Where you live and how you work will influence your pay no matter what your industry. In healthcare, where salaries are usually pretty predictable, both factors can be extremely influential in determining your earning potential.
It’s a sad fact that the best nurse in the world may very well be taking home the same pay as the worst. For most healthcare positions, merit does not factor heavily into what you make. Salaries are set by location, experience, and education.
In this article, we take a look at how you can use those factors to your advantage. Read on to learn more about how to boost your earnings in healthcare, even as a busy parent.
Location
Some states pay nurses more than others. California is most commonly the highest-paying state for nurses in the country. However, the state also has one of the highest costs of living in the United States.
In most cases, this is the pattern. States with higher nursing compensation are simply keeping pace with the cost of living expenses. In other words—you break even.
There are need-based exceptions to keep on your radar. Sometimes, nurses can make more money if they are willing to go to locations that are underserved. Travel nurses can make six figures annually by traveling to locations that are experiencing shortages.
They work for only a few months per location at a time. Then they move on to the next location. The challenge, of course, is that they lack the stability of a constant location. This can be hard for parents.
Still, some people enjoy the arrangement because they have more time off than most nurses. There are often gaps in between placements. You might have weeks, or even months off at a time in between your gigs. That will give you time to catch up with family, and maybe even do some leisure travel.
Best part? You don’t need an advanced degree to get this position. Travel nurses need only a compact nursing license—a certification that will allow them to work in almost every state.
Education Opportunities
The most straightforward path toward higher pay through education is to pursue a master’s degree. Through this credential, you can pursue leadership positions within the hospital or transition into a career as a nurse practitioner.
NPs have the autonomy to start their own practice in many states. Even in areas where the regulations are tighter, they still have the opportunity to focus on areas of medicine that interest them the most.
NPs can make more than $100,000 a year in many areas.
If nursing leadership is your interest, you may have a wide range of opportunities to keep in mind. Nursing leaders can go as high as the C-Suite, working as a Chief Nursing Officer. CNOs make $200,000+ per year and oversee many aspects of hospital life.
It takes 2-3 years to earn a master’s degree assuming that you go at a traditional pace. Of course, if you are a busy parent, finding time for graduate school may feel impossible. Are there educational routes that can expedite the process?
Consider Online Learning
Online learning opportunities are usually more flexible than traditional schooling routes. Even programs that follow a more traditional format of scheduled class times and live lectures still give you the opportunity to work from home. Simple skipping the commute can save you 5-10 hours a week. For a busy parent, that is valuable time that can be put into family life or even homework.
Some programs are even more flexible, consisting of pre-recorded lectures that allow you to work on a schedule that makes the most sense to you.
There is no situation where getting a master’s degree is easy, but it also doesn’t have to be impossible. Pick a program that makes the most sense to you, and avoid holding yourself to a stringent timeframe. It’s better to get your degree in five years rather than trying to do it in two and getting burnt out halfway through.
If graduate school sounds like more of a commitment than you are ready to make, there are other educational pathways nurses can take to improve their options and make more money.
The Power of Certifications
Certification programs are a good alternative to graduate school. While they will not allow you to work as a nurse practitioner or CNO, they do open the door to a wide variety of interesting and well-paying careers.
For example:
- Healthcare educators
- School nurses
- Forensic nurses
- Flight nurses
And many more healthcare jobs wait on the other side of a certification program.
The benefit is that you can usually start your dream job and then begin working on your certification program. After a certain amount of time—usually, between a few months and a few years—you will become fully certified, at which point you will gain more autonomy, and possibly a raise.
The nice thing about going this route is that the financial investment is a lot less significant. Often, your employer will pay for whatever classes are required.
Getting certified in a specialization can take a significant amount of time, but it won’t necessarily feel that way because you get to work the job you are passionate about almost immediately.
Ultimately, every parent is different. Do some digging. You will find that there are lots of ways to expand your options and increase your salary in the same move. Many of these paths are accessible even to the busiest of parents.
