What Will I Be Paid As a New Graduate RN?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the number of new jobs for nurses should increase by about 22 percent from 2008 to 2018. The bureau also notes the median annual salary of all registered nurses was $63,750 as of May 2009. The question that often arises among new nursing students and nursing school candidates is what will new graduates be paid as they finish nursing school and pass their national licensing exams.
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Pay by Experience
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Starting salaries for registered nurses compares favorably with the salaries of other nurses nationwide who fall within the range of the national median salary noted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to PayScale Inc., nurses with less than one year of experience made a salary range of $38,256 to $52,092, as of February 2011. The jump in pay for nurses with one to four years of experience is more noticeable on the higher end of the scale. These nurses made between $40,578 and $59,201 per year. Nurses with five to nine years of experience see an even greater increase to a range of $47,670 $65,538. Nurses with 10 to 20 or more years of experience made between $49,833 and $73,791.
Pay by Location
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Drexel University notes new nursing school graduates receive higher pay if they work in large metropolitan areas rather than in small rural communities. Salaries in several of the larger U.S. cities also compare favorably with national averages and exceed the starting pay for nurses nationwide. In New York City, for example, nurses earn an average salary of $53,093 to $76,498 per year as of 2011. PayScale Inc. notes that nurses in Los Angeles made slightly less than those in New York, making between $50,011 and 74,872 per year. Nurses in other cities like Houston, Dallas, Philadelphia and Atlanta all report similar results.
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Pay by Employer
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A nurse's salary can also vary by employer. According to PayScale Inc., the lowest paid nurses are typically those who work for school districts, while those who work for the federal government, hospitals, state and local governments, and those who do contract nursing work are among the highest paid nurses in the field. Falling between the two extremes were nurses working for private companies, colleges and universities, and nonprofit organizations.
Pay by Certification
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Nursing school graduates that obtain certifications in certain fields of nursing can make additional compensation. PayScale Inc. notes, for instance, that registered nurses with a specialization in critical nursing made a median salary of $980 more per year as of 2011. Nurses with certifications in pediatric advanced life support, advanced cardiac life support, CPR, basic life support and neonatal resuscitation also received bonus pay.
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References
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