The Average Salary of a Geriatric Nurse
A geriatric nurse works with the elderly. Her patients represent older individuals who suffer from age-related illnesses. For instance, a geriatric nurse manages diabetes, respiratory diseases, hypertension or dementia related diseases. With the aging of the U.S. population as of 2010, hospitals and medical centers have hired an increasing number of nurses with geriatric specialization. Facing a shortage of professionals, medical centers must pay geriatric nurses well to attract and retain them.
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Average Salary
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Nurses specialized in geriatric earn an average income of $93,000 annually according to 2010 estimates from Indeed.com. This number is 32 percent higher than the average income of nurses without specialization. The compensation of geriatric nurses also varies with education, geographical location in the United States and the type of medical center where they work.
Education
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Each state governs the nursing profession with a Board of Nursing that grants entry into the nursing profession through two educational paths. Students can graduate from a state accredited two-year associate degree in nursing, called an ADN, or from a four-year bachelor's degree in nursing, a BSN, delivered by universities. The BSN accelerates advancement and boosts the average salary of a geriatric nurse to $97,000 annually. Therefore, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing recommends taking the time to pursue a four-year degree in nursing to enjoy a faster professional growth.
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Geographical Location
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Geriatric nurses working on the east coast garner the best incomes in the United States. Employers in New York State extend compensations averaging $110,000 annually in 2010, according to Indeed.com. Similarly, medical centers in Massachusetts pay their geriatric nurses an annual average of $104,000. In contrast, hospitals in Florida, a state welcoming many elderly to come and spend months in a warmer climate during the winter, pay geriatric nurses $90,000 on average.
Workplace
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Hospitals tend to pay the best compensations for geriatric nursing positions, based on data from Indeed.com. For instance, medical centers in Minnesota pay $101,000 on average for nurses in this specialization in 2010. Similarly, organizations with advocacy missions such as hospices also pay top compensations, about $100,000 on the average in Minnesota. In contrast, nursing homes in the same state extend annual compensations averaging $60,000.
Benefits
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Employers create generous benefit packages to encourage nurses with geriatric specialization to join their organization. In addition to healthcare coverage, nurses may have their school loan paid off or future schooling for advanced degrees subsidized by the medical center, writes NurseLink. Perks may include sign on bonuses of $1,000 to $5,000 based on data from Indeed.com. Stanford Medical Center ranks in first position in the NurseLink list of best employers for giving added holidays including the nurse's birthday and for having built a daycare and pre-school within the facilities to ease the family life of their medical professionals.
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References
- Indeed.com: Geriatric RN or Geriatric Nurse Salary
- Indeed.com: Salary of a Geriatric RN with a BSN
- The American Association of Colleges of Nursing: Your Nursing Career: A Look at the Facts
- Indeed.com: Geriatric Nurse Salary in New York State
- Indeed.com: Geriatric Nurse Salary in Medical Centers in Minnesota
- NurseLink: Hospitals with the Best Nursing Benefits
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
