Nurses in Ohio are becoming increasingly aware that earning a BSN degree means bigger paychecks. As BSNs continue to be favored among nursing employers, more of Ohio’s nursing students are pursuing this valuable, and financially lucrative path to licensure.
In 2013, the Ohio Board of Nursing reported that 45% of the state’s registered nurse workforce already held a baccalaureate degree or higher in nursing. In that same year, an impressive 37% of registered nurses planned to return to school to earn a BSN or higher in nursing.
Some nurses cite college tuition costs as a stumbling block for earning a BSN. Fortunately, esteemed state nursing organizations, such as the Ohio Nurses Foundation, help to alleviate the financial burden for nursing students with high educational ambitions.
For example, the Ohio Nurses Foundation offers the “Students Returning to School to Major in Nursing” scholarship, which grants $1,000 per academic year to individuals working or living in Ohio that intend to pursue a nursing career in the state. Registered nurses are not eligible for this scholarship.
However, the Ohio Nurses Foundation also offers an “RNs Majoring in Nursing” scholarship option. This scholarship gifts $1,000 per academic year to registered nurses that live or work in Ohio and plan on practicing in the state. This opportunity is exclusively available to registered nurses.
Comparing Salaries Between ADN and BSN Educated RNs in Ohio
As the link between earning a BSN and earning higher salaries continue to become more apparent, Ohio nursing schools are experiencing larger enrollments.
In 2013, the American Association of Colleges of Nurses reported that there were 17,356 students enrolled in baccalaureate nursing programs in Ohio. In that same year, the state successfully graduated 7,129 students from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs.
The reason BSN nurses are treated to higher salaries is because they receive more extensive science-based learning with greater access to clinical instruction, which makes them more versatile and experienced than their ADN-educated coworkers.
According to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, ADN nurses currently earn an average annual salary of $45,630 and an average hourly wage of $22.00. On the other hand, BSN nurses earn a much higher average annual salary of $96,320 and an average hourly wage of $46.00.
Regional Pay Averages for BSN Nurses in Ohio
Because of their higher education levels, BSN nurses earn within the 75th and 90th percentiles for their occupation (top 25% and 10%). In 2013, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics produced the data found in the following data to show the differences in regional pay averages among nurses working throughout Ohio: