How are nursing wages calculated?

Are they done differently in different states. I am doing some research and would like to know if anyone knows of any good sources to see how these are calculated. I imagine its an hourly thing but with labor unions and overtime, is there any difference between a nurse and say a plumber? Not to disrespect either profession but I am just in need of some solid info, thanks all who respond.

Nurses are paid based on a variety of levels.

First: Location - Where you live depends on how much you paid directly by the cost of living. A nurse will be paid higher in NYC verses, say Kentucky.

Second: Specialty - A nurse who works in a regular medical surgical unit, or a hospice care center will make less than an ICU nurse will. It depends on what training you have. There are many specialties in nursing, all of which have varying levels of pay.

Third: Experience - A third year nurse will not be paid as much as a 20 year nurse.

Fourth: Education - A nurse with a bachelors degree verses a nurse with an associates in nursing will make more. Likewise, a nurse practitioner, with a masters degree will make a lot more.

If you research individual hospitals and look for jobs available to nurses, you will notice that the hospital will pay the nurse mainly on their level of experience and the area of nursing the job entails. Most nurses work on an hourly basis.

Plumbers do better than nurses.
Nurses wages are set by how low the hospital can go before the nurses start getting jobs at Hooters.

no