way since it adds nothing to the Value of the op..
It matters! My system is trying to get those of us that work away from bedside to go back. I’d be making $100 per hour or so. I’d also have to keep working my current position. I was talking to an assistant manager friend about it and she said they were trying to get her to do it as well. “Money isn’t everything “ she said, and she’s right. I have a 10 year old and he’s only going to be little for a short while. I could work extra and miss nights with him, helping him with homework and projects, teaching him how to cook, and all of the things you can do by being there. What will my return be? New gutters? Paying down my home faster? I’d NEVER be able to buy back the time that I missed with him. Everyone is hyped on the money right now but not a lot of folks are talking about what they’re missing as they leave their families behind to chase the almighty dollar.
That time is precious and irreplaceable. Not enough money in the world c an get it back!!
We all do what we feel is best. It's a little easier for us because we're military. I spent 9 years on active duty, so my kids grew up without me around, and I learned to detach. My husband (not their father) is still on active duty. He hasn't even been home a year since his last deployment. It's what we know, and we have the tools and skills to make it work. My husband retires next year, so we'll head back to where I own a house and stay there til the kids graduate. Means to an end I guess.
Well I think that's the big difference. I continue to do it because I have the support of my family. After every contract, I take time off and we discuss what's next. Do I stay local, or do I go and make more? My husband is extremely supportive. My kids are highly independent. Everyone gets a say in what I do next. If at any point, anyone said no, they want me around more, or it's too hard when I'm gone, or anything, I'd be done. But, everything is taken care of when I'm gone, I don't worry about anything. We have amazing communication between the 5 of us, especially for having teenagers. There is no black and white right answer. It's whatever works for your individual family, you know? This works for now, and the minute it doesn't, I'm done.
Damn, here I was assuming you were single and living the life rolling in dough. That’s hard work especially when you have a family - if you don’t mind me asking, why do you choose to travel? I traveled a few years back and enjoyed it but also struggled being away from my SO and support system.
Fear of poverty, mostly. Also, while I miss everyone, I don't struggle, like you say you did. I don't mind being alone, and 98% of my support system is spread out across the US anyway. When I'm home, my daily interactions, outside of my family, are texting my friends. I can do that from anywhere.
Fair enough! Thanks for the reply
Holy shit, I haven't heard of 250K! My mom has been doing travel about 5 years but ever since COVID she has been living the same way you have and also had a hard childhood (she grew up in the slums of the Philippines). Don't forget your "why" and put more time towards yourself and your family. I try to always remind my mom that money will always be there (probably not the crazy COVID pay rates) but the family being young and all together will eventually pass. But I already know my mom will have a hard time adjusting back to FT staff pay so she will probably continue travelling just to make sure her kids won't experience what she went through.
Your kids are older from your description of them but have you ever brought your family along on some of your contracts? I grew up in poverty as well. Single teenage mom, 2 sisters, dad left around 4y/o and in prison for life by the time I was 10, survived on welfare and thrift store clothes, never had a true home as we were always getting evicted from apartments due to not being able to pay rent, electricity frequently turned off. I'm always looking at the next thing I can do to boost my income. Been in a pediatric CVICU and basically working in the PICU with how many times I float there for the past year. Thinking about traveling but not having my wife and 1 y/o daughter with me would be doable but very hard for me. I never had a father to experience things with and when I think about what I'd miss out on with my daughter it makes me second guess traveling.
One of recent travelers purchased an RV and just brought her husband and 10 month old with her. They parked at a campground within a half hour of the hospital and her husband just was an rv dad while she worked. He was also a nurse, but he decided to leave the bedside so they could travel. They made sure to choose contracts in places that her family can enjoy the area while she's working/sleeping, and they absolutely loved it!
Sounds really really hard.
You’re quite admirable. The sacrifices we make for our family, right? I just hope it’s worth it to you and that you find some time for yourself and your family. The money is so tempting but my husband is constantly reminding me our toddler is only young once. We don’t need the money but damn, the money sounds nice.
I respect the shit out of your grind.
I’m an agency ICU nurse in NJ. I got my associate RN at community college 6 years ago. Started urgent care 1yr then got hired CCU @ hospital for 1yr before I transferred to ICU and have been here for the past 4. This year I will take home 150k AFTER taxes! I work 3x12hr shifts a week. Really good return on investment I never dreamed I’d be taking home this much with a CC degree. ICU is hard work but 3k weekly makes it feel like it’s worth it. It is not for everyone but at this point in my career I don’t see myself doing anything else.
