Salary Negotiation Tips for Nurses

As discussed in our previous blog post on the nursing shortage and its impact on paychecks, right now is a great time for nurses to make good money. Because your skills are in high demand in hospitals and medical facilities around the country, you can command a higher paycheck. But it’s up to you to negotiate your salary — many nurses don’t negotiate their salaries at all, and women nurses are even less likely to do so as compared to men.

Here are some tips to make sure you negotiate the salary that you really deserve:

Determine Your Market Value

The first step to negotiating a great salary is to know your market value. This means how much money you should be making based on your qualifications and credentials, experience, skills, and location. You can determine this in a variety of ways — do some research online on websites like Glassdoor, or research government jobs and their corresponding pay scales through the Bureau of Labor Statistics. You can also talk to others in your profession to get a good idea of the range of salaries your peers are enjoying.

Make a List of Reasons Why You’re Valuable

This list is not to show to anyone, but instead to remind yourself of what unique skills, qualifications, and credentials you have that make you truly valuable. Do your best to come up with hard data — actual facts and figures — that demonstrate how you’ve made a difference in the past. Study this list carefully before you sit down for salary negotiations during the interview process so that you have a good case to back up your salary request.

Have an Ideal Figure in Mind

Based on your market value, your previous jobs, and your own needs and desires, come up with an exact figure that you would like to be offered. As is the case with any bargaining or negotiating situation, you’ll want to start negotiating high and then come down if the employer isn’t willing to offer that number. It’s important to also come up with a hard bottom-line number that you won’t go below. If the employer can’t agree to anything above that number, you must be willing to walk away from the negotiations.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Just as you would practice for a job interview, practice for your upcoming salary negotiations. If at all possible, learn something about the person with whom you’ll be negotiating (their position, their authority to set a salary, etc.) so that you’re not flying blind.

 

Negotiating a salary you deserve is a tricky aspect of the job market. But remember: you’re in a unique position to command a higher salary, and you’re worth it! Consider working with a recruiter to find your dream position and get even more great advice on negotiating your salary — contact BOS Medical today to get started.

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