Nursing Pay Question?

1 So how are some nurses making $30/hr?

I started as a new grad at $20/hr. When do I make it to $30?

Do I have to work like 10 years or do they work 1-2 years somewhere then hop around until they find a higher paying position?

I feel nursing pay varies too much. they just don't want to pay, yet cry about shortages.

Anyone have any tips?

Also I go to payscale.com it shows lowest for RN is like $45K and highest was like $90K for my area. Why am I not in that bracket and not only that I work for a major hospital, nothing small or private.
Quote from HumaneclowninscrubsSo how are some nurses making $30/hr?I started as a new grad at $20/hr. When do I make it to $30?Do I have to work like 10 years or do they work 1-2 years somewhere then hop around until they find a higher paying position?I feel nursing pay varies too much. they just don't want to pay, yet cry about shortages. Anyone have any tips?Also I go to payscale.com it shows lowest for RN is like $45K and highest was like $90K for my area. Why am I not in that bracket and not only that I work for a major hospital, nothing small or private.

So sorry to hear this on your end too. We work very hard. Every penny is earned and also high risk of getting diseases or at least testing positive one year of the PPD test.So far I have tested negative, but you never know. Is it worth it.NP's and MD's have it easy and they really earn the right $$$$. They always seem to have a frown on their face. Probably because they know they are making too much $$$ and very happy.Yea we all need to either do a masters degree or go to med school.I know many nurses would make awesome Np's/physicians but circumstances, finances sometimes keep these people out.Hope to see all RN's move up the ladder as many are awesome. The preceptor I have right now has a heart bigger than this world. I just don't know how to explain, but she is wonderful.Any ways thank you for replying and best of luck on your future endeavors.

Quote from HumaneclowninscrubsSo sorry to hear this on your end too. We work very hard. Every penny is earned and also high risk of getting diseases or at least testing positive one year of the PPD test.So far I have tested negative, but you never know. Is it worth it.NP's and MD's have it easy and they really earn the right $$$$. They always seem to have a frown on their face. Probably because they know they are making too much $$$ and very happy.Yea we all need to either do a masters degree or go to med school.I know many nurses would make awesome Np's/physicians but circumstances, finances sometimes keep these people out.Hope to see all RN's move up the ladder as many are awesome. The preceptor I have right now has a heart bigger than this world. I just don't know how to explain, but she is wonderful.Any ways thank you for replying and best of luck on your future endeavors.

NP's/MD's have it easier?You need more time on the job to have an accurate perception of other members of the team.

Quote from HumaneclowninscrubsSo sorry to hear this on your end too. We work very hard. Every penny is earned and also high risk of getting diseases or at least testing positive one year of the PPD test.So far I have tested negative, but you never know. Is it worth it.NP's and MD's have it easy and they really earn the right $$$$. They always seem to have a frown on their face. Probably because they know they are making too much $$$ and very happy.Yea we all need to either do a masters degree or go to med school.I know many nurses would make awesome Np's/physicians but circumstances, finances sometimes keep these people out.Hope to see all RN's move up the ladder as many are awesome. The preceptor I have right now has a heart bigger than this world. I just don't know how to explain, but she is wonderful.Any ways thank you for replying and best of luck on your future endeavors.

I have a job waiting for me once I pass the NCLEX. I'll be an ADN-prepared nurse making $23/hr base, with a $4/hr differential for evening shift, $4.25 for night shift, and $4 for weekends. I'll be getting a $7,000 sign on bonus. I predict I'll be making anywhere from $45k-$47k without overtime. In comparison, my brother graduated with a bachelor's in computer science and was working at a health insurance company as a software developer, and he started out at $50k/yr. So I feel like nurses make very good money for the relatively short time it takes to become a nurse compared to other fields. Consider a social worker, who has to have a master's degree (usually) and makes less than a nurse does.Of course, I'm only 20 so making $45-$47k/yr when I've only ever made minimum wage before seems like a great deal. Perhaps to a mid-aged person with kids or a home, it may not be.Note that I live in Oklahoma, where you can get a nice 1br/1bed apartment for $700/mo. Cost of living is definitely a factor when considering salary.

Weekend differentials, night differentials and anything with premium pay makes a difference.As has been said before, different parts of the country have different costs of living. Don't think the doctors have it much better. In my department they work hard for the money. The hours are way longer than the nurses, the responsibility is huge and they get buried under an impossible workload sometimes. Patients are no nicer to them and residents live at the mercy of their attendings.I guess it helps if you have ever had a hard and low-paying job for comparision. My sister worked at a plant nursery in the hot sun while saving for school. With my weekend differential and per diem pay rate, I earned as much in a 12 hour day as she did in her near-minimum wage week.

Quote from HumaneclowninscrubsSo how are some nurses making $30/hr?I started as a new grad at $20/hr. When do I make it to $here then hop around until they find a higher paying position?

Also, what shift do you work? In my experience, eve's and noc's have been easier to work than days, but they also pay a differential.

Quote from HumaneclowninscrubsNP's and MD's have it easy and they really earn the right $$$$. They always seem to have a frown on their face. Probably because they know they are making too much $$$ and very happy.

Permanent nightshift, otherwise I wouldn't be making anything. Yes, the shift diff helps a million.It is sad how we have to bargain for the rate, move around like we are scrubbish, uneducated etc...Time to get a professional degree. RN is seriously zero science applied. Kind of disheartening all though I respect nursing care. Wish they just paid properly so people don't have to do job hopping.Better to have a higher job which has a higher starting salary and that way I won't have to chase a few dollars here and there. This is not how one should live their life.See this why we are not getting better at what we do but rather chasing the money to make ends meet.PA, Doctor or simply something else. Time to move on. thanks for replying.This is a good first degree and job for a little 20 year old kid, but not for us 30+ old folks.Quote from Here.I.StandAlso, what shift do you work? In my experience, eve's and noc's have been easier to work than days, but they also pay a differential.

This is a good first degree and job for a little 20 year old kid, but not for us 30+ old folks.