A study of salary and compensation among leaders in nursing found high job satisfaction in the field and wide range in salaries, with most reaching the highest pay after about 10 years in the career.
The study, published by the American Organization of Nurse Executives, found that 81 percent of the survey respondents were either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their jobs. When the surveyed nursing leaders were asked why they continued to serve in their current positions, the top response--from 47 percent of the respondents--was “I find joy and meaning in my work,” according to the study.
Most respondents, about 70 percent, also felt that their healthcare systems treat nurses as equal to other departments.
Salaries for those nurses surveyed varied from less than $60,000 to more than $250,000. The highest percentage, 10 percent, earned between $100,000 and $109,000, according to the study. Half of the responding nurses earned between $90,000 and $149,000.
Hitting the 10-year mark in the career is a tipping point for salary increases, according to the study. About two-thirds of respondents with less than 10 years of experience earned a salary below $130,000, according to the study.
The salaries for nurses on average have flatlined in recent years, but studies have shown that nurses are satisfied with this, and tend to be more dissatisfied with where they work, FierceHealthcare previously reported.
To learn more:
- read the AONE report (.pdf)
Related Articles:
Nurses satisfied with salaries, but not with where they work
No satisfaction: Nurses’ salaries remain flat
5 states that pay the highest nurse salaries