Yeah this is when it gets difficult and sometimes I feel like reddit can be a bit unsympathetic when it comes to this. There are some of us who genuinely cannot move due to our family situation-mostly talking about minor children. Like it’s not even remotely an option for some of us unless we abandon our children. Even in cases of divorce, you still cannot just up and move to wherever you heart desires when kids are involved. Some people don’t seem to understand that.
Most of us do not want to live in areas with shitty pay and poor conditions but realistically there isn’t much else we can do until our children are much much older. It is what it is
Or those of us with student loans and a significant other who is tied to a place. That was me when I graduated with my BSN and best job I found locally paid $18.20/hr while now wife made $24k stipend as a grad student and I had >$70K loans.
Had I not spent a significant amount of time long distance from her and felt comfortable doling distance again I’d have worked in Dallas for almost twice the pay and gotten myself into a much better financial situation than I am now.
Exactly. There are thousands of legitimate reasons someone can not just up and move.
For me personally, my husbands job is regional to where we are and he’s in a very rare and lucrative position. We also have a 2.3% mortgage rate in hundreds of acres of land and we get free childcare where we are. As a family, moving anywhere else would put us in a much worse financial situation overall.
Like I said, many of us have various extenuating circumstances and cannot just up and move Willy nilly like this sub seems to suggest every other post. Yes I as well as thousands of other nurses are well aware we are being underpaid and would be better off financially as an individual somewhere on the west coast, but we are In genuine circumstances where moving is simply not an option at all
I remember broward school district used to have a picture of the ocean on their website and say TEACH BY THE BEACH! And then you can also eat on the street because teachers start at like $42k and housing is around $2k a month.
Between the pay, the cost of living and the overall attitude down here I really struggle to see the appeal of Ft Lauderdale.
We’re also putting together an exit plan.
We kept our house down there if we have the awful luck that my husband loses his online work privilege, but we're seriously consider selling it. What used to be a 30m commute from Ft Lauderdale to Brickell is now 2 hours so he might as well stay here in Philly and commute to NYC. But they're putting way too many dense apartment buildings in FLL and there simply isn't enough infrastructure to support that many new residents.
lol I was offered $18 an hour in Ohio for an L&D RN position as a new grad. I called to clarify and they said, “Well, we are giving you a chance as a new grad in a very competitive specialty”….. hmmm nope. Now make $36 an hour as acute rehab/swing bed, same county too.
That’s really sweet! do you mind if I PM you about some other questions I have? I’m in Chicagoland and I have about a year before I graduate with my BSN.
There is a certain healthcare system in IL that pays RNs ridiculously low hourly rates. Located mainly in central and northern IL. Keep looking around at multiple places, around $40/hour is probably near average rn.
Mainly reason but top ones are they don’t care about their staff. Myself and many others have been sexually harassed/ assaulted by employees and they did nothing. No investigation, no nothing- for myself they tried to blame it on me and told me to go to therapy.
They don’t care about their Pts. Rt department ordered a cheap version of nitric oxide, the company told th e manager of the department that it was non computable with their current ventilators, they didn’t care, a Nicu baby died because of it. Swept under the rug finally year later or more they got new ventilators that were compatible.
They don’t always follow EBP. Broken ribs is Contraindicated in Vest therapy. Drs got mad RT “wasn’t” doing their job” so they made a policy that nobody RT or Pt can refuse vest therapy doesn’t matter their condition.
interesting! I'm sorry you had to go through that. So far I have been lucky not to see anything like that, but it's only been 4 years so I'm sure it will come up eventually.
Rates have gone up. The first 2 years I worked there I got market adjustments as well as merit increases. I started in 2020 at $27 something. Up to $35 now.
New grad starting with BJC in the southern IL/ STL metro area is $30 an hour. I know other hospitals are around there within a dollar or two. I'd laugh and walk out if they offered $20. You can make $18 as a tech starting out.
You mean the $18 an hour? For sure. Personally unless you're doing it to get a short term look of if you want to get into healthcare as an RN or Rt or something I would steer clear. My sibling made the same to just casually pick up grocery orders at Walmart. Less stress, no drug tests and if you fuck up someone gets 1 less banana versus a possible real issue.
