By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: What is the Salary Outlook Difference for a BSN vs. RN Career?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Medical Education > What is the Salary Outlook Difference for a BSN vs. RN Career?
Medical EducationNursing

What is the Salary Outlook Difference for a BSN vs. RN Career?

Ryan Ayers
Ryan Ayers
Share
5 Min Read
bsn vs rn salaries
Shutterstock Photo License - By Rawpixel.com
SHARE

Nurses proved their importance hundreds of times over during the COVID pandemic, and many young people want to follow in the footsteps of these pandemic heroes. Due to the extenuating circumstances, many nurses also quit during the pandemic, leaving many vacancies in the profession.

With many job opportunities, rewarding work, a variety of nursing specialties, and very competitive salaries, nursing is a great career choice and is expected to be for a long time. The two most popular education ?destinations? for nursing students are registered nurse (RN) and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and understanding the difference between the two should be a very early step in any aspiring nursing student?s journey.

Here is a closer look at the description, some potential jobs, and salaries for both. You should understand the outlook as you pursue a career as a nurse after the pandemic.

Description

More Read

Mastering During Difficult Situations with Patients
Promoting cultural competence in nursing: strategies for enhancing diversity and inclusion
Post or Perish? Disseminating Scientific Research and the Kardashian Index
5 Mistakes that Can Ruin a New Nurse’s Career
Cliff Diving for Healthcare Innovation

RN ? The RN after a nurse?s named is given after passing a credential examination. Though RNs sometimes pursued a BSN degree, the major difference between RNs and BSNs is that one is a degree and one is a credential. The RN credential can be achieved without a BSN degree, and with that in mind the RN options for employment are a bit fewer, but an individual can generally get the required education to qualify for RN jobs in 2 or 3 years.

BSN ? BSNs are degrees, just like a Bachelor of Science in Computers or something of the like. These degrees don?t legally qualify individuals for any type of nurse work, but they contain the education to prepare RNs, LPNs, and more, and also serve as a requirement for anyone looking to pursue postsecondary education in nursing, for example an MSN or Master?s in Nursing.

Job Options

RN ? Registered nurses have a lot of options for both sites of care and types of care, but hospitals are the most common. Ambulance services also employ RNs, as do schools, nursing homes, public health centers and military contractors. Generally, RNs are primary caretakers in a given area of a hospital, but must maintain knowledge across a wide breadth of health subjects, especially those in places like emergency rooms. There are a lot of career options for nurses with different specialties.

BSN ? BSN is a degree, so it does not ?officially? make anyone a nurse, as the RN credential does. However, the curriculum is very wide and those with BSN degrees can pursue nursing practices like those of RNs, but can also pursue careers in anatomy, pharmacology, reproductive care, or nursing research. Those who wish to pursue higher educations in nursing must follow this path, though it is fairly easy to re-enter nursing school for anyone who may have pursued a two-year degree and entered the workforce for a while.

Salary Outlook

RN ? RN salaries fluctuate fairly drastically from locale to locale, but they are generally based on cost of living, and above the median income. In California, RNs average of more than $100,000 per year as of May 2019, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In South Dakota, the average salary is half of that, but, again, cost of living is the reason for these differences, and the jobs are quite similar no matter where they are performed.

BSN ? As BSN degrees can lead to such a wide variety of jobs, a ?typical? salary is tough to nail down for those with the degree. Jobs they lead to, though, include: transplant nurse, nutritionist, rehab nurse, hospice care specialist, nursing informatics professional, or nurse managers and supervisors, each with different, but very competitive salaries relative to non-healthcare jobs.

Future

The job outlook for both RNs and those who pursue other deviations off the BSN path can pursue their educations very confidently, as even before the pandemic, the fact that baby boomers were entering their 60s also caused for increased healthcare needs. The future is very bright for healthcare professionals, even though the last year has not been.

TAGGED:BSNnursingRN
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share
By Ryan Ayers
Follow:
Ryan Ayers has consulted a number of Fortune 500 companies within multiple industries including information technology and big data. After earning his MBA in 2010, Ayers also began working with start-up companies and aspiring entrepreneurs, with a keen focus on data collection and analysis.

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

a woman walking on the hallway
6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
Health
September 9, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
Global Healthcare
September 9, 2025
travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025

You Might also Like

Continuing Physician Education: A Key Lynchpin in Quality Care

August 28, 2012
Medical EducationSpecialties

What High School Health Class Didn’t Teach You About STD Testing

January 1, 2020
BusinesseHealthMedical EducationTechnology

Working From Home In Healthcare: Can You Adapt To Remote Work?

July 30, 2019
dermatology: skin diagram
Medical Education

Which Medical Specialty Should Medical Students Choose?

October 1, 2014
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?