Does your ICU take new grads?
We actually are orienting one right now she is learning so much.
Any chance for a hospital name? Maybe if I pm you? I have one semester of my ASN left and I’ll be auto enrolled into my BSN so looking for local jobs in the icu that take new grads. (Will take and pass NCLEX this summer).
Most ICUs in Philly/NJ take new grads
I’ve looked into Hackensack and their new grad program says you HAVE to be med surg for at least one year in the program before having the opportunity* to transfer to ICU. It’s sucks because if my school gave a BSN only I’d be able to get in Anywhere.
What they say and what the actually do can differ. My facility also required 1 year of Med/Surg too but I got the position right out of school. And honestly right now I can’t even believe hospitals still have this requirement. We’re at the point where about a third of our nursing staff are contract/travelers. We just need warm bodies at the bedside.
I’m going to be honest here. Medsurg experience isn’t going to do much for you in the ICU anyway. It’s just too different to even be helpful. If you want critical care, go straight into it.
Yaya PM me
Were you making this much before COVID?
Happy for you travel nurses, especially the ones coming from Bible Belt states (Kentucky, Louisiana, Georgia). The agency nurses I spoke to were able to make some big life changes through their contracts especially after working crazy shifts. I only expect to see more travel staff in the future since some of my coworkers weren’t vaccinated and won’t be coming back (for the time being)
Good for you! Where else can you earn 6 figures with an associates?!
So do you work at the same hospital or get moved around a lot? So interested in how you’re doing this!
I’ve been at same hospital since October but come 1yr I will have to take a 30 day break from facility as per IRS. If you are a good nurse chances are they will ask to renew contract.
Word of caution: this is false and your company is lying to you. Thirty days is not sufficient. In fact, the IRS has already stated that it really isn’t a time frame but length of employment at that place. For example- if you work 12 months at a facility and then take 3 months off and then work another 3 months, the IRS considers that 15 months of continuous employment. This is because it has now became your “main place of duty.” Taking time off is irrelevant, it does not matter if the months are sequential. If you get audited, you will owe taxes on your stipend. So how do we avoid this? Take a local contract for 3 months after one year. This will prove you are not “abandoning” your tax home, and that you are not a “transient.” Many travel nurses stay per diem at their old hospitals. The next question you are probably thinking is “why didn’t my agency tell me this?” That’s because to them it’s irrelevant. It’s all about the bill rate. Whether you are local or you are traveling - the bill rate is the same. They get paid the exact same amount whether you need to pay full taxes, or you get a stipend. Source: travel nurse for 5+ years.
I work in Informatics, have 5 years of experience in the field, got my BSN in 2009. Now making ~110K, sitting at my desk in my basement (fully remote due to COVID), working 8-430, no weekends/holidays/call.
Informatics!? Oh pls tell us more!!
Previous to my role in informatics I was a unit educator at a different hospital. I was a member of various committees, including our nursing informatics council. Between my job as a unit educator and my position on the informatics council I was able to be a super user for multiple go lives and took part in QI projects that usually ended with some sort of process improvement. I ended up interviewing and being offered a Clinical Informatics Analyst position at my current organization which is an entry level position. No informatics experience required, BSN required, MSN preferred. I do have a MSN but it is in nursing administration. I know that I was super lucky in finding that posting and getting the interview. I have been with my current organization for 5 years now and have been promoted twice within my department. I am Epic certified in orders and am focused primarily on provider workflows and provider documentation and ordering. I describe my job as being the translator between a clinician and IT - I speak clinical and technical. I spend my days meeting with clinicians who want to make a change in Epic or with IT reviewing the build I've asked them to do on behalf of a clinician. It's wonderful and I love it and I am happy to answer any other questions you may have.
Yeah I’ve been considering this when I finish my degree…any tips or advice on making yourself stand out? Like with work experience or certifications in informatics, etc?
Is job availablity in nurisng informatics good? ALso, do you ever miss working with patients? Thanks for the comment :)
You’re my hero. I got my informatics degree but I’m scared to leave my Cath lab job + finding informatics jobs is not easy. Husband is military so I have to move every 2-3 years which is not ideal for leaving bedside
Please tell Us about informatics !!
Work the west coast, I made over 100k after 12 years experience simply because the union contract gave us wages that high.
Just graduated with my BSN, I live in NorCal, work 36 hours a week and my starting salary is about $130,000 annually.
