Monica and I each worked under 20 hours a week in 2023. I still earned $106,775 and Monica earned $138,875, and the year was not over yet. This is how we did it.
These numbers are from December 2023, when this was first written. Pay changes every year, so check current rates in Map My Pay.
Where nurses get the best value
I always tell nurses to move to a city with high pay and a low cost of living. I have done years of research on this. The cities with the best value are in Northern California. Nurses here can earn over $200,000 a year with no overtime.
Monica works per diem, and I’m a staff nurse with benefits. This year, we each worked under 20 hours a week. As a staff nurse, I only have to work 20 hours or more to get benefits. That means health and dental coverage, paid time off, a birthday holiday, floating holidays, weekend pay, run pay and more.
If per diem sounds good to you, read about per diem nurses who still get benefits in California.
My numbers
I worked an average of 16.03 hours a week. I earned a gross total of $106,775 and took home $6,420.25 a month.
Monica and I always put the max into our 401(k)s each year. That is why our take-home pay is lower than it could be.
Monica’s numbers
Monica worked an average of 19.61 hours a week. She earned a gross total of $138,875 and took home $7,562.58 a month.
Our combined numbers
These totals cover January 1 through December 2. Our total for the year will go up by the end of December. Our monthly pay will stay about the same.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Combined take-home pay per month | $13,982.83 |
| Spending per month | $8,185.05 |
| Cash left over per month | $5,797.78 |
| Average hours worked per week | 17.48 |
We spend $8,185.05 a month to live. We brought home $13,982.83 a month and worked 17.48 hours a week on average. That left us $5,797.78 a month after all of our bills were paid.
Our business income
We also made around $32,000 from our business so far this year. That came from YouTube and sales on our website. That is an average of $2,920 a month through the end of November.
We used to work more hours
If you have followed us since we started the channel, you know we used to work an average of 24 to 30 hours a week. Over the past 4 to 5 years, we were easily earning between $15,000 and $19,000 a month after taxes.
Some people will tell you California costs too much to live in. If they make you doubt your move, send them this post. To see how we got here, read how Monica and I paid off $128K of debt and what we earned the next year.
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.