How to read a healthcare job offer
The pay is only one line. This guide shows what to check in an offer before you say yes.
Pay
- Is the pay hourly or salaried, and is it the base?
- What are shift differentials for nights, weekends and holidays?
- How are overtime and on-call paid?
- Is there a sign-on or retention bonus, and what are the conditions to keep it?
- How does this compare with the median for the role in your market? See the salary guides.
Hours and schedule
- How many hours are guaranteed or expected?
- What are the shift length and rotation?
- How are cancellations and low census handled?
- What is the float policy?
Benefits
- When does health insurance start and what does it cost?
- Is there a retirement plan and is there an employer match?
- How much paid time off, and how does it accrue?
- Is there a CEU allowance or license reimbursement?
Start date and credentialing
- What are the license and certification requirements, and who pays for them?
- How long does credentialing take?
- Is orientation paid?
- What are the background check and health screening steps?
Red flags
- Pay that cannot be stated in writing.
- A start date that ignores your license timeline.
- Pressure to sign the same day.
- A recruiter whose email is not on the company domain. Use the verify tool.
Common questions
Should I negotiate an offer?
Often yes. Know the market pay for your role and location first, and ask for the items that matter most to you in writing.
What do I do if the offer differs from the posting?
Ask the recruiter to explain the difference in writing before you accept.
See what employers near you pay.
Tell us your role and city. Within 24 hours you get an email with three things, by employer name. It costs you nothing, because employers pay us.
- 1Pay for your role at other hospitals
The hourly pay at named employers near you, so you see who pays most.
- 2What they are offering now
The pay range and median across current postings, and how many were posted this month.
- 3Roles open for you right now
Every current opening near you with pay, shift and start date. Reply with one click.
Get your free pay report
Tell us who you are and what you do. We email the report within 24 hours on business days.
Your RN pay reportyour city · pay published by hospitals, collected October 15, 2026
1Pay for your role at other hospitals
- Veterans Health AdministrationSan Antonio, TX · 5 postings$62.40/ hr$36–$87
- Military Treatment Facilities under DHAFort Hood, TX · 3 postings$55.88/ hr$47–$67
- BrightSpring Health ServicesIRVING, TX · 4 postings$50.00/ hr$44–$55
- Select MedicalDallas, TX · 3 postings$46.19/ hr$32–$53
Median posted pay per hour, with the range each employer published.
2What they are offering now
124 RN postings with published pay in Texas, 105 of them posted in the last 30 days. Month-by-month history by employer comes with your full report.
3Open now: 124 RN roles
- Registered Nurse (Critical Care) - Education Debt Reduction