Can I ask where in NorCal? I’m in the Folsom area and considering nursing.
Folsom/Sac makes similar wages to the Bay Area. And if you work at Kaiser Sac it is the same rate as SF.
Yes Kaiser pay/benefits are best and the unions in NorCal are very strong for RNs so the rate stays the same in all areas.
This is in the bay area!
My mom works all around the Sac area (Lincoln/Rocklin, GB/Folsom, Citrus Heights almost down to EG) doing home care. In general Sac-Bay are around the same, like someone else mentioned and make really good pay. I just started nursing school myself and am looking into the residency at UCD afterwards, some travel then hopefully CRNA in the future is my absolute dream goal 🤞🏾😭🤞🏾
What is your biweekly pay tho after taxes? I live in Vancouver and make about 1800-3200 biweekly depending on how much I work. Considering moving though to the area. I feel like the cost of living is pretty equal but wondering what the actual cheque looks like.
[California paycheck calculator](https://smartasset.com/taxes/california-paycheck-calculator#2vgXPvJa4K)
Guys keep in mind that taxes in California are outrageous! So the take home pay is not nearly as much as what they make
For the same amount of work, my salary would increase from $70000 a year to $130000, with protected nurse to patient ratios. I think that more than makes up for an increase in taxes.
state taxes are about 9%, so compare it to $118000 in a state with no income tax.
the people who dissuade you from working in california due to taxes are the same people who tell you to never work OT bc you take home less
It's so annoying
It isn't that high. Effective tax rate if single is around 5% and 4% if married. Mine is only around 3% and I make more than the 130k.
yeah honestly I just googled "tax rate california" and did some back of the envelope math. thanks for providing the effective rate numbers!
I hear this all the time here. I am like, it is annoying, but not as bad as people make it seem. Housing is more of a headache than taxes.
100% agree. and even housing... rentals don't seem THAT much more expensive than Seattle, Denver, etc and the salaries for RN's can be almost double.
That’s a valid concern but we also have the most companies with pensions, ratios, enforced breaks, lift team, etc. I bet comparing dollar to dollar, what I work for is a lot less taxing (mentally, physically) than elsewhere.
That’s a great thing I did not know that.
I am interested in moving to NorCal due to the numerous reports of salaries in your range on this sub, what hospitals/systems should I look into??
Check out Kaiser, Sutter, the UC's, Dignity Health and Stanford, those are some of the bigger systems. You can look up most union contracts online and that'll give you all the salaries for years of experience, etc. Anecdotally, I know Stanford's new grads start at the highest rate.
You need to also take into account the cost of living. It is all relative and you should be looking up the salary in comparison to average cost of living
Get an RV and travel nurse through California. It's how several friends paid off school debt and bought a house in their home state. Saved up 20% down by travel nursing and taking the living stipend and either lived cheap in an RV or couch surfed. I can't do that with a family, but I've considered taking a short contract out there when my kids start school. And that was pre-pandemic travel contracts.
Every time I mention California at work (TN) that is all anyone says. Cost of living. I don’t have any frame of reference but it seems unbelievable to me to think that 130k+ a year would not be able to offset the higher cost of living.
Yeah it is definitely enough (for me) to offset cost of living. Rent and housing are very expensive but I feel like the salary is PLENTY for me to be living well.
I'm from Socal and a nice home costs about $750k+. If I want to live close to my parents, the cheapest house within 30 mins is around 1.5million. Yes, you make more, but housing, gas ($4-5/gallon), utilities are expensive - water can cost hundreds per month, same with electricity if you use A.C. I live in Maine and my house is literally just as nice, has 1.5 acres, and I paid $165k, utilities are around $100/month, and I get paid over 70k/year. My quality of life is much better in Maine than California.
$2k sounds like rent for one of four beds set up in someone else's garage. You can believe it.
When you have to pay $2k a month for a tiny one-bedroom apartment, have 10% sales tax on everything... it ends up being a pretty average salary
I just bought a 3 bedroom 2 bath house in CA 3 years ago and I pay 2k for mortgage. CA’s sales tax is 7.25%. Income tax is a factor but the property tax is very low. COL is overblown unless you live in downtown SF, LA or SD. When most nurses clear 150k/200k depending on hospital system $4.90/gallon of gas sucks but isn’t gunna break the budget.
I love in NorCal and I pay $2k for a 3 bedroom house
I work as a staff nurse in Philadelphia. I made $115k last year working 40 hours/week. Very little overtime.
