To Old for Navy Nuke Career?

[zjv244]

While I'm concerned for the post military options as far as civilian careers are concerned...I still wish to be a Navy Nuke. Certainly I think any salary I achieve is better then my current 20k (if I work overtime like crazy). I just really want to challenge myself, and frankly I'd love to work with my DEP pool's current Nukes.  A greater bunch of crazy, nerdy, and freaky guys a man couldn't ask more for.

My test as it stands is May 16...that and my waiver will ultimately decide my decision. Worst case, my recruiter wants me to go into  a "crypto" field. I didn't think the Navy would want to shift me around this much, defiantly different then my Uncle's days.

[Starkist]

Just wanna chime in,

My RN mother who has been an RN for about 30 years makes about 38$ an hour. Starting salaries in the midwest are around 15-20$ for BS RN's.  Initial salary averages for the nation for RN's is $45,040.  Median salary is $65,470 nationwide, with top 10% making $94,720.

On glassdoor, average starting salary for Nuclear Operators (non licensed) was $64,090 based on 2004 numbers (cant find anything recent). Median salary is $72,000 on indeed.com's job listings.  That doesn't include outage bonuses and forced overtime Id imagine.


Not saying RN's don't do well for themselves, but I have plenty of friends relatively fresh out of school making almost no money paying off student loans for their nursing degree. My wife's sister is a magnum cum laude graduate from UofM with a nursing degree, and had no problem finding a job.... she started ~20$ an hour at the local big wig hospital.  There's decent money in operations; I don't think anyone here is denying that. Job stresses and responsibilities are the key factors I guess. If you hated your job at 35$ an hour, or loved your job at 20-25$ an hour, whats better over all? Thats really all thats being discussed.

1) True, $35/hr for a 40 hour week, 50 weeks a year is around $72k/year, but doesn't account for overtime (which I admit I try not to figure in when looking at pay). However, I've seen about a dozen or so postings in the last few weeks for NLOs, this is the only one I've seen with the pay posted.

2) I will also agree I don't know how the jobs are for the civilian nuclear world right now either, so it might require a little extra effort on the sailors part to prepare for separating.

3) There are plenty of nukes that get their degrees using TA. It's somewhat difficult when on a sub (Full disclosure: I'm a surface guy, I know nothing about sub life), but on a carrier or on shore duty is completely possible with a little effort. So this point is somewhat invalid.

I agree, employers will not be "begging" navy nukes to work for them. It does require a little effort on our part to find the job, but a navy nuke can find jobs that are close to or in the 6 figure range (they went direct SRO/RO and shift supervisors at non-nuke plants). The guys I know that did that were not 6 or 8 and out guys, I think they were all 10+ years or just under 10 years.

1) Of all the job postings for NLO I've seen, 28-36$ has been the norm across the fleets.

2) Correct. Unfortunately, no one IN the navy has any freaking clue, so its kind of a catch 22.

3) "plenty of nukes" O.o. guess we had a lazy ship, because I remember a whopping 3 people get their degree while onboard. Its not "Easy" for anyone.

[spekkio]

Not saying RN's don't do well for themselves, but I have plenty of friends relatively fresh out of school making almost no money paying off student loans for their nursing degree. My wife's sister is a magnum cum laude graduate from UofM with a nursing degree, and had no problem finding a job.... she started ~20$ an hour at the local big wig hospital.  There's decent money in operations; I don't think anyone here is denying that. Job stresses and responsibilities are the key factors I guess. If you hated your job at 35$ an hour, or loved your job at 20-25$ an hour, whats better over all? Thats really all thats being discussed.

You're quoting numbers from the midwest, though, and those numbers also drive down national averages. In NY or CA, starting salary for a full-time nurse in a hospital will be 60-70k and they can get up to 90k.

I also think it's a bit of hyperbole to say that someone who is fresh out of college making $20/hour can't pay off his/her student loans while living in the midwest, especially since nurses working at hospitals get relatively generous benefits packages.

Neither here nor there, but many nurses, at least when my mom was in the game not too long ago, only work a 24 hour week. Rotating shift work, yes. Many hours, no, and it's probably driving your numbers down further.

The equalizer is job availability when you get out, where you plan on living your life, and how competitive the person is for hire. That's really the topic under discussion, as the pay will be 'good' if you enjoy it and it will be 'not enough' if you don't.

[Higgs]

Just wanna chime in,

My RN mother who has been an RN for about 30 years makes about 38$ an hour. Starting salaries in the midwest are around 15-20$ for BS RN's.  Initial salary averages for the nation for RN's is $45,040.  Median salary is $65,470 nationwide, with top 10% making $94,720.

On glassdoor, average starting salary for Nuclear Operators (non licensed) was $64,090 based on 2004 numbers (cant find anything recent). Median salary is $72,000 on indeed.com's job listings.  That doesn't include outage bonuses and forced overtime Id imagine.


Not saying RN's don't do well for themselves, but I have plenty of friends relatively fresh out of school making almost no money paying off student loans for their nursing degree. My wife's sister is a magnum cum laude graduate from UofM with a nursing degree, and had no problem finding a job.... she started ~20$ an hour at the local big wig hospital.  There's decent money in operations; I don't think anyone here is denying that. Job stresses and responsibilities are the key factors I guess. If you hated your job at 35$ an hour, or loved your job at 20-25$ an hour, whats better over all? Thats really all thats being discussed.


1) Of all the job postings for NLO I've seen, 28-36$ has been the norm across the fleets.

2) Correct. Unfortunately, no one IN the navy has any freaking clue, so its kind of a catch 22.

3) "plenty of nukes" O.o. guess we had a lazy ship, because I remember a whopping 3 people get their degree while onboard. Its not "Easy" for anyone.

I thought your mother was a doctor?

So you know, EVERY male on my mother's side has died before the age of 59 because of heart related illnesses. My mother is also a doctor and has been a base of some of this conversation. Yes, I feel comfortable saying I probably know more then you about this subject. I have also had to jump through crazy hoops in the medical side of the navy, so I am more experienced then you in that regards as well.  Slam away, you're dead wrong here. If you bothered reading my statements, instead of baselessly judging me, you would see my concern is him getting the care he requires, not me "diagnosing" him.  I've also had some PM sessions with this guy about things going on, and its certainly more then you care to know. 

[hamsamich]

I'm a marine biologist.

[Starkist]

You're quoting numbers from the midwest, though, and those numbers also drive down national averages. In NY or CA, starting salary for a full-time nurse in a hospital will be 60-70k and they can get up to 90k.

I also think it's a bit of hyperbole to say that someone who is fresh out of college making $20/hour can't pay off his/her student loans while living in the midwest, especially since nurses working at hospitals get relatively generous benefits packages.

Neither here nor there, but many nurses, at least when my mom was in the game not too long ago, only work a 24 hour week. Rotating shift work, yes. Many hours, no, and it's probably driving your numbers down further.

The equalizer is job availability when you get out, where you plan on living your life, and how competitive the person is for hire. That's really the topic under discussion, as the pay will be 'good' if you enjoy it and it will be 'not enough' if you don't.

NY and California also have a relatively MASSIVE raise in cost of living as well. As far as paying off student loans, I don't really poke my nose in their finances, but I know she's kinda struggling with them vs her pay. Granted, she maxed her loans for four years, and got private loans on top of that.  I do agree, she had no problems what so ever finding a job at all! 

Those pay scales I "pulled out of my butt" were from national averages as well. I don't know how much nurses in Cali make, nor do I care. I just know nurses do "decent", but wont make the 6 figure+ thats possible in operations either. (Maybe a handful of nurses at private practices can reach 100k *shrug*)

I thought your mother was a doctor?

Your lookup for the day is DNP, and to figure out why someone working nearly as long as you have been alive in an industry would have one.

[Higgs]

Right. 

[HydroDave63]

My test as it stands is May 16...that and my waiver will ultimately decide my decision. Worst case, my recruiter wants me to go into  a "crypto" field. I didn't think the Navy would want to shift me around this much, defiantly different then my Uncle's days.

Crypto is a tough field as well... are you fluent in any other languages currently?  There once was a time when I thought I wanted to switch rate to crypto, but learning German from 60s and 70s WW2 movies wasn't gonna cut it!

[Starkist]

Right.  

I mean, if you wanna speak with the lady, you're more than welcome to. She could certainly give you more information about nursing, nursing pay, and career progression than I can of course.  Since you clearly didn't understand what a DNP is, I figured you are interested in the subject since you decided to dig up 2 year old posts about my mother. Feel free to pm me if you are interested in making a career change. That WAS your point, was it not?


Right. 

[Higgs]

Hahaha. Yeah.

[MMM]

Crypto is a tough field as well... are you fluent in any other languages currently?  There once was a time when I thought I wanted to switch rate to crypto, but learning German from 60s and 70s WW2 movies wasn't gonna cut it!

Cryptotech aren't just translators. There's 4 or 5 CT rates, if I remember correctly, and only CTIs are translators. Although if you're fluent in certain languages, and can prove it, you get a nice bonus (which even nukes can get). I think most of the languages are from the Middle East as well as Russian, Chinese and Korean.

[Starkist]

Cryptotech aren't just translators. There's 4 or 5 CT rates, if I remember correctly, and only CTIs are translators. Although if you're fluent in certain languages, and can prove it, you get a nice bonus (which even nukes can get). I think most of the languages are from the Middle East as well as Russian, Chinese and Korean.

Yeah, strategic language NEC. Pretty hefty pay raise honestly (25$-1000$ a month). Lots of African languages on there now. Definitely worthwhile to check out if you speak a foreign language.

Hahaha. Yeah.

Guess I missed the joke. Surely you have better things to do than to search my old posts to find "contradictions" you'd like to make up. I've referenced my mother as a nurse more than once here. The fact she holds a doctorate in nursing would make her... a doctor.... Or, as relevant to the OP's questions, someone with more experience in the medical field than you. Someone I can call and ask questions about starting pay for nurses in the region and her experiences hiring new nurses. My sister-in-law is a new nurse, who I've spoken with many times about her career choice and pay, which is very relevant to this thread. (She's currently struggling with her student loans for instance). Im simply trying to provide more clarification to the op to make an informed career choice; not to stir up a hissy fit from someone that's looking to try to embarrass me. Thanks though, your concerns are noted. 

[Higgs]

Guess I missed the joke.

You sure did.

We didn't.

[spekkio]

NY and California also have a relatively MASSIVE raise in cost of living as well. As far as paying off student loans, I don't really poke my nose in their finances, but I know she's kinda struggling with them vs her pay. Granted, she maxed her loans for four years, and got private loans on top of that.  I do agree, she had no problems what so ever finding a job at all!  

Those pay scales I "pulled out of my butt" were from national averages as well. I don't know how much nurses in Cali make, nor do I care. I just know nurses do "decent", but wont make the 6 figure+ thats possible in operations either. (Maybe a handful of nurses at private practices can reach 100k *shrug*)

I didn't ever claim you pulled the payscales out of your butt, just explaining to you that your point estimate of a nurse's salary based on the national median has a lot of variance in it. Surely you can wrap your head around that, ye-as?

And the point about salaries on the coast is that nurses can work virtually anywhere in the nation and be compensated an amount that allows them to live a relatively comfortable lifestyle. They don't have to make concessions based on whethere there are only job openings at a certain location, and personally I think the pay is rather generous considering the level of education they must attain.

It's not six figures, but neither are the nuke ops jobs you were posting. To bring this back to the topic at hand: the claim that it is well within the norm for a nuke with no higher education or civilian certs/training and 8-12 years of Naval experience can get auto-hired at a utility of his choosing for 100k+ is simply false advertising.

PS: As an Ensign I put about 8k toward student loans a year. I was making $36k living in Charleston. Still had plenty of money to eat steak twice a week and purchase craft beer, as well as put 10% of pay into TSP. I don't know your sister's finances, either, but I'm suspicious when anyone who's making a decent salary in a low cost-of-living area claims they struggle to pay off student loans. Sounds like bad financial planning moreso than bad compensation.

[HydroDave63]

PS: As an Ensign I put about 8k toward student loans a year. I was making $360k living in Charleston. Still had plenty of money to eat steak twice a week and purchase craft beer, as well as put 10% of pay into TSP.

Was that $36K/year as Ensign?

Other than that, I concur with the 3rd paragraph. Some lucky few may indeed walk off the brow and right into six figures, but many do not.

[spekkio]

Yes, oops. I do miss having bills amount to just under $850/mo. Silly me had to get married and have kids  .

[HydroDave63]

So noted. You may return to original course and speed 

[Starkist]

I didn't ever claim you pulled the payscales out of your butt, just explaining to you that your point estimate of a nurse's salary based on the national median has a lot of variance in it. Surely you can wrap your head around that, ye-as?

And the point about salaries on the coast is that nurses can work virtually anywhere in the nation and be compensated an amount that allows them to live a relatively comfortable lifestyle. They don't have to make concessions based on whethere there are only job openings at a certain location, and personally I think the pay is rather generous considering the level of education they must attain.

It's not six figures, but neither are the nuke ops jobs you were posting. To bring this back to the topic at hand: the claim that it is well within the norm for a nuke with no higher education or civilian certs/training and 8-12 years of Naval experience can get auto-hired at a utility of his choosing for 100k+ is simply false advertising.

PS: As an Ensign I put about 8k toward student loans a year. I was making $36k living in Charleston. Still had plenty of money to eat steak twice a week and purchase craft beer, as well as put 10% of pay into TSP. I don't know your sister's finances, either, but I'm suspicious when anyone who's making a decent salary in a low cost-of-living area claims they struggle to pay off student loans. Sounds like bad financial planning moreso than bad compensation.

