There is no doubt that the cost of health care is increasing. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer spending on health care “health care has gradually risen from about 5.3 percent to about 5.9 percent since 1997.” Demand and inflation has been causing the costs to go up sky high. And with the increase in costs come the rise of services associated with it, such as the cost of paying the salary of a nurse for his or her skill set. Hence, the nursing pay scale does not simply increase because there is a lack of nurses to fill the demand. Instead, there is a shortage of nurses because consumers, of all ages, are demanding more and more health care than ever before. Makes sense since we’re all living longer, we want to live healthier and actively.

In terms of how much nurses get paid, the national US average salary for nurses in 2008 was $31.31 per hour ($65,130 per year). Which is great considering that in the same year, the average US wage index is $41,334.97. Meaning that the average nurse get paid higher than the average American worker. The top earning nurses, by the way, made at least $44.35 per hour ($92,240 per year) in 2008. The lowest salary range for nurses was around $20.87 per hour ($43,410 a year). Still above the average US wage index.

As far as where nurses work, it’s not just hospitals. But hospitals are the most common places where nurses work. For those who did work in hospitals for the year 2008, the average nursing pay scale was $31.97 per hour. Nurses also work in Physicians Offices where they made an average of $31.28 an hour. Other places where they work include Home Health Care Services where the average salary of a nurse was $29.56 per hour. Two other places include Nursing Care Facilities ($28.06/hr or $58,360/year) and Nursing Agencies ($33.23/hr or $69,110/yr).

The highest paying states include California where the average salary of a nurse was $39.92 per hour. Within California, nurses who work in the San Jose - Sunnyvale areas had the highest salary average with $50.19 per hour ($104,400 per year). In fact, the top paying metro areas are in California, namely San Francisco - Redwood City where they made $46.49 per hour, Oakland - Fremont ($46.23 per hour or $96,150 per year), Visalia - Porterville ($49.84 an hour), and Napa Valley ($42.77 per hour or $88,970 per year).

Data source for the above is BLS.gov.

Now, to become a nurse requires completion of a college program. A bachelor’s degree is 4 years long and is offered in various private and public nursing school college. An associate degree takes about 2 years, typically from a junior college. And a diploma program can take from months up to 3 years, usually through a trade school.

Of course, a health career that makes a great alternative to nursing is to become a massage therapist.

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