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New Grad Salary - Trauma PA


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I recently passed my PANCE and have been offered a trauma position at a level I hospital. I really want to pursue a trauma career and I am very excited to have the opportunity as a new grad. The offer is $35.89/hour but salary position, therefore no overtime or holiday pay. It works out to about $74,651 which is below the national average for new grad salaries.  Malpractice is covered but no CME coverage. I've been told the  hospital does provide enough opportunities to meet the minimum amount of CMEs though. Vision, dental, and medical insurance. PTO is accrued the more time I work, which I'm pretty sure is standard for all hospitals. (?) And that works out to about 4 weeks vacation time, of my PTO. I've talked to former preceptors, professors, and other PAs, most say this is low, but also a difficult to position to get as a new grad. Also, this is in South Florida... which I know is saturated with PAs therefore lower average salary. I would just like a little more input. Thanks!

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S. FL may be saturated, but it also has a high COL.  Florida in general tends to pay a little less (no state tax) but that offer is still insulting.

 

I know a hospital in Tampa that states their low-mid range as $40-46/hr.  Still seems low but Tampa doesn't have quite the COL as S.FL.  I have also been told to "consider the reputation of the hospital as a benefit".  No really, a specific place in FL actually told me that when I was negotiating (not for PA, but for another healthcare field).  Sorry, HR, but reputation doesn't pay my bills.  (It also was definitely only locally known)

 

If you don't take the position, someone else will. Try to negotiate your way up or move on (and out of the state).

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Agreed that is low but seems to be a trend. When I graduated some 5 years ago salaries/wages for brand new grads were 45/hr 90k ish. But lately, at least on this forum, new grads are getting 70k to as low as 60k. What gives?

 

Sent from my S5 Active...Like you care...

I think this says more about the demographic of folks coming out of pa school today. employers think they can get away with it because some of these folks have never had a real job before and 65-75k seems like a lot of money if you are 24 yrs old and your only prior job paid 10/hr as a cna. I'm guessing they wouldn't try to low-ball some 30+ yr old with a prior job hx making 50k/yr + because they know they would laugh in their face and walk away. employers will pay the least they think they can get away with. if we ALL refuse job offers for less than 40/hr (except for a residency) , those offers will go away.

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I think this says more about the demographic of folks coming out of pa school today. employers think they can get away with it because some of these folks have never had a real job before and 65-75k seems like a lot of money if you are 24 yrs old and your only prior job paid 10/hr as a cna. I'm guessing they wouldn't try to low-ball some 30+ yr old with a prior job hx making 50k/yr + because they know they would laugh in their face and walk away. employers will pay the least they think they can get away with. if we ALL refuse job offers for less than 40/hr (except for a residency) , those offers will go away.

I think this is spot on. Being in that 35+ crowd and having had several jobs making decent money, there is no way I'm taking a job making this kind of money after I graduate this December. During a residency I expect to be paid way less, but that's about the only time I would take something that low. It's really hard to believe that the offers in FL are really this low! 

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It's not just Florida. My first offer in Chicago was $77K for a high-responsibility/autonomy nights job in a competitive surgical specialty. I refused. They subsequently offered it to at least two (that I know of) classmates of mine who also turned it down. There is a literally a line of fresh grads waiting to be underpaid in these saturated areas.

 

OP, don't do it. You deserve better. I know it's the specialty you want but you have to think of your career trajectory. Unless this job is going to turn you into a Super PA with mad skillz you can immediately leverage into a better offer in your next position, that salary will set you up for a struggle down the road.

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This seems crazy to me. I can only speak from being in NYS but the PAs who work in our Emergency Department were started as new grads at $92.5k with 6 weeks PTO and 1 week PTO for CME. They also get OT pay, health insurance, and bonuses as far as I know! This is in western NY (Rochester).

I did a rotation in rochester in em at a trauma ctr there. loved the area and wanted to stay, but wife said too cold.

ended up taking a good job right out of school that took me 5 years to get to the level you just posted above....20 years ago...

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This seems crazy to me. I can only speak from being in NYS but the PAs who work in our Emergency Department were started as new grads at $92.5k with 6 weeks PTO and 1 week PTO for CME. They also get OT pay, health insurance, and bonuses as far as I know! This is in western NY (Rochester).

yeah, but South Florida vs. Rochester... unless you are from Rochester, it is not a fun place to be

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It's not just Florida. My first offer in Chicago was $77K for a high-responsibility/autonomy nights job in a competitive surgical specialty. I refused. They subsequently offered it to at least two (that I know of) classmates of mine who also turned it down. There is a literally a line of fresh grads waiting to be underpaid in these saturated areas.

 

OP, don't do it. You deserve better. I know it's the specialty you want but you have to think of your career trajectory. Unless this job is going to turn you into a Super PA with mad skillz you can immediately leverage into a better offer in your next position, that salary will set you up for a struggle down the road.

 

What about PAs, in Chicago, that have been working for a few years? Would an experienced PA be able to crack the 100k mark for the surgical specialty that offered you 77k?

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What about PAs, in Chicago, that have been working for a few years? Would an experienced PA be able to crack the 100k mark for the surgical specialty that offered you 77k?

 

I don't know. I moved out of state for a much better offer and I haven't kept track of the job market in Chicago for PAs with experience. But I doubt it. It was at an academic hospital with salary ranges, and those people don't tend to negotiate much when it comes to contracts.

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I don't know. I moved out of state for a much better offer and I haven't kept track of the job market in Chicago for PAs with experience. But I doubt it. It was at an academic hospital with salary ranges, and those people don't tend to negotiate much when it comes to contracts.

 

Wow thats crazy to think that surgical PAs in Chi, with years of experience, are making ~80k a year. I've heard that nurses could pull in that much working 3 12's. Obviously no one should go into medicine for the money but still tough break.

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And Letchworth/Adirondacks/Finger Lakes nearby... Gimme WNY all day, everyday.

 

Absolutely; I spent my undergrad days up there and worked as a paramedic in Rochester.  Like EMED, I've tried to convince my wife to move there, but I can't sell her on the lake effect snow....

 

Thankfully my son just started his freshman year at Brockport, so I've got 4 more years worth of visits to Rochester!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Rochester for the win!! :)

 

I do HATE the snow but if the salary in NYS in really that much higher than what is being posted in other states... I might have to tough it out here because 26 years just isn't enough torture! :)

 

I'm not sure if the 92.5k is before or AFTER we get slaughtered with taxes... but with OT ability, maybe it is still great - plus the benefits!

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  • 1 month later...

This seems crazy to me. I can only speak from being in NYS but the PAs who work in our Emergency Department were started as new grads at $92.5k with 6 weeks PTO and 1 week PTO for CME. They also get OT pay, health insurance, and bonuses as far as I know! This is in western NY (Rochester).

what hospital in rochester?

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