BSN Degrees

Are you interested in making more money as a nurse? In this field, one of the fastest ways to earn a higher salary is to go back to school for an advanced degree. While earning a BSN will still only allow you to work at the RN level, advanced training means that employers will trust you with more advanced tasks and you can take on management roles. Let’s take a look at the average salary you can expect as an RN with a BSN.

Entry-Level Salary as a Nurse with a BSN

Many employers don’t look for RNs with a specific type of degree – because of the national nursing shortage, they’re simply hoping to hire more nurses, whether they have a BSN or they have just an associate’s degree or a diploma. When you first start working at a new facility, there won’t be much difference as to what you can do anyway (versus what someone with a lower level degree can do). However, most employers offer a salary differential to nurses who have a BSN. This means that on top of your base salary, you’ll earn additional bonus money based on the number of additional credits you’ve completed. When you first start, this is typically only $2500-$3500 more than what you’d earn with an associate’s degree or diploma, but there will also be a difference in the salary increases you receive incrementally. Over the course of several years, you’ll earn a substantially higher salary if you have a bachelor’s degree.

Salary by Job Title

Most workers with BSNs simply hold the title “registered nurse,” and according to PayScale.com, as an RN with a BSN, you can expect to earn an average of $56,157 annually. You can make more if you move into a leadership position. For example, nurse directors make an average of $79,543 per year and nurse case managers make and average of $61,919 per year. If you work in a high-stress environment, you’ll also make more money. Emergency room nurses, for example, make an average of $64,980 annually. To work in these positions, you often have to have some experience as a nurse, but since most hospitals are in dire need of nurses, there are even entry-level leadership positions to be found.