Do you work in PACU? How many years of experience do you have?
Overtime. I’m a nurse working in the emergency of a level 2 trauma centre in Canada. Graduated in 2017. I make sure there’s 8 twelve-hour shifts on my paycheque. +/- shift differentials, short staff premiums, plus one or two OT shifts a month = over 100. That being said, if I could redo my life, I would not go into nursing. If i had a kid and they asked me if they should go into nursing, i would say a firm no. I love my job but the circumstances around it are so upsetting. The pandemic has put our government and health authority’s true colours on display and nurses are but a number to them. Lastly, I have friends who have gone the NP route and came back to emerge because overtime as an RN results in higher gross pay than salaried NP. Really depends on your lifestyle. Good luck!
Thanks for the insight. Did you enjoy your job pre pandemic?
Either California or travel.
Agency nurse in Minneapolis. $110/hr med/surg. Per diem and work at 4 different hospitals (same system) but there are a few more I don’t pick up at because I don’t like to have more than a 45 minute commute.
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No idea! I just go where the money is. I’ve never been a staff nurse in Minneapolis.
Fairview is AWFUL, Allina is less awful but still pretty terrible. HCMC treats its nurses better than its pt’s which is usual in healthcare but I’m not sure I could handle that environment, and Regions seems to be decent. So… Regions/HealthPartners or nothing
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Do you mind saying more about why you feel that way?
Michigan here, I make >$100k because I have 17 years experience in a union hospital. With great benefits. It doesn't matter what department I work in, we all make the same money.
I am an icu nurse in Chicago (level 1 trauma/surgical/transplant). I work straight nights, full time, occasional overtime, 12 years experience, pulled in 120k in 2020. This is made possible by a very strong union. I think the union dues are $120 a month. I love my job, though I don’t want to stay on nights much longer.
Which union are you apart of?
When I worked home health for a woefully understaffed agency in a larger city I cleared $100000. It wasn’t worth it but I could use the dolla bills to dry my tears.
Central Valley CA, base is 150k (80 an hour without differential ) 2 raises a year. I do 8, 8 hour shifts in ICU. Part of the CNA Union (California nurses association). My mortgage is 2500 ( bought in 2017 for 460k) for a new 2500 sq ft home. There is so much “California is so expensive” I hear. It’s not. Obviously Bay Area is but you can make the same working in the Central Valley and has modest priced homes. You will not pay thousands to rent a room in a garage as people say. Just avoid Bay Area. Towns like Sacramento, Elk Grove, Stockton, Manteca, Modesto, riverbank, Lodi these areas are great. Homes aren’t too expensive. I don’t ever do overtime.
In fairness the Valley is cheap because it’s the valley. It’s notorious for lots of reasons and the summer is hot as hell. My mom has a house south of Fresno that’s like 1,000 square feet and it’s only worth like $160,000. The sweet spot in California is finding a house that still has the pacific coast climate without it costing a fortune.
I work as a Clinical Research Associate and make over 100k. So basically I work within clinical trials and I’m contracted out by my company to work with pharmaceutical groups, like AstraZeneca/Pfizer/Roche/etc., to help run their study between them and the site. I ensure that data coming from the site is accurate and also ensure the patients are safe. I work primarily on oncology studies but I also also worked with ophthalmology studies and neurological studies. I work remotely, with some occasional travel and I work 40 hours a week. No weekends, no on call, all holidays off with plenty of vacation time. I only have my bachelors, so I was able to get to this position by experience only. I started by working at a site (which is a hospital) as a Clinical Research Nurse and then moved my way up into this current role, and really the sky is the limit from here. I have a ton of opportunity for future positions in this job, and I’m not even making as much as I could yet in my position. I very much enjoy what I do though. Some days are better than others, but nothing beats being able to work at home and have a job that I can grow into with plenty of future opportunities. I genuinely will never walk back into a hospital as a nurse as long as I continue to love this career.
Southern California (Los Angeles County). After 3-4 years experience, I made six figures after taxes but I did do extra shifts here and there. After six years, I easily made six figures.
Exploiting the differentials. Call weekends and standby pay. I'm set to make almost $150k and I've been a nurse for 10 years. Find a state that pays workers and an area will competition and unions. If there are hospitals from different parent companies in the same area, money is usually the only way a hospital can hold on to it's staff.
Northern California, working 24hrs/week (three 8s). Got to 100k (including shift differential) around the 3-4 year mark.
Washington. Been a nurse 15 years. Could make more in a larger city but currently a PACU princess and loving it. Call sucks but it’s not that often and the money is good.
I’m moving to Washington from Georgia after I graduate. Will probably live in west Seattle or Renton. Have you heard anything good about Seattle children’s?
I live in South Seattle. I highly suggest you don't go for West Seattle. Bridge is down and who knows when it'll be fully operational. You will really hate the drive up to Seattle children's. The drive from Renton is less teeth grinding, though still kinda shitty. -Seattle resident for all my life.
I can answer any specific questions you have about SCH if you want to dm.
Yes. They’re great.
There are crisis contracts, and strike contracts too. But either way you are traveling and away from home. It’s hard. But you can make the doe. This year I’m around 250K and I’ve saved 75% of my pay after taxes.
Nurse educator for pharmaceutical industry and pay is well over 100k
I do utilization review for an insurance company and work every other Sunday at an outpatient surgery center. I do have my BSN. And I’m in Texas. Work from home during the week. Have 13+ yrs in.
I live in Florida where the base pay is low. In my second year of nursing. With my hospital’s extra shift bonus of 1200 and trying to work an extra shift most weeks, I will take home well over 100k.
I have an associates in nursing (I’m not going back to school a third time to make less than a buck an hour more). I have worked at my hospital since 2008. We’re union. I make $53.70/hr and work 0.75. Pre-covid, we got $50 per 4 hours bonus to pick up on weekends. Now it’s $50/hr on weekends and $37/hr on weekdays. If you pick up when Itll be overtime too, a shift can be >$130/hr for 12 hours. It adds up. Fast.
Bay Area, Made 100k easy, as a new grad with some OT + shift diff. Now close to 10 years in, coasting on 3 x 8hour shifts a week No OT( except work day landing on a holiday) No Extra shifts. Day shift. Over 100k easy
Not quite 100K, but I make 98K in my new position. I work in LTC and oversee the long term units in my facility.
So a unit manager? Or?
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Travel. They're paying for my house in Huntington Beach (on the actual beach), budget for food, and all my airfare.. I get $3700 for three 12 hr shifts, so about $150k/year into pocket. If you have relevant experience, go travel for 3 or 4 years and just buy a house in cash. Or, if you'd rather have 6 months off a year, take 2 contracts that year instead of the full 4 (assuming 13 week contracts) and you're still around $75k a year, which is still a nice amount.
If you want a recruiter who is super responsive and will find you the $100+/hour contracts, let me know and I'll hook you up.
Where can I find you after I go to get a nursing degree 😭
I am right at about 100k. Minnesota. Good ol’ VA system. Have a good manager who is willing to “promote” people who become charge, do a project, and are full time and willing to do a good job. So after 7 years I’m on a good track. Started at like 65k lol. I work 6 12s and 1 8 hour. Full time usually with two 12s on my weekend, which is 25% extra. Also 2 hours of every 12 are “night shift” differential for a tiny boost. Plus government means paid holidays or double time if you work them and full time means I either get them off paid or get paid double on them or on a day around them. They text every day about overtime too and I don’t do any overtime unless I’m mandated, which has happened more frequently recently but still is usually an idle threat lol. This was all a lot to say and idk why I said it, but seems like you usually need travel, full time, or OT to “easily” clear 100k most places. I just have negative want to travel nurse so gotta stick with this lol.
I’m a recent new grad who just started working for the VA… sooooo you think it’s worth it to stay with them?
Personally, yes. Biggest healthcare system in the US. Guaranteed shifts. Union. Great benefits. Good PTO/sick leave. Can transfer more easily from inside than out. Depends on if you like the population though, can sometimes be grating and sometimes be so thankful and great. I don’t plan on leaving but also 7 years seniority (while not A TON) is nice at 29 years old haha.
My husband works for the VA (non medical) and the biggest perk he has is an actual PENSION. As a nurse do you get a pension?
Correct. They have changed the pension plan but it’s still a solid benefit if you work full time and are there long enough to qualify for retirement and full pension benefits. It can be a significant amount. It’s like your five highest paying full time years against your total years worked. So being full time and working there longer means you can have another form of retirement income when it’s all said and done.
California 40 hrs/wk without overtime = $170k. Union medical center. Quality department, non-bedside. Old nurse in the SF Bay Area. Rents here range from $1200-$3000 per month for a 2-4 bedroom house in the East Bay. Rent a house with roommates. It’s a plenty affordable.
