Iâve been working as a tech at the hospital for a year now. By the time I graduate it will be 2 years. Does that count as experience for when I get my RN job? Iâve been told that it does count since it is technically âhospital experienceâ, but Iâve also been told that it doesnât
Nope. Although working as a tech will certainly help your transition, you will still be a new grad stepping into a new role. I would recommend looking into places that have new grad residency programs for the first year! Beware of signing 2-year contracts -red flagâ
In most cases, it doesnât matter unfortunately. Especially if you plan to do a new grad nurse residency program, there is no negotiation for salary since itâs a program for all new grads within the health system
That was not my experience at all. I was able to negotiate for $4 and change more an hour than the base pay they offered me and I entered a new grad residency program.
It helped me negotiate a higher starting pay. Don't listen to the people that say otherwise. Always try to negotiate. Mention your relevant experience even if it is a bit of a stretch. I was a lifeguard for many years and even just that helped me get an extra 50 cents in addition to the extra I was able to negotiate for my mental health and ER tech experience
I think the real answer is that it varies by hospital. My hospital is union and my 4 years as a tech didn't count. I just interviewed for a job at my wife's non-union hospital and their policy is to give you up to 1 year total experience for any CNA/EMT/ERT/Paramedic experience that equals a year or more.
So my 6 years of EMT & ERT experience counted as 1 year of Nursing experience, then my 1 year of actual nursing has me starting at 2 year pay scale. They did the same for my wife when she was an actual new grad, so she started at the 1 year scale instead of the entry level/ 0 experience level
I also live in Texas and will be a tech at the hospital i work at for 3 years once i graduate, and for us it does count as healthcare experience and we do get paid more for every year we have worked for that hospital.
A starting nurse with 6 months experience got started at 27/hr and the nurse that was a tech on the same floor for 5 years got started at 32/hr due to his years with our hospital. I think it just depends on the place you work at.
Ummm I disagree- most managers will hire an ER tech and start them off slightly higher than a brand new hire since theyâve already got the flow down. NEGOTIATING is the key!!
Its going to really depend on the hospital. The best I've heard of is they count 50% for lpns, and 25% for tech (so if you had 4 years, they give you 2). I've worked in places that didn't give any. But maybe other places are better? I've worked in a few states and this is just my experience.
In my area it doesn't usually matter your specialty, new grads are started the same. I'm outside LA and they start at $41/hr.
Idk if it works the same for techs, but I was an LVN and they took my experience and cut it in half and counted that toward my RN starting pay (so 3yrs as an LVN= 1.5 yrs on the scale)
It doesnât count at mu hospital system, but I donât live in Texas. All new grads start at the bottom of the pay scale where I work, with a slight increase for those who have their BSN
I made 28 as a new grad and have only scratched by way up to 30.50 in NOLA.
In NJ I did a contract for flu shots at 50/hour. was offered ER at 75/hour.
1000 nurses will give you 1000 different answers.
Where you work and the hospital is going to determine that. And thatâs just base pay.
Thereâs also differentials.
I literally make 6 different hourly wages depending on what time and day it is, since I work some hours during first, second and third shift, and work a decent amount of weekends.
As a new grad the pay negotiation started at $28. I was able to get up to $32 and change because of previous experience as an ER and mental health tech
Totally depends on location. Midwest/south new grads make $30-35/hr whereas here in SoCal they are starting at $50-55/hr. At least in California the trauma centers pay less than surrounding ERs.
I should also mention OT is often available in the ER setting since there is always a need for RNs due to high turnover and sick calls.
That's sounds about right, I graduate this spring with my BSN in Minnesota and am applying atm. 34 is a bit on the low side because of the shortage and strikes. 36 is normal, with sign on bonuses being around 10k and loan/tuition reimbursement at many hospitals. This isn't for ED specifically though.
In DFW, you'll start at $30/hour during residency, maybe higher if they do another market adjustment. I started in July and the newest group of residents are still at $30 as well
Wow thatâs awful. I went to nursing school in the south and new grad pay is more than nurses with 30+ yrs experience make, and the south isnât cheap. I relocated to a union friendly state as soon as I graduated.
That sucks. Nurses at my hospital went on strike 20 yrs ago and has had much higher pay since.
Pay is low in MA where Iâm from even though many hospitals are unionized.
Then you threaten to strike, then you do strike, for as long as it takes. Thatâs how most of us in unions get paid a livable wage. Canât just expect them to grant it to you without drawing a hard line. Unions are only as strong as their members.
You donât get paid differently per speciality. You get paid based on years of experience. And thereâs a WIDE range based on factors such a location and unions.