We're aggressively agreeing with each other, completely on the same page. The only point of contention I will give you is, is RO/SRO progression. Those guys ARE making over 6 figures, and need nothing (technically) but a highschool diploma to get it (of course including applicable experience requirements), and theoretically can happen quickly. Almost no nurses are making what a licensed operator is making... from there, it divulges into the "quality of life" discussion. "Walk into it"... no, not technically, but its far from impossible. A 6 and out nuke CAN walk into a 70,000$ job without a degree though.

As far as my sister-in-law, she maxed her government student loans AND got private student loans. If she told me she was 250 grand in debt, I wouldn't doubt it. She didn't get any scholarships, and dorm fees, tuition, and cost of living at UofM are NOT cheap. Cost of tuition and dormitory is over 50k a year, x4 years -> over 200k + interest. Shes paying significantly more than 700$ a month, I promise you that much. Now, I can't say how common this is, I just know she's hurting, even though she is decently paid.

[zjv244]

So I failed the NAPT.

I'm mega bummed since I had really set my heart on the rate. The Petty Officer grading the test said I was close, but frankly that translates to unable to barely pass. Part of me thinks it might of been personal doubts...I froze and doubted myself numerous times and second guessed like you wouldn't believe.

You guys who've gone through are obviously sharp, but after the letdown of the day (or it seems, forever) I think I'll stick with Corpsman. Crypto (specifically CTN) is a hard field too and I doubt that as much as I have/did nuke. So I think I better stick with what I felt good with from day one. Still, I'll patch you all up if you need it! But I'll hound you for being smarter then me, out of spite!

Thanks everyone and best of luck in future endeavors!

[MMM]

I'm sorry to hear about the NAPT, however don't let that turn you off of being a cryptotech. I know you're bummed right now, but take a couple days to decompress and try for it if that's what you want.

[zjv244]

I'm sorry to hear about the NAPT, however don't let that turn you off of being a cryptotech. I know you're bummed right now, but take a couple days to decompress and try for it if that's what you want.

Or I can patch you up after a long night of goofing off, and slap you sideways for being stupid ( I was totally their too so I know).

Don't worry, I'm still clever enough I'll know how too keep you guys going.

But thanks for the sentiments, maybe I'm not a nuke but I'll still give you guys credit for all your hard work.

[waynato]

So I failed the NAPT.

I'm mega bummed since I had really set my heart on the rate. The Petty Officer grading the test said I was close, but frankly that translates to unable to barely pass. Part of me thinks it might of been personal doubts...I froze and doubted myself numerous times and second guessed like you wouldn't believe.

You guys who've gone through are obviously sharp, but after the letdown of the day (or it seems, forever) I think I'll stick with Corpsman. Crypto (specifically CTN) is a hard field too and I doubt that as much as I have/did nuke. So I think I better stick with what I felt good with from day one. Still, I'll patch you all up if you need it! But I'll hound you for being smarter then me, out of spite!

Thanks everyone and best of luck in future endeavors!

Lol the funny thing is I'm pretty sure I failed the NAPT but the nuke coordinator was like, "hmm just look at a few of the those answers again", your guy obviously didn't want to help you out. The pipeline requires math during "math" class, but other than that not really. Everything is formulas or thumbrules if you think about it. I dont know sh@#t about math and I do my job just fine and I'm an ET1. I however would not choose HM over crypto, if i could do it again I would go crypto in a heatbeat. They dont even do sea tours, they get paid to learn languages, and they have good opportunities outside the navy aswell oh and they travel it sounds perfect to me. It just burned me to see those doods hop on the boat for like 2 weeks during a 120+ day deployment and do cool stuff (get some sort of complimentary dolphins for some reason) and hop off while nukes just get raped preparing for orse all the got damn time. I have not enjoyed one day of being a nuke. The job itself is fine(Being challenged is cool), and the navy(Support your family and others) itself is fine but combine the two and you get one of the most awful experiences someone could have in the first world.


Modified for language

[HeavyD]

The job itself is fine(Being challenged is cool), and the navy(Support your family and others) itself is fine but combine the two and you get one of the most awful experiences someone could have in the first world.

YMMV

[Golly Orby]

With no class harder than Geometry eight years ago, I personally doubt you would successfully make it through the Nuke pipeline.

I did.

Sorry to see that you failed the NAPT, zjv244, but you will look back on this experience and eventually be thankful.  The Navy is very good at making us love our jobs over the jobs of others.

[edit]  I had to edit this message because I was responding to the original post and did not read the latest events.  Lesson learned!