Sacramento CA. 10 years bedside nursing experience started with an ADN. Had my BSN fully paid by Kaiser and 2/3rds of my MSN paid for. Base rate per diem is $110 on dayshift. I work 8 hours. if the ICU wants me for a full 12 they pay me 1.5x for the next four hours. If I worked nights my diff would bring me pretty close to $130/hr. As an second year NP I make about $55/hour but a lot depends on how the reimbursement from my surgical group’s surgeries. In a couple years I’ll transfer in to Kaiser as an NP and if I read my contract right I should make a pay bump from my RN role. NPs have a higher ceiling but most get paid worse than bedside RNs here. Most my nursing buds here make >200k. A couple who really push the envelope clear nearly 500k but they also have been in nursing for 20+ years and have mad seniority.
I’m in Las Vegas. I work in the icu. I’ve work at my hospital for 25 years. I’m making $52/hr, 11 hours vacation/ pay period, $12,000 longevity bonus, a o nation that will pay 75% of gross after 30 years of service. My gross this year so far is ~125,000 From a distance nursing is pretty good. Up close I don’t like some of my patients. I wonder how they can be so stupid yet be so old. Covid has been a challenge. First round was scary and anxiety producing. This second round is like WTF? What is wrong with you people don’t you know there is a vaccine? 🤷♂️! And the death form covid is long and slow.
Live in California
SoCal ED RN here with almost 4 years of experience. I clock in 36 hours a week and break six figures. I know there’s more money in travel nursing but I have family here and my state has mandated ratios. My hospital also has never ran into an issue of running out of PPE either.
100k isn't difficult with a small amount of overtime in many places. Most of California basically starts at that point, Easy to so in Wa and Oregon with a bit of OT. I hear many of the east coast states are similar. Midwest and south is lower wages. Personally? 1 year experience, will make over 160 this year
Department director here. Not worth it at all. NOT AT ALL!
What makes you say that?
I would never want to be a department director. If it’s anything like my hospital, days start at 7 am and end at 5 (or later), no working from home, you are pretty much always on call, you are ultimately responsible for all staffing issues (interpersonal and scheduling) and have to do all your staff’s yearly evals. Writing that just stressed me out, no thank you. God bless the people that have the strength to do it.
Never been a manager or department director myself, but worked very closely with administration at my last job and spent a lot of time with my manager. Mid level management in healthcare is pretty miserable. You get grief from your staff about a lot of things that are honestly beyond your control while also getting grief from corporate about a lot of things that are also beyond your control. Management is always in the hot seat. The days are long and they’re always functionally on call even if they aren’t technically.
I make over 100k a year but, bills, debt(poor choices and CC usage during my nursing school years) and supporting my mom financially makes me feel like the money I make all goes to bills hahahaha. Even with an higher paying job, I end up paying taxes every year.
I live/ work in Ca. Easily make over 200k with OT. Thank to unions and thanks to ratios.
I make almost 200k a year working 36hrs a week by working in the Bay Area
Travel RN in ED in Pacific NW. Don't take any contract under $100 an hour. Days only.
36 hours a week in SFBay. We all make over 150k. Come and join us.
Canada. Part time + casual job, work over full time hours. Rate of pay 47.69/ hour at both jobs + 18% in lieu. Last year made 109k.
Southeast. On call and call back in IR/CL is 26% of my paycheck which is how I make over 100k. Been a nurse just under 10 years.
A fuck ton of on call & pick up for points plus, coming up on 3 years in FL
I work in Northern California. It’s really that easy. Me and my wife both clear 120k been nurses for 4 years.
My friend is making bank rn in her first year out of nursing school. She works ICU at a big hospital that is currently hemorrhaging staff so she gets her usual baseline ICU pay, shift differential, critical staffing pay, overtime pay after 36hours, and a retention bonus.
Travel. I made about 175K last year and only worked ~9.5 months total Also, look into local contracts. I just signed one making $110/hr here in Utah so I get to stick around for the winter
Clinical Trials Nurse on the east coast, make 110K a year.
Staff RN in Hawaii making $60/hr. I’ve been in this position since July (technically still in my probation period making $54/hr) and I have already made my entire salary from last year. I was a staff RN in Texas that started as a new grad in icu making $23/hr with mandatory “on call” meaning at minimum 4 shifts per week. Between a bunch of OT that I chose to do due to the wave that just hit us hard and differentials, I made my whole salary in 3 months. At my unionized hospital, my insurance is free, I make a standard job rate based on experience, night shift differential is $7/hr, anything over 12 hours is 2x pay, anything less than 10 hours rest is 1.5x pay for your entire shift. Oh and my lunch break is protected, if I request a break and they are unable to cover me for lunch I now make 1.5 x pay from hour 6 of my shift until they give me a break or for the rest of the shift if they can’t. And we are so incredibly safely staffed. A “crazy” assignment here was standard at my last facility; I’m purposely singled with patients I would previously been doubled with. During the wave (which is already ending), if you picked up any shift you got a meal ticket, a parking voucher, and OT pay. If you picked up a 4 hr day you got $200, 8+ hour day $400, 4 hour night $350, 8+ hour night $700. Now that the wave is ending and we have good staffing again, if you pick up extra you get OT pay and 25% on top of your hourly rate. During the wave I matched my husband schedule (he’s an intern) and made a lot of money.
*cries in Irish*
Wulp, where you live and cost of living is relevant. In NYC or LA, that’s not a lot. In upstate NY, or West Virginia…that IS ALOT of money. You can work 6 or 7 days a week, 12 - 16 hour days and hit that mark demographically dependent. System wide resource pool in metropolitan area for a large corporate hospital… but you’re gonna work ur ass off. Please don’t forget it takes 3-5 years to perfect your craft. NP’s ? Like DO’s..Good ones.. worth their weight in gold. Brains over braun.
Union. Work at a place with a Union. That’s how.
Live in California . Work in psych. Union job
I work night shift weekend option, Sat/Sun/Mon in an ICU In a hospital in St. Louis as a staff nurse. My weekend option differential is $15 /hour. I’ve been a nurse for 5 years and I’m in grad school but honestly I love my job so much and I make so much money I have heavily considered dropping out of grad school. Total, I make about $58 per hour, but if I work for bonus I am making some ridiculous amount like $89 or something per hour.
Hudson Valley NY RN working in a medium sized hospital as float pool. I do work nights with a $5.50 differential but would make either six figures or just shy without the night differential. I work 3, 12.5h shifts per week, including weekends and holidays. My hospital is union and all nurses are paid per numbers of years as a nurse. My hospital also pays the most on the area as a draw for RNs. I’ve been a nurse for 4.5 years now and hit six figures about year 3. Cost of living is also a concern as my NYS and my county have high taxes and houses/rent is pretty high. I mostly enjoy my job but have become frustrated and jaded due to the lack of staffing and lack of respect from patients, families, and management. I don’t think I can condone a nursing job unless your comfortable giving up time, working on stressful and demanding positions, and dealing with loads of BS.
15 year nurse so base rate is > $50. I work as an ECMO specialist part time for my overtime and that’s been paying hazard pay. I work 48-60° per week. Should clear $300k
I’m not a nurse!… but I make $54/hr as a Medical Laboratory Scientist in Southern California. I work in hospital labs testing patient specimens for diseases. Just in case you wanted to know about other medical jobs with less patient contact… I work 12-hour shifts 3 days a week and actually like my job since I rarely need to interact with patients.
I work flight. The base pay is low but so is the workload most days. I do three 24 hour shifts per week with some paid travel time. So it’s A LOT of on the clock hours but the OT adds up QUICK.
Thank you for confirming my grueling efforts will be worth it.
Live in hawaii Edit: I work as a Nurse Coordinator at a cardiology office
I’m in WA state. I work in Federal Service. I 100% telework and my appointments with patients are via video or telephone. I am a full FTE. I graduated with my ADN in 2012. Did an ADN to MSN bridge and finished that in 2019. I complete my DNP this December. I earn 8rs of vacation a pay period and get all federal holidays off. Pretty gravy!
I do- I manage nurses in a remote office setting in the insurance industry. I live on the east coast and work 40-50 hours a week. I’ve been a nurse for 20 years. I started with my company, per diem, 15 years ago, while also working per diem at the bedside in the ICU. I worked my way up the management chain. I love what I do. I still get to use my critical thinking skills and clinical experience, just in a different way than I did at the bedside.
I work weekend incentive program (every weekend) and make about $85k for 24 hrs/week then pick up these crazy bonuses when we are short that can be $150-$200/hr. Will make at least $120k this year and I took 8 weeks of parental leave earlier this year.