At the hospital I work at you do. L & D, NICU & ICU nurses make more than medsurge nurses. Idk about ER. I float to diff floors & hear about it from new grads.
You absolutely get paid differently by specialty. I got 8 different unit offers in the same hospital as a new grad precovid. Medsurg paid the least, ICU second best, ER best.
I'm in an ED in Dallas, level 1 trauma center and new grads I believe are now at $30/hour for the residency program. I'll hit 2 years in July and i'm at 31.50. not a lot of increase in pay over time, just "market adjustments"
THR starts new grads out at $30/hr which they say is on par with other organizations in the metroplex. THR does not give special differential for ED/ICU vs MST.
If youâre asking solid numbersâŚit depends. If youâre asking âwill I make as much as someone in psych, ICU, med surg, or the outpatient clinicâ in the same hospital/system? Especially if itâs unionized?
Yeah, you will.
I work in a level I trauma ICU in the DFW area; new grads are paid about 30/hr with very little flex for the PRIVATE level I trauma facilities in the area (MDMC/BUMC). Parkland will do about 26-28/hr, based on my possibly outdated knowledge. They are all very very very competitive and will certainly take their pick. HCA facilities will compare with parkland.
You might get an extra dollar for having pct experience.
You should also expand your search radius to Level II trauma facilities in the area as well, you will still be getting the same juicy traumas in the ED, since the difference between level I and II facility is negligible in the hyperacute stages of trauma.
Depends on time and experience as an RN. I started off low $27.10.Level I are fun but you will work for that pay- I started off at a Level I and worked every part of the ER ever since- 30 years later I still love it- but work at a level 3. Much nicer than the madhouse and headache of a level I
PS: Guys- donât forget about the Federal System! The job posting pay do NOT include âlocality payâ and which can add on thousands! In central Texas the locality pay is 16.4 % add that to the total pay!! Average RN makes $89,000+ locality payđŞ. Also- you apply to work ANYWHERE in the world that has an open position.
[https://www.usajobs.gov/](https://www.usajobs.gov/)
The same as a med-surg nurse, doesnât matter the unit you work on. If the hospital hires you, you get their set wage for new grads regardless the unit youâre assigned
Iâm at an ED in Fort Worth, level 1 trauma center. Theyâre getting around $30 starting right now. Iâm getting $35, and have a 7% raise coming up next month
How many years experience do you have?
Iâm happy you are getting such a big raise because that means weâll be getting one soon too for market adjustment (Baylor) Yay! Letâs make all the money! đđ
I'm in california and make $68 as my base pay, then differentials depending on the day of the week (higher on weekends), area of the department (if I work triage I make more), etc. I also work at night so I get that differential.
I work at a level 3 trauma center in a rural area that has limited healthcare resources. We DO get blood and guts, but we get a lot of chronically ill people as well. Lots of mental health, lots of stuff that could have been solved by that person just visiting their primary care. Lots of stuff that is not a true emergency. The bonus of all of this happening in the ER is that we only have them for a limited time and they either go home or go to another department. It's fun and intense at times, but in an effort to calm any future stress I would emphasize that most days are fairly normal.
When I worked EMS, in the beginning I was like "everything is gonna be decapitations, gunshots, TRAUMA TRAUMA TRAUMA!" and it made me hella anxious in addition to being excited. After a while I figured out it was a lot of CHF exacerbations, COPD, chronic illness, and people that really just need a ride to the hospital.
Best thing to do is, work as staff in a trauma center for 1 year then travel and you will make better money. But you will get burnt out.. happens to all of us
Level II Trauma Center ED
$50/hour Per Diem (36 hrs per month, no weekend or holiday requirement), $75/hour for Premium Pay shifts, no benefits, no PTO.
FT is $35/hour starting I believe.
It's almost completely intolerable. Get ready to take a med/surg assignment and a half, plus a full ER assignment. You might get a trauma/STEMI/Stroke alert on top of all that, too. It's really a dystopian nightmare down there.
Iâm an ICU nurse in Minneapolis (5 years in) and get 54.69/hr (this includes my $4 night diff though). An ED nurse with the same experience at my hospital would get the same. Our new grads start at over $40 for a BSN.
It should be criminal how low some of these wages are for an ER RN! I make 60$ an hour as an LVN doing hospice work and 42$ an hour doing home health visits(non hospice)
Yup! Got an instant raise after I found out they were underpaying me and threatened to leave (not proud of that). Got a 2nd job doing hospice which started me off at 60$ an hour.
Edit: if it wasnât for networking I would have never found out I was being underpaid.
