-----Original Message-----
From: marsha r price 
Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 10:19:22 -0500
To: histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: Future Histotechs pay


> Dear histonetters,
> I was just curious if when the requirement that takes effect in 2005 that
> Histotechs have to have a minimum of an Associates in Science, if our pay
> was going to go up to match, lets say that of RN's (Nurses). That is what
> kind of degree that nurses have is an associates in Science.
> 
> Here is a little comparison. I have a friend that is a nurse that works
> for an agency and works 3/ 12 hour shifts a week. She makes $35 an hour
> and $45 an hour if she works on the weekends. She receives $37 a day per
> diem (she works approx 1 hour away from home).
> 
> I was offered a job in the same town as a histotech to work 3 days a week
> at $18 an hour, no per diem or any other incentives. 
> 
> Is our job considered less technical or less important than an RN's?
> There is from what I have been hearing an extreme shortage of histotechs,
> correct me if I am wrong. Maybe hospitals and labs should offer more
> incentives like higher pay, let histotechs work the 10 or 12 hour shifts
> etc. to attract more histotechs like the agencys are doing with the RN's.
> 
>  I have always loved histology and that is why I chose this over being a
> nurse, however, after taliking to my nurse friend, I am considering a
> career change, mainly because of the pay.
> 
> 
> Let me know what you histotechs think about this.
> 
> Just Curious Marsha

Histonetters,
I would like to clarify that the nurses that I am talking about are Associates degree (2 year degree) nurses. I do know a few nurses that went on to obtain their BS and even a few that went on to obtain their Masters, however, they were not compensated for obtaining the higher degree.

Accociates Degree RN's right out of school do have to work for a year for a meager $16 an hour before they can make the big bucks.But, that is the pay ($16 an hour) that a registered Histo tech makes with 10 + years of experience, give or take a few dollars.

I have seen more and more job postings recently for histotechs that require an associates and even BS degrees, but the pay is extremely low to me.

Histotechs pay in general have increased tremendously in the last few years (compared to 12 years ago when I first started out as an histotech) because of the shortage of histotechs on the rise and there is going to be an even worse shortage of histotechs with the new requirement of the AS in 2005. There are not that many histotech schools.

That is why I asked the question Will our pay go up with the higher education requirement? Also, with the shortage , that is only going to get worse, will this help us with more pay?

Just my two cents worth.

Marsha Price

 
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