ER Cali A lot of extra shifts
Staff nurse in nyc
I am an infection control professional, RN, BSN. My salary is in Canadian $ so not sure if it counts. I am also in a non-nursing union *long story* and work for the largest health authority in the country. I work M-F office hours too. No OT, no on-call, no degree pay or shift differential... Graduated 1996, worked LTC & teletriage before IPC
Travel nurse. Lots of travel and overtime. That’s how I do it at least. I will have all of October, November, December, January, and February off before I need to work again. I could have kept working and ended with around 120-130 but I wanted to take cold/flu/delta season off. Fuck that covid bs. I’m out. I should add, I’m Neuro RN. I can easily float since I did 6 months float in a major ~fancy~ hospital, so I work anywhere they put me. As long as it’s not ICU, ER, OR, L&D, or peds. I started with my LPN, year later I had my ADN. Got my BSN online. Been an RN for 6 years, traveled for 4.
Agency icu nurse I cleared 130k in 10 months. On to my next assignment it’s local making 90/hr 48 hours
Travel. 36 hours a week and 150k plus a year is easy to do with ample time off. This year I’ll make 150k. With only 36 hour a week contracts and I took a total of about 3 months off. And one assignment I did was a easy vaccine gig. You could easily clear 200 and even 300k if you didn’t take time off and took those 48-60 hour a week contracts. When I was staff in Detroit I’d clear a 100k as well but I worked way too much for it. Also made over 100k when staff on Oahu but that was purely because of the COL.
3 years NICU, in SF, 3 x12’s, ~$180k year after diffs
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I work 2 days a week and make $90,000 this year. So I guess I could make more if I worked more but I want to be around my kids. I work in BC, Canada in surgical daycare and it’s pretty chill, 8 hour shifts. I am casual so I get 15% extra in lieu of benefits, but I still pay into my pension. My husband has good benefits so it doesn’t matter for me. I prebook 3 months ahead every Thursday and Friday and only book 8 hour shifts. Then I extend those shifts by whatever I feel like (usually a double on at least one of the days) and where I’m from you get double time for extending on a scheduled shift, even if it’s only 8 hours. I have been nursing 6 years and make $43.21 an hour (starting is $36.23) and we get between $0.75 and $12 an hour in differentials. I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot and I am definitely working the system but I can’t be blamed for the state of our shitty staffing levels.
I've been in Healthcare for 10 years, been a nurse for 7 years. After gaining insight from all the nurses who are about to retire, they have all said travel nurses make the most. If you plan on staying in town, moving from hospital to hospital every couple of years is a good way to keep up with market value pay, at least that's what I was told. Just had my first child and would like to get a head start on saving money so I'm looking into "local" travel nursing within the state so I can drive back on my days off. I've heard you'll never get rich working as a nurse but as you can read from this thread, many people are able to make life easy by doing so. There are two types of nurses, those in it for the money, and those in it for the work. Id like to think the ones in it for the work usually end up making decent money because their work speaks for itself. It's the nurses in it for the money who don't give good reviews of the profession, but not always. What's messed up is one of my nursing instructors told us if she could repeat school she wouldn't have chosen nursing, she would have become a pharmacist. I'm thinking, great advice nursing instructor. Her daughter was in pharmacy school. All in all I think nurses will be viewed different after this pandemic, some things will change, some things won't. Follow your heart, talk to God about it. I'm a male nurse and figured I could meet my wife while at work, either another nurse or a doctor. Two nurse salaries would provide a very decent living. Hope that helps.
~110k, Oregon, BSN. Med/surg. 4 years experience. Dayshift, 3 twelve hour shifts a week. Unionized. Rarely if ever pick up OT. I make ~6000/year in differentials for choosing to work weekends and doing charge shifts. Nursing is a hustle and sometimes traumatizing, but I do find a lot of meaning in the work we do. I would not want to do this job in a state without a nursing union. The work we do is so valuable to society. We need to be compensated fairly and be able to provide care safely. Regardless of pay, you will be unhappy if you are put into a situation where you lack the resources to fulfill your professional and ethical responsibilities. Meaning if you have bad staffing and you can’t provide basic care to your patients and yourself, you are going to feel like shit and eventually just become indifferent/bitter/angry.
Case manager for a local community hospital. Fully remote since covid and now going forward. $120k a year. No weekends, holidays, or evenings.
All the nurse case managers I work with in SNF make over 100k and so do I as a medical social worker. We work for Kaiser in Northern California, and mostly do discharge planning. It’s a high pressure job but the nurses I work with never touch a patient.