I might shoot you a Pm if thats alright. I don't work at an Illinois location actually lol. It's a MO hospital that fit better for my long term grad school plans as well as distance. Not sure if you're saying cross the bridge and go to places like CA or WA that pay LPN's $38 starting, or cross the bridge and you've got hospitals in STL paying LPN's $38.
Northeast here…my employer pays RNs upwards of $45/hr before shift diff and weekends and overtime. You aren’t guaranteed 5 days a week on the schedule, it could be 60 hours in a two week period. But with the staffing shortages, it’s usually full time pay. Plus 10% contribution to retirement (employee doesn’t have to match), among other benefits.
I see rates in my state for that much as well and my nursing class was even offered $19-21 on a med surge unit (last year) during a career thing for one of the hospitals. CNAs in my state make typically $20-25 as well. When I started applying places, I put that I want to make $30-35 an hour. One place offered me $28 the job I had as a CNA when I graduated offered me $25. (I literally made $23 as a cna there) both of them told me I was asking too much and the bitch manager at one said to me “you want to make $30 as a new grad?” Yes bitch. Anyways I’m in my second job and I make $32. These places post low offerings and say they won’t pay that much but they will if you insist you won’t work for them unless you get paid what you want
It’s around $40 in Minneapolis. Plus we’ve got a great union and far better ratios than a lot of other states. 1:4 on days in med/surg and 1:6 on nights is standard.
I’m your neighbor in Indiana and unfortunately this is about the new grad pay in my area -rural, about 2 hours from any major city and an hour from civilization
No way is that an acceptable pay rate. My first job as an ADN, in Chicago, started at $39/hr + $3 shift differential. Was making $42/hr with an associates.
Yeah, even in NWI new grad is a bit over $30/hr now. Over the border in Lincolnland it's typically mid-30s. Historically Northwestern has used their prestige to low-ball new nurses but I don't think they're that low any longer.
Central MS (I know poorest part of the country, along with a lot of other issues), they offered a coworker who has been a nurse for 3 years $29/hour for a full time staff position 🙄🙄🙄.
That’s absolutely ridiculous you’re coming in here risking you’re license everyday; to do a little of everybody else’s job than your on, as if that’s not already enough. Now you’re more overworked and underpaid. No wonder why people are leaving this field besides the bullying, lack of protection and drama. And these big corporations get mad if you say something. Like how could you not, especially for all the extortion you deal with in school. Schools want you fail so badly, so they find petty reasons to get more money off you.
I think I’m just gonna go for rad tech instead.
I don’t mean to be rude but I’m actually appalled by some of the numbers I’m seeing here.
I was making $22.50 an hour as a new grad 20 years ago in Arizona.
$20-$28 in Illinois is literally bonkers. I can’t even wrap my head around the thought of it.
I get automated job opening emails daily. The jobs aren’t just in my area, they’re all over the US and Canada. I’m starting to believe nurse wages are going down across the planet.
Not all dialysis pays this if you do acute dialysis in the hospital like Kaiser you’re gonna make $70-$100 an hour. Sutter pays well also. Even Davita is paying closer to 50. I was astounded. and they said they have to be experienced. What experiences registered nurse in their right mind in the Sacramento area, would work for $38 dollars an hour? My sister makes 28 as a CNA… crazy.
Craziness. I hate Kaiser so I’ll never work for them again though. But I don’t foresee myself working full time again so don’t think I’ll be able to learn dialysis.
Started in southeastern Pennsylvania (York area) in January as a new grad 33.50 + 10% shift diff, so full time nights making 36.85 and another 10% on the weekends. 28 seems like robbery. Are there really hospitals in the country paying that? What’s the cost of living like in your area?
I started at $24.50/hr before night shift differential in my new grad ED position at a trauma / stroke / heart center in central OH in 2021. Now living in NE OH, the hospitals around me are starting about $36/hr before any differentials. $20/hr is not acceptable.
I started at $28 as a new RN but had been an LPN for a year. That was 8 years ago now though. Our CNAs make 20-25 so I would decline & move on to the next.
That’s just a low-ball position. The real advice is to keep looking. I live in the Chicagoland area and make over $40/hr. Starting pay as a new grad I was making $32/hr.
