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HOW MUCH DO NURSES REALLY MAKE?


Hi Friends!
Just a few months ago I was in nursing school dreaming of the day I could afford to buy nice things😇. I searched high and low for the projected salary I would earn as a registered nurse and always came up with a broad range💰. I am not going to disclose exactly how much I make, but I will give a very narrow window.
KEEP IN MIND:

  1. Every geographical area is different. High cost of living= Higher earnings. I live in Pittsburgh, PA which I think is expensive, but in comparison to Los Angeles, I pay 1/3 of what they pay for rent every month.
  2. Experience= Higher earrings. New nurses do not make as much.
  3. Overtime, weekends, nights, holidays, on call are all part of my work. I make more for each of these. Overtime, holidays, and on call are time and half. Weekends and nights are $1 more per hour.
  4. Area of nursing (i.e. Labor and Delivery, Med/Surg). I am not sure how much they vary but I know in some areas they do. I know I make pretty much the same (like a few cents less per hour, but my differential is higher) as my friend who works for the same organization on a different unit.
  5. Degree. BSN makes more than ADN, etc. etc. etc. 
  6. You will make more if you have experience in health care (PTC, nurses aide, etc)
  7. Each entity is different in pay (aka. UPMC, Allegheny Health Network)
So, I am a labor and delivery nurse who at the start of my job had ZERO work experience in health care. I graduated with honors (although this isn't factored into pay at my hospital). I live in Pittsburgh, PA and work within UPMC. NOW I'LL LET YOU GUESS WHAT I MAKE BASED ON THESE NUMBERS: I make between $25-30 per hour and between $48-55k per year. 
Google says the average amount a nurse makes per hour is: $33/hour and $68k/year!!!!!!!!! 😳

My opinion on my earnings: For one person with little responsibilities, I feel like I make great money. But, when I decide to start a family, go back to school, buy a house I feel like sh*t gets real. Also, for the work I do I feel like we should be paid more (WE ARE SO BUSY and it is STRESSFUL). I will have small raises with time, but I don't project to make significantly more than I do now. I also factor in that I need experience and for the "level" I am at I feel grateful for the amount I make. 
In the future, I would like my Midwifery degree (MSN= more $) and to move to a state which I can independently practice in (possibly OR, WA, or CO all= ^$ but also more expensive to live in).

Let me know what you think & thanks for reading!
XOXO
Kayla


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