There are many among us who would like to pursue the noble profession of nursing, and would like to know about the salary range. If you want to know about them, along with the different types involved in the service, you will find this article to your liking.
Since the time of Florence Nightingale, there have been many who would have liked to follow her footsteps, and dedicate their lives to nursing, the profession of helping others. In today’s world, there have been many developments in the medical field, and there is a need for expert caregivers.
Job Description and Educational Qualifications
Nurses are the most important part of the healthcare system, as they assist doctors by carrying out physical examinations of the patients, diagnosing the symptoms, administering IVs, and giving medication under the doctor’s supervision. A nurse is the first line of contact in the healthcare industry; these professionals gather and partake necessary information, before patients meet doctors. The duties include gathering samples like blood, sputum, and urine for laboratory investigations, and providing pre and post checkup guidance and instructions. As there are different types of doctors, the nurses who assist them need to specialize in performing different types of duties. There are the ones who specialize in pediatric care, neonatal care, operating room assistants, anesthetist, etc. There are different levels involved like registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs). Requirements to become a professional in this field include a two-year Associate degree after your high school diploma, a three-year diploma course in a nursing program, and a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing. There are various schools that provide the required courses. After obtaining the relevant educational qualification, you also need to pass the National Council Licensure Examination, and acquire a license to practice.
Salary Information
The average salary of these professionals depends a lot upon the nature of care they provide, and the orientation of the patients, in addition to the specialty they are practicing in. Nurses working in the neonatal department have a different set of responsibilities and pay structure than the ones working for general physicians.
Registered Nurse
There are more than 200,000 such professionals in America, and 60 percent of them are employed by hospitals across the nation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, their average annual salary is around USD 62,000. Around 50 percent of them earned between USD 51,000 and USD 76,000, while the highest 10 percent earned more than USD 92,000 annually.
Neonatal Nurse
Registered nurses, working in the neonatal intensive care unit, earn comparatively higher salaries than the rest of them. The salary earned by neonatal nurses is, however, dependent on the years of experience they have, and the hospital they work for. The salary range can be anywhere between USD 50,000 and USD 72,000, depending on the years of experience they have. Professionals working in cities like New York, Atlanta, Denver, and Los Angeles can earn an average USD 60,000 annually, while the ones working in cities like Tulsa, Miami, and Tampa can earn around USD 57,000 in the same period. On the other hand, smaller cities like Birmingham and Nashville pay around USD 46,000 to such professionals.
Pediatric Nurse
These professionals are responsible for the care of young children, and usually assist pediatricians. They earn an average per hour salary of USD 21 to USD 30, and per year salary of USD 42,000 to USD 66,000. They also earn bonuses, ranging from USD 450 to USD 1,100. A state-wise salary survey observed that California paid around USD 25 to USD 41 per hour to such professionals, Florida paid between USD 23 and USD 30, and Texas paid around USD 17 to USD 26 per hour.
General Nurse
The average nurse practitioner salary is between USD 67,000 and USD 85,000 annually, and the hourly nurse assistant salary is between USD 9 and USD 13. The nurse anesthetist salary is a whopping USD 100,000 to USD 155,000. The healthcare industry also has traveling (or freelance) nurses, and their salary is also lucrative; they earn around USD 30 to USD 40 hourly.
Thus, the salary in this field can be very remunerative, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses (RNs) constitute the largest healthcare occupation, with around 2.6 million jobs.