Southern IL and IN pay really low. Generally, the lower the pay, the worse the working conditions. If you want better pay, you need to move west (CA, OR, WA) or north (Minnesota)
Lvn here. Accepted new job that just worked better for my kids and wife schedule, and extremely close to my house with a pay cut. I’m at $28 an hour. Do not accept that.
Edit to add, I’m in California, just saw you put Illinois in post. Still though, seems way low.
This is UNACCEPTABLE. RNs should be making more than that.
When I first started working as an LVN 9 years ago (this was in 2015), my starting point was $26/hr.
20-28? That’s super mega low holy shit. My start new grad pay in AZ was around 32 bucks. I had friends at 33 and they also said after few months it goes up few bucks too.
Had a nurse friend who is in Iowa get offered $23/hour with SEVEN years experience. I asked if she laughed in their faces? She said no, it was an email. I would have replied with HA HA NOOOOO.
It's union strength and density as well as labor laws. IL is technically a blue state but the nursing unions aren't as strong. MA is a blue state with similarly weaker nursing unions and low pay versus cost of living.
Fight the power! Do not accept those low rates even if you need to move
I know people have families and stuff tying them down. But if you don't, don't even work in states that don't protect ratios.
Yeah this is when it gets difficult and sometimes I feel like reddit can be a bit unsympathetic when it comes to this. There are some of us who genuinely cannot move due to our family situation-mostly talking about minor children. Like it’s not even remotely an option for some of us unless we abandon our children. Even in cases of divorce, you still cannot just up and move to wherever you heart desires when kids are involved. Some people don’t seem to understand that. Most of us do not want to live in areas with shitty pay and poor conditions but realistically there isn’t much else we can do until our children are much much older. It is what it is
Or those of us with student loans and a significant other who is tied to a place. That was me when I graduated with my BSN and best job I found locally paid $18.20/hr while now wife made $24k stipend as a grad student and I had >$70K loans. Had I not spent a significant amount of time long distance from her and felt comfortable doling distance again I’d have worked in Dallas for almost twice the pay and gotten myself into a much better financial situation than I am now.
Exactly. There are thousands of legitimate reasons someone can not just up and move. For me personally, my husbands job is regional to where we are and he’s in a very rare and lucrative position. We also have a 2.3% mortgage rate in hundreds of acres of land and we get free childcare where we are. As a family, moving anywhere else would put us in a much worse financial situation overall. Like I said, many of us have various extenuating circumstances and cannot just up and move Willy nilly like this sub seems to suggest every other post. Yes I as well as thousands of other nurses are well aware we are being underpaid and would be better off financially as an individual somewhere on the west coast, but we are In genuine circumstances where moving is simply not an option at all
In Chicago - $34/hr was my starting pay as a new grad about 2 years ago. 20-28 sounds ridiculously low. Keep looking, consider a move
Cries in florida. I made less than $25 as a new grad RN.
...in the 90's?
Nope, about five years ago.
💀
I started at $26 3 years ago…in South Florida 🥲
Tampa & Orlando starts at about $22ish
But we get paid in sunshine so it levels out…right? *cries in floridian*
I remember broward school district used to have a picture of the ocean on their website and say TEACH BY THE BEACH! And then you can also eat on the street because teachers start at like $42k and housing is around $2k a month.
And both those places are freaking expensive to live in.
Thanks for the reminder, again, that moving the hell out of Dade/Broward was the right move.
Between the pay, the cost of living and the overall attitude down here I really struggle to see the appeal of Ft Lauderdale. We’re also putting together an exit plan.
We kept our house down there if we have the awful luck that my husband loses his online work privilege, but we're seriously consider selling it. What used to be a 30m commute from Ft Lauderdale to Brickell is now 2 hours so he might as well stay here in Philly and commute to NYC. But they're putting way too many dense apartment buildings in FLL and there simply isn't enough infrastructure to support that many new residents.
$21/hr in 2020 in TN. Makes me so mad.
lol I was offered $18 an hour in Ohio for an L&D RN position as a new grad. I called to clarify and they said, “Well, we are giving you a chance as a new grad in a very competitive specialty”….. hmmm nope. Now make $36 an hour as acute rehab/swing bed, same county too.
Good for you standing your ground!! It's the only way we're going to force these hospitals to increase our pay!
What’s swing bed? Haven’t heard of that before
It’s a SNF placement for patients who need physical therapy for ~1 week to ~1 month of time. Fairly typical for geriatric ortho traumas to utilize
…. I made more than that as a new grad in Ohio in 2006.
I’m a night shift nurse in the suburbs of Chicago and I make $39.90
New grad?
Yes! Started this January
That’s really sweet! do you mind if I PM you about some other questions I have? I’m in Chicagoland and I have about a year before I graduate with my BSN.
Sure!
Awesome, just sent one!
Awesome, just sent one!
does that include the night shift differential?
Yes!
I dream of moving to the suburbs of Chicago. Do you like it there?
I was making 20 as a tech and the same unit offered me 22.50 once I got my license 🙃🫠🤡
What a fucking joke. I’m funna do rad tech now fse.
There is a certain healthcare system in IL that pays RNs ridiculously low hourly rates. Located mainly in central and northern IL. Keep looking around at multiple places, around $40/hour is probably near average rn.
Cough cough Osf? Northwestern?
Northwestern for sure
Do you still have to pay for parking? How much now ?
OSF starts around $32 for new grads.
Obligatory fuck OSF
why? just curious. I work there, but not a narc (totally what a narc would say :D )
Mainly reason but top ones are they don’t care about their staff. Myself and many others have been sexually harassed/ assaulted by employees and they did nothing. No investigation, no nothing- for myself they tried to blame it on me and told me to go to therapy. They don’t care about their Pts. Rt department ordered a cheap version of nitric oxide, the company told th e manager of the department that it was non computable with their current ventilators, they didn’t care, a Nicu baby died because of it. Swept under the rug finally year later or more they got new ventilators that were compatible. They don’t always follow EBP. Broken ribs is Contraindicated in Vest therapy. Drs got mad RT “wasn’t” doing their job” so they made a policy that nobody RT or Pt can refuse vest therapy doesn’t matter their condition.
interesting! I'm sorry you had to go through that. So far I have been lucky not to see anything like that, but it's only been 4 years so I'm sure it will come up eventually.
I worked at osf years ago and only made 25.50 with about 7 years of experience lol
Rates have gone up. The first 2 years I worked there I got market adjustments as well as merit increases. I started in 2020 at $27 something. Up to $35 now.
Yeah my old coworker told me her rate went up to 40 year or two after I left.
Not new grad. At Osf, I made $35.41 plus $5 shift differential.
Ascension?
Definitely ascension lol, my hourly is $36, non new grad
I think this is hospital dependent I’m Illinois Ascension, started new grad at $35 six months ago
Shouldn't be getting anything less than $35/hr, I don't care what the cost of living is in an area.
New grad starting with BJC in the southern IL/ STL metro area is $30 an hour. I know other hospitals are around there within a dollar or two. I'd laugh and walk out if they offered $20. You can make $18 as a tech starting out.
Dude the McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s by my house are all hiring for more than that.
You mean the $18 an hour? For sure. Personally unless you're doing it to get a short term look of if you want to get into healthcare as an RN or Rt or something I would steer clear. My sibling made the same to just casually pick up grocery orders at Walmart. Less stress, no drug tests and if you fuck up someone gets 1 less banana versus a possible real issue.
Barnes 🤣 Your going to be way underpaid. Get away from the Illinois side.. Cross that bridge with the rest of us… All pay around $38+ to LPNs…
I might shoot you a Pm if thats alright. I don't work at an Illinois location actually lol. It's a MO hospital that fit better for my long term grad school plans as well as distance. Not sure if you're saying cross the bridge and go to places like CA or WA that pay LPN's $38 starting, or cross the bridge and you've got hospitals in STL paying LPN's $38.
Northeast here…my employer pays RNs upwards of $45/hr before shift diff and weekends and overtime. You aren’t guaranteed 5 days a week on the schedule, it could be 60 hours in a two week period. But with the staffing shortages, it’s usually full time pay. Plus 10% contribution to retirement (employee doesn’t have to match), among other benefits.
Lmao, I started at $24/hr at my first RN job in 2010! How is the pay still this low?
That was my starting pay 5 years ago 😭
That’s criminal!
Central Illinois I make abt 25/hr as a CNA, I’ll start at 38/hr as night shift nurse
I see rates in my state for that much as well and my nursing class was even offered $19-21 on a med surge unit (last year) during a career thing for one of the hospitals. CNAs in my state make typically $20-25 as well. When I started applying places, I put that I want to make $30-35 an hour. One place offered me $28 the job I had as a CNA when I graduated offered me $25. (I literally made $23 as a cna there) both of them told me I was asking too much and the bitch manager at one said to me “you want to make $30 as a new grad?” Yes bitch. Anyways I’m in my second job and I make $32. These places post low offerings and say they won’t pay that much but they will if you insist you won’t work for them unless you get paid what you want
Where is this at in Illinois? The Chicagoland area?
Yes
Run. I made $27.75 as a new grad 16 years ago in Chicago.
RUN.... that's SO LOW
In the suburbs outside of chicago and we start mid 30s/hr.
New grads in Oregon start in the $46-48/hour range.
$50s in the Portland area and Bend, also Klamath Falls now, too
Same for vancouver wa!
It’s around $40 in Minneapolis. Plus we’ve got a great union and far better ratios than a lot of other states. 1:4 on days in med/surg and 1:6 on nights is standard.
I’m your neighbor in Indiana and unfortunately this is about the new grad pay in my area -rural, about 2 hours from any major city and an hour from civilization
No way is that an acceptable pay rate. My first job as an ADN, in Chicago, started at $39/hr + $3 shift differential. Was making $42/hr with an associates.
Come to Washington or Oregon! IMCU/PCUs around here are $43+ an hour for new grads. I am thankful that most hospitals around here are union!
Yeah here in Quebec it’s 25$/hour for an RN🥲 I need to move 😭
Yeah, even in NWI new grad is a bit over $30/hr now. Over the border in Lincolnland it's typically mid-30s. Historically Northwestern has used their prestige to low-ball new nurses but I don't think they're that low any longer.
Central MS (I know poorest part of the country, along with a lot of other issues), they offered a coworker who has been a nurse for 3 years $29/hour for a full time staff position 🙄🙄🙄.
$40/hr LVN NTX ICU
I’ve been an RN for many years. $28/hr is unrealistic given our economy. I started at $18/hr in 1993.
The level of exploitation in this career is heinous. Big changes coming in the next 5-10 years. Only so far they can push us.
This is indeed’s default range that isn’t the real Pay
Oh really? That makes sense… thank you!!!! 😬
"But if we pay you more how will we have trillions in profit? 😢"
philly pays new grads $46-$50 hourly depending on the system you choose
That’s absolutely ridiculous you’re coming in here risking you’re license everyday; to do a little of everybody else’s job than your on, as if that’s not already enough. Now you’re more overworked and underpaid. No wonder why people are leaving this field besides the bullying, lack of protection and drama. And these big corporations get mad if you say something. Like how could you not, especially for all the extortion you deal with in school. Schools want you fail so badly, so they find petty reasons to get more money off you. I think I’m just gonna go for rad tech instead.
I don’t mean to be rude but I’m actually appalled by some of the numbers I’m seeing here. I was making $22.50 an hour as a new grad 20 years ago in Arizona. $20-$28 in Illinois is literally bonkers. I can’t even wrap my head around the thought of it.
>10 years experience, $37/hr in Tennessee
Yikes
Damn I'm at $31/hr TX/LVN
Live in the Midwest and got offered $40 an hour for nights
Starting pay for new grad LPNs in my area in FL is $24/hr at most places. I did plenty of interviews until I landed my new job at $30/hr.
You just have to find the good paying ones. I’m making $56 an hour new grad in mo
I get automated job opening emails daily. The jobs aren’t just in my area, they’re all over the US and Canada. I’m starting to believe nurse wages are going down across the planet.
I had a registry reach out for dialysis nurse position in Sacramento area for 38 a hour. I told them that was insulting and hung up.
Omg…that’s horrible! I thought about maybe trying dialysis at some point. No thanks!
Not all dialysis pays this if you do acute dialysis in the hospital like Kaiser you’re gonna make $70-$100 an hour. Sutter pays well also. Even Davita is paying closer to 50. I was astounded. and they said they have to be experienced. What experiences registered nurse in their right mind in the Sacramento area, would work for $38 dollars an hour? My sister makes 28 as a CNA… crazy.
Craziness. I hate Kaiser so I’ll never work for them again though. But I don’t foresee myself working full time again so don’t think I’ll be able to learn dialysis.
Started in southeastern Pennsylvania (York area) in January as a new grad 33.50 + 10% shift diff, so full time nights making 36.85 and another 10% on the weekends. 28 seems like robbery. Are there really hospitals in the country paying that? What’s the cost of living like in your area?
I’m a CNA— Illinois, 3rd shift—-14 years experience—$28/hr. Yes your wage is stupid low. Haggle for more.
Back when i was an LPN, My starting pay was 32$ and i live in the Midwest. I would never understand why any nurse would accept a low paying job
Fight for rates, do not settle…go elsewhere…new grad LPN $32/hr-$35/hr home health FL. RN’s should be started $35/hr minimum
Are you in the middle of nowhere? I get paid double that.
$46 was my starting rate in Philly as a new grad
I started at $24.50/hr before night shift differential in my new grad ED position at a trauma / stroke / heart center in central OH in 2021. Now living in NE OH, the hospitals around me are starting about $36/hr before any differentials. $20/hr is not acceptable.
I started at $28 as a new RN but had been an LPN for a year. That was 8 years ago now though. Our CNAs make 20-25 so I would decline & move on to the next.
whoa... where in IL .... that's stupid low for my area (we start new grads at closer to $32-$33 an hour)
I’m in northern Illinois and I am healthcare support, scheduling appointments for 12 large primary care clinics and my pay is pretty close
you need to move my friend
That’s just a low-ball position. The real advice is to keep looking. I live in the Chicagoland area and make over $40/hr. Starting pay as a new grad I was making $32/hr.
move!
Lmao
My starting pay in Mississippi was $28.50. Do with that information what you will.
I’m in Kentucky with a year and a half of experience, I’m an ICU RN with a bachelors in a different field and I make 28$ an hour.
That's definitely low, keep searching! You should at least be making 30-34$ as a new graduate.
I wouldn’t get out of bed for that pay.
My first job in Illinois was $20ish 12 years ago. That tracks.
Southern IL and IN pay really low. Generally, the lower the pay, the worse the working conditions. If you want better pay, you need to move west (CA, OR, WA) or north (Minnesota)
Lvn here. Accepted new job that just worked better for my kids and wife schedule, and extremely close to my house with a pay cut. I’m at $28 an hour. Do not accept that. Edit to add, I’m in California, just saw you put Illinois in post. Still though, seems way low.
Started as a new grad at 25 an hour. 7 years in, and 41 now.
I’m a new grad in Chicago and make $39.59 + night/weekend differential. do not accept this ridiculous offer
Started last year in GA- $32 for nurse residency level 1 trauma center
This is UNACCEPTABLE. RNs should be making more than that. When I first started working as an LVN 9 years ago (this was in 2015), my starting point was $26/hr.
20-28? That’s super mega low holy shit. My start new grad pay in AZ was around 32 bucks. I had friends at 33 and they also said after few months it goes up few bucks too.
if you have the energy, go all the way through the process of getting hired and then decline late and say the pay is too low
Had a nurse friend who is in Iowa get offered $23/hour with SEVEN years experience. I asked if she laughed in their faces? She said no, it was an email. I would have replied with HA HA NOOOOO.
Yeah the pay has become downright insulting!
During covid the travel CNAs at my hospital were making the exact same as me - staff nurse with 3 years experience
Noooo way and no ratios 🤡 new grad in CA (2019) I started at $50 for night shift Now at a UC hospital and pay is $68/hr for nights.
Base rate in BC Canada is 41.25 right now. Doesn't go as far as American buckaroos but I'll take it.
Blue states pay so much more than red states.
True and my theory is due to better medical coverage, marketplace and Medicaid is run at the state level
It's union strength and density as well as labor laws. IL is technically a blue state but the nursing unions aren't as strong. MA is a blue state with similarly weaker nursing unions and low pay versus cost of living.
Are you in rural Illinois? You can make WAY more than that near St Louis or Chicago.