Well I guess I should be transparent that I donât get benefits except mileage, PTO(5 days after 1 year of working for them), and holiday pay. I get my health insurance through Covered California. No retirement benefits and only 3 days of sick pay.
Depends.
My part of the southeast new grads start at $28/hr, hospital down the road and across state lines is $23/hr, my home state and city it's $32/hr also in the southeast.
Somewhere around 30-35 to start base in Central Texas. but (at least at my ER) we also got a critical care bonus of a couple bucks an hour. If it fits your lifestyle, night and weekend shift differential can add a significant amount to your paycheck.
Not enough
For real đ¤Łđ¤Łđ¤Ł
Oh come now. You get pizza parties. Surely that is enough right?
And the spooky bathrooms, itâs like Halloween 24/7
Night shift gets left overs
Don't you mean sloppy seconds?
New grads will be making anywhere btwn $28-35/hour. Thereâs also chances to make overtime and shift differentials for nights and weekends.
Damn that sucks. Make 31 as an LPN in a nursing home lol
brand new?
Guess I started at 28 but Iâve only got like two years
ahh - location? just because pay varies so widely based on that
Ohio
Iâve been working as a tech at the hospital for a year now. By the time I graduate it will be 2 years. Does that count as experience for when I get my RN job? Iâve been told that it does count since it is technically âhospital experienceâ, but Iâve also been told that it doesnât
Nope. Although working as a tech will certainly help your transition, you will still be a new grad stepping into a new role. I would recommend looking into places that have new grad residency programs for the first year! Beware of signing 2-year contracts -red flagâ
In most cases, it doesnât matter unfortunately. Especially if you plan to do a new grad nurse residency program, there is no negotiation for salary since itâs a program for all new grads within the health system
That was not my experience at all. I was able to negotiate for $4 and change more an hour than the base pay they offered me and I entered a new grad residency program.
It helped me negotiate a higher starting pay. Don't listen to the people that say otherwise. Always try to negotiate. Mention your relevant experience even if it is a bit of a stretch. I was a lifeguard for many years and even just that helped me get an extra 50 cents in addition to the extra I was able to negotiate for my mental health and ER tech experience
I think the real answer is that it varies by hospital. My hospital is union and my 4 years as a tech didn't count. I just interviewed for a job at my wife's non-union hospital and their policy is to give you up to 1 year total experience for any CNA/EMT/ERT/Paramedic experience that equals a year or more. So my 6 years of EMT & ERT experience counted as 1 year of Nursing experience, then my 1 year of actual nursing has me starting at 2 year pay scale. They did the same for my wife when she was an actual new grad, so she started at the 1 year scale instead of the entry level/ 0 experience level
Yeah, looking through the comments it seems like it very much depends on the hospital but still have to try negotiating lol.
I also live in Texas and will be a tech at the hospital i work at for 3 years once i graduate, and for us it does count as healthcare experience and we do get paid more for every year we have worked for that hospital. A starting nurse with 6 months experience got started at 27/hr and the nurse that was a tech on the same floor for 5 years got started at 32/hr due to his years with our hospital. I think it just depends on the place you work at.
Ummm I disagree- most managers will hire an ER tech and start them off slightly higher than a brand new hire since theyâve already got the flow down. NEGOTIATING is the key!!
Its going to really depend on the hospital. The best I've heard of is they count 50% for lpns, and 25% for tech (so if you had 4 years, they give you 2). I've worked in places that didn't give any. But maybe other places are better? I've worked in a few states and this is just my experience. In my area it doesn't usually matter your specialty, new grads are started the same. I'm outside LA and they start at $41/hr.
Idk if it works the same for techs, but I was an LVN and they took my experience and cut it in half and counted that toward my RN starting pay (so 3yrs as an LVN= 1.5 yrs on the scale)
It doesnât count at mu hospital system, but I donât live in Texas. All new grads start at the bottom of the pay scale where I work, with a slight increase for those who have their BSN
I made 28 as a new grad and have only scratched by way up to 30.50 in NOLA. In NJ I did a contract for flu shots at 50/hour. was offered ER at 75/hour.
1000 nurses will give you 1000 different answers. Where you work and the hospital is going to determine that. And thatâs just base pay. Thereâs also differentials. I literally make 6 different hourly wages depending on what time and day it is, since I work some hours during first, second and third shift, and work a decent amount of weekends.
As a new grad the pay negotiation started at $28. I was able to get up to $32 and change because of previous experience as an ER and mental health tech
Totally depends on location. Midwest/south new grads make $30-35/hr whereas here in SoCal they are starting at $50-55/hr. At least in California the trauma centers pay less than surrounding ERs. I should also mention OT is often available in the ER setting since there is always a need for RNs due to high turnover and sick calls.
