In 2024, Monica and I each worked less than 20 hours a week as nurses. With our business, we expect to earn over $345,000 gross this year. Here’s the full breakdown, month by month.
We share this to show what’s possible with a bit of planning and some side income. We hope it gets you thinking about your own money in a new way.
These numbers are from December 2024, when this was first written. Pay changes every year, so check current rates in Map My Pay.
My nursing pay
- Hours worked: 881.37
- Hours a week on average: 18.36
- Gross pay so far this year: $121,896.47
- Net pay so far this year: $84,984.98
My hours stay about the same. You’ll still see jumps in my gross pay from things like overtime and referral bonuses.
Monica’s nursing pay
- Hours worked: 889.99
- Hours a week on average: 18.54
- Gross pay so far this year: $122,129.56
- Net pay so far this year: $82,556.66
Monica works per diem. Her pay dips when we’re on vacation or when she doesn’t pick up shifts. That’s the upside of per diem: you get to choose your shifts and still earn good money.
Our nurse pay, month by month
| Month | Gross | Net |
|---|---|---|
| January | $22,093.88 | $15,074.08 |
| February | $20,892.24 | $14,385.91 |
| March | $20,770.04 | $14,416.52 |
| April | $12,071.47 | $8,658.46 |
| May | $17,543.34 | $12,379.40 |
| June | $23,666.53 | $16,977.91 |
| July | $24,248.37 | $16,193.26 |
| August | $16,979.63 | $11,835.95 |
| September | $26,960.34 | $17,769.76 |
| October | $26,529.72 | $17,776.32 |
| November | $32,228.07 | $22,049.88 |
| Total | $243,983.63 | $167,517.47 |
If you want to see how this compares to other years, read how we made $47,071 as nurses in one month and our nurse pay in 2025, down to the hour.
Our business income
We don’t rely only on nursing. Our business makes money from our courses, spreadsheets and YouTube ads. Smaller amounts come from things like coaching calls and affiliate links.
Here’s our business income through the first week of December.
| Month | YouTube + TikTok | Other income | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | $1,474 | $1,278 | $2,752 |
| February | $3,190 | $2,102 | $5,292 |
| March | $2,203 | $1,139 | $3,342 |
| April | $1,550 | $828 | $2,378 |
| May | $1,749 | $3,665 | $5,414 |
| June | $1,643 | $21,762 | $23,405 |
| July | $1,200 | $10,052 | $11,252 |
| August | $1,028 | $4,529 | $5,557 |
| September | $1,064 | $1,015 | $2,079 |
| October | $1,463 | $2,836 | $4,299 |
| November | $1,763 | $3,458 | $5,221 |
| December | $663 | $1,275 | $1,938 |
| Total | $18,989 | $52,913 | $71,902 |
“Other income” is what we made from our course, our spreadsheets, affiliate links and coaching calls. June and July were our best months because course sales were strong.
What we expect for all of 2024
We used our numbers through November. For December, we used the average of the last three months on the nurse pay sheet. Here’s what we expect for the full year.
| Category | Projected amount |
|---|---|
| Gross nursing | $272,556.34 |
| Gross business | $72,853 |
| Total gross | $345,409.34 |
| Net nursing | $186,625.11 |
| Net business | $50,661.85 |
| Total net | $237,286.96 |
We earned all of this while each working less than 20 hours a week as nurses, on average. That’s the power of owning a business and having more than one source of income.
Lessons you can use
- Track everything. Use a spreadsheet or a budget app. When you know your numbers, you make better choices.
- Add more ways to earn. Nursing is great, but one paycheck can hold you back. Look for side income that works for you.
- Know your pay. Read your pay stubs so you see where your money goes and how taxes work. Find where you can earn more, like overtime, shift pay or referrals.
- Plan for ups and downs. Your hours can change. Build a budget that works for both big and small paychecks.
- Northern California wins. We could not earn this kind of nurse pay anywhere else in the country. If you want to earn the most, we think you should make the move.
We hope this look at our money shows you what you can do. That might mean earning more as a nurse, starting a side business or both. For more on side income, see the most profitable nursing businesses.
Your next move
See what you’d take home, then make the move
Map My Pay shows what nurses take home after taxes and rent at 465+ hospitals and in 21,000+ cities. It’s the app I co-founded so you can compare cities before you pack a single box.
The Nurses to Riches Accelerator is the plan Monica and I used to go from $37 an hour in New York to $143 an hour in California: license, city, hospital, and what to do with the money after.
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Every Accelerator plan is a one-time payment with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Written by Jason, RN. I went from $37 an hour in New York to $143 an hour in California and paid off $128K of debt in under a year. I share our numbers in the Nurses to Riches newsletter and on YouTube.