Registered Nurse Salary Levels - How Much Do Nurses Get Paid?

There are many things that influence the registered nurse salary levels. Factors for determining salary include education level, years of experience, and training in specialized areas. Income levels are also impacted by the area of the country and the company that you are employed with. The number one positive influence on income potential is experience. Earning ability improves as the persons experience increase. Following graduation from an accredited nursing school it is imperative to get as much nursing experience as possible. It may take working extra hours in various areas of the field to acquire experience in different care circumstances. Years of experience will also determine the income level of an RN. The RN with ten years of experience can earn twenty eight dollars or more and hour, while the individual who only has one year of experience may earn only twenty one dollars an hour. Another factor of a persons earning potential is their job performance. An individual who performs their job well will most likely be rewarded with an increase in their pay. A good work ethic and a good reputation will follow the person throughout their career. The educational level of a nurse will influence their earning ability. Additionally, some schools are held in higher esteem than others due to their standards and caliber of caliber of education and their reputation. Anyone graduating from those particular schools benefit greatly from the programs reputation. Also considered is the type of degree that the individual has earned. An associate level RN is paid the least, while those with a bachelor degree earn higher salaries. A nurse with a masters degree earns even more. The number of openings in the field of nursing and the particular area of the field one works also dictates income level. For example, when the number of nurses needed increases the salaries tend to increase as well. Areas like geriatric care the need for specialty skilled individuals is constantly increasing. The need for nurses in elder care is increasing due to the growth in this segment of our population. In the US, a registered nurse working full time will earn an average salary of over sixty thousand dollars a year. If this is not incentive enough, the opportunity for employment is also increasing due to the fact that the older portion of our population is increasing. Also, the number of graduating RNs is not keeping up with the number of nurses who are starting to retire from the hospitals and other facilities. This trend is influencing the salary increases for nurses in an attempt to entice people to go to accredited schools to enter the nursing profession. Additionally, there are many hospitals and health care facilities that are now offering hiring bonuses as incentives for going to work for them. There are some bonuses that have gone as high as twenty thousand dollars. An individual can find the nursing profession very rewarding financially, and gain a sense of personal satisfaction from helping those in need.