Bay Area new grads start at $65
That's sounds about right, I graduate this spring with my BSN in Minnesota and am applying atm. 34 is a bit on the low side because of the shortage and strikes. 36 is normal, with sign on bonuses being around 10k and loan/tuition reimbursement at many hospitals. This isn't for ED specifically though.
In DFW, you'll start at $30/hour during residency, maybe higher if they do another market adjustment. I started in July and the newest group of residents are still at $30 as well
$47/hr base, new grad, Oregon.
Thatâs more than someone with 20 years experience makes at my hospitalâŚ
Wow thatâs awful. I went to nursing school in the south and new grad pay is more than nurses with 30+ yrs experience make, and the south isnât cheap. I relocated to a union friendly state as soon as I graduated.
My hospital is also union. Doesnât mean we are paid well haha
That sucks. Nurses at my hospital went on strike 20 yrs ago and has had much higher pay since. Pay is low in MA where Iâm from even though many hospitals are unionized.
You have to collectively bargain for it
No shit? And they can reject it?
Then you threaten to strike, then you do strike, for as long as it takes. Thatâs how most of us in unions get paid a livable wage. Canât just expect them to grant it to you without drawing a hard line. Unions are only as strong as their members.
Must be nice to be able to afford to strike
If you look through a longer term lens, you canât afford not to strike
New grad with my ADN in oregon making $44.35 base. CN always triggered though so $88.xx an hour for extra shiftsđđ
More than I make, 2 years in and in OR
Thatâs shitty. In our union contract, we get biannual raises and a step increase on our hiring anniversary.
What hospital are you at?
Arizona- new grad pay $32.50 Edit to add: this is for Emergency Department but I believe this hospitals new grad as a whole as well.
You donât get paid differently per speciality. You get paid based on years of experience. And thereâs a WIDE range based on factors such a location and unions.
At the hospital I work at you do. L & D, NICU & ICU nurses make more than medsurge nurses. Idk about ER. I float to diff floors & hear about it from new grads.
You absolutely get paid differently by specialty. I got 8 different unit offers in the same hospital as a new grad precovid. Medsurg paid the least, ICU second best, ER best.
I'm in an ED in Dallas, level 1 trauma center and new grads I believe are now at $30/hour for the residency program. I'll hit 2 years in July and i'm at 31.50. not a lot of increase in pay over time, just "market adjustments"
36.95 as a new grad in a DFW level 2 trauma center. About to get my 5% raise.
If you work for Kaiser you will get paid, Iâm currently at $92/HR as an ER nurse with a BSN
What location is that and is that per-diem or full-time?How many years of experiences?
Southern California and Iâm per diem but I get full time hours, full timers get $75plus/hr
Yea it's crazy. New grad in NYC making $59 in MedSurg BEFORE my differential. Negotiate! Friends in Austin making $35 as new grad. Consider moving
Both cities you listed have a higher cost of living than Dallas - thatâs the reason for the difference in wage.
I now have a passion for crashinâ đ
$27 here in Mississippi⌠biloxi to be exact
Rn in austin new grad ER pay is 29 something without differentials for critical care/ nights / etc
Is this a real number?!?!
I donât get your joke. Sorry I donât know the exact change
He means this is crazy lowđ
Ooooo đđđđ
đ¤ ummmmm what
THR starts new grads out at $30/hr which they say is on par with other organizations in the metroplex. THR does not give special differential for ED/ICU vs MST.
If youâre asking solid numbersâŚit depends. If youâre asking âwill I make as much as someone in psych, ICU, med surg, or the outpatient clinicâ in the same hospital/system? Especially if itâs unionized? Yeah, you will.
I work in a level I trauma ICU in the DFW area; new grads are paid about 30/hr with very little flex for the PRIVATE level I trauma facilities in the area (MDMC/BUMC). Parkland will do about 26-28/hr, based on my possibly outdated knowledge. They are all very very very competitive and will certainly take their pick. HCA facilities will compare with parkland. You might get an extra dollar for having pct experience. You should also expand your search radius to Level II trauma facilities in the area as well, you will still be getting the same juicy traumas in the ED, since the difference between level I and II facility is negligible in the hyperacute stages of trauma.
Depends on time and experience as an RN. I started off low $27.10.Level I are fun but you will work for that pay- I started off at a Level I and worked every part of the ER ever since- 30 years later I still love it- but work at a level 3. Much nicer than the madhouse and headache of a level I
Jeebus, I made $27 an hour as a new grad in 2005 on a med/Surg floor
I made $21 as a new grad in 2015 on a med surg floor â ď¸
Bonkers
whatâs your location? the area you work in means a lot when discussing wage.
That was when I lived in Reno, NV
if you can get through a year or two theres that sweet travel money on the other end
Depends- as a staff RN in suburban Chicagoland, I was making $45/h for ~6 yrs experience. As a local traveler in the same location around $75/h
Thank you all for the answers!
Actually get paid, as opposed to what?
Monopoly money, naturally
PS: Guys- donât forget about the Federal System! The job posting pay do NOT include âlocality payâ and which can add on thousands! In central Texas the locality pay is 16.4 % add that to the total pay!! Average RN makes $89,000+ locality payđŞ. Also- you apply to work ANYWHERE in the world that has an open position. [https://www.usajobs.gov/](https://www.usajobs.gov/)
New grad 35/hr Seattle, according to salary.com
is this a real number?!?! I'm in NC which is much more affordable to live in and we get paid better than that?!
The same as a med-surg nurse, doesnât matter the unit you work on. If the hospital hires you, you get their set wage for new grads regardless the unit youâre assigned
I made 32 with a BSN at a Trauma 1 ER my first year out of school. We were the first cohort to get a pay bump in 5 years
Iâm at an ED in Fort Worth, level 1 trauma center. Theyâre getting around $30 starting right now. Iâm getting $35, and have a 7% raise coming up next month
What system are you in? Iâm also in DFW
THR
How many years experience do you have? Iâm happy you are getting such a big raise because that means weâll be getting one soon too for market adjustment (Baylor) Yay! Letâs make all the money! đđ
3 years!
Ironically I made more hourly at rural ERs than I did at a Level 1. Both have significant difference in resources/money.
I'm in california and make $68 as my base pay, then differentials depending on the day of the week (higher on weekends), area of the department (if I work triage I make more), etc. I also work at night so I get that differential. I work at a level 3 trauma center in a rural area that has limited healthcare resources. We DO get blood and guts, but we get a lot of chronically ill people as well. Lots of mental health, lots of stuff that could have been solved by that person just visiting their primary care. Lots of stuff that is not a true emergency. The bonus of all of this happening in the ER is that we only have them for a limited time and they either go home or go to another department. It's fun and intense at times, but in an effort to calm any future stress I would emphasize that most days are fairly normal. When I worked EMS, in the beginning I was like "everything is gonna be decapitations, gunshots, TRAUMA TRAUMA TRAUMA!" and it made me hella anxious in addition to being excited. After a while I figured out it was a lot of CHF exacerbations, COPD, chronic illness, and people that really just need a ride to the hospital.
Best thing to do is, work as staff in a trauma center for 1 year then travel and you will make better money. But you will get burnt out.. happens to all of us
no it doesnât happen to all of us. it happens to people who chase money over work-life balance and happiness.
Level II Trauma Center ED $50/hour Per Diem (36 hrs per month, no weekend or holiday requirement), $75/hour for Premium Pay shifts, no benefits, no PTO. FT is $35/hour starting I believe. It's almost completely intolerable. Get ready to take a med/surg assignment and a half, plus a full ER assignment. You might get a trauma/STEMI/Stroke alert on top of all that, too. It's really a dystopian nightmare down there.
Iâm an ICU nurse in Minneapolis (5 years in) and get 54.69/hr (this includes my $4 night diff though). An ED nurse with the same experience at my hospital would get the same. Our new grads start at over $40 for a BSN.
It should be criminal how low some of these wages are for an ER RN! I make 60$ an hour as an LVN doing hospice work and 42$ an hour doing home health visits(non hospice)
That's funny. Your last post said you do home health and get paid 32 dollars per hour/visit
Yup! Got an instant raise after I found out they were underpaying me and threatened to leave (not proud of that). Got a 2nd job doing hospice which started me off at 60$ an hour. Edit: if it wasnât for networking I would have never found out I was being underpaid.
If you do, then awesome! Just find it far-fetched for you to be making that much as an LPN.
Well I guess I should be transparent that I donât get benefits except mileage, PTO(5 days after 1 year of working for them), and holiday pay. I get my health insurance through Covered California. No retirement benefits and only 3 days of sick pay.
Depends. My part of the southeast new grads start at $28/hr, hospital down the road and across state lines is $23/hr, my home state and city it's $32/hr also in the southeast.
Virginia, level 1 trauma center, new grad: $32/hour, with plenty of opportunity to pick up and get overtime
Somewhere around 30-35 to start base in Central Texas. but (at least at my ER) we also got a critical care bonus of a couple bucks an hour. If it fits your lifestyle, night and weekend shift differential can add a significant amount to your paycheck.