What do rns get paid

Typically more expensive areas, such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York pay more than places where housing is more affordable.

This makes sense to provide a nurse with a job which will pay the bills and cover housing wherever they live. Highly sought after locations where people tend to vacation, such as Hawaii, may have a high cost of living and high housing costs, but pay less than places where living is cheaper because so many nurses want to work in this tropical paradise.

The supply of nurses is high so facilities can pay less and still attract employees simply because of their location. However, the same holds true for the opposite. Less sought after locations may pay more to attract good nurses. Think rural small towns. So utilizing the location factor for making a lot of money in nursing comes down to finding a location where you wouldn't mind living, even for a little while, that has a low cost of living and pays the most.

A great way to explore options such as these is by being a traveling nurse. Typically, in the field of nursing, the more education the nurse has, the more he or she gets paid.

Research has shown that hospitals who employ nurses with higher education have reduced mortality rates, better patient outcomes, and improved job satisfaction. This, and the ever-growing supply of nurses with advanced degrees, motivates healthcare employers to seek and hire registered nurses with more education. To ensure maximum salary-earning potential over the long-term it is wise for nurses to earn as much education as possible.

Advancing education in nursing will never be a negative on a resume and learning more about taking better care of one's patients is rewarding on a personal level, as well as a professional one. Completing certifications within one's specialty may also increase salary. Each nursing specialty has it's own certification.

Read more here. Registered nurses will earn more money as experience increases. Experienced nurses with lower education levels may even earn more than new graduate nurses with higher education levels.

However, eventually, the nurse with higher education will have a bigger salary, in more healthcare facilities. Many facilities have a set pay scale and experience-level is the largest factor in determining starting salary. This is especially true for those hospitals with nursing unions.

Learn more about the BSN nurse roles. Pay may vary by specialty because the facility may be trying to attract more nurses to one particular area where they have a lot of need. Labor and delivery, emergency, and intensive care are usually higher paid than medical-surgical positions due to their increased demand.

Each facility usually has a set amount of money for new graduate nurses and it goes up from there with annual raises. Many facilities have a set pay structure for years of experience for experienced nurses.

Certifications and whether the nurse has a Bachelor's degree or Associate's degree is also considered in determining pay. Typically a percentage is added into the RNs pay for each. Similar certifications are available for almost every specialty in nursing. A certified registered nurse anesthetist CRNA is one of the highest-paid nursing specialties.

Registered nurses need additional certification in order to pursue this career path. Licensed vocational nurses LVNs and Licensed practical nurses LPNs have the least education requirements among nurses and therefore tend to make lower incomes than other nursing specialties.

LVNs and LPNs can increase their income by getting an associate degree or a bachelor's degree in nursing. Some registered nurses get paid hourly, and overtime and other registered nurses get paid a base salary. Whether you get paid hourly, or salary will depend on your workplace. Registered nurses RNs with higher education and specialization make the most money. RNs with a master's degree can become nurse practitioners or specialize in an area such as a nurse anesthetist or gerontological nurse.

Check the below indeed career pages for the detailed pay ranges for the similar professions to registered nurse:. Registered nurses can make more money by picking up overtime shifts, pursuing travel nursing, or going back to school to learn a specialty that will allow them to earn more. Education and specialization are the top ways to earn more as a nurse. Build a career you'll love What. Per hour Per day Per week Per month Per year.

Average base salary Data source tooltip for average base salary. Additional compensation Data source tooltip for additional compensation.

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