In order to help nurses realize their earning capacity through education, state-led organizations such as the Georgia Nursing Leadership Coalition are researching ways to raise the percentage of BSN-educated nurses by recruiting nurses with doctorate degrees to teach nursing students interested in earning BSNs.
According to the Georgia Nursing Action Coalition, in another statewide effort to support BSN nurses, the Georgia Board of Regents has allocated $2.5 million dollars to schools and professional associations actively engaging in practices that will result in producing nurses with bachelor, master, and doctorate level degrees.
Fortunately for students and licensed nurses alike, the Georgia Board of Nursing currently recognizes thirty-three colleges and universities throughout the state that offer approved BSN and RN-BSN degree programs.
In 2013, the American Association of Colleges of Nurses released a report indicating there were 6,002 students enrolled in bachelor-level nursing programs in Georgia. In that same year, the state was honored to graduate 3,314 students from bachelor and graduate-level nursing programs, and this number is expected to continue rising.
BSN Nurses Earn Higher Pay Than ADN Nurses in Georgia
Local employers award BSN nurses higher pay rates because they have received more rigorous clinical training and science-based learning than lesser-educated nurses in Georgia. Also, BSN nurses are typically placed in roles that require greater responsibility, which employers compensate them for accordingly.
In 2012, the Georgia Department of Labor reported that ADN nurses working in the state earned an average annual salary of $52,089 and an average hourly wage of $25.05.
Yet, in that same year, BSN nurses employed in Georgia earned a much larger average annual salary of $71,690 and an average hourly wage of $34.46.
Regional Pay Averages for BSN Nurses in Georgia
Since BSN nurses are paid higher salaries than ADN nurses, they consistently earn within the 75th and 90th salary percentiles in their occupation (top 10-25%). However, a BSN nurse’s average pay may vary depending on their geographic location of employment.
In 2013, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics provided the data found in the table below to reflect the regional pay differences between registered nurses working in major metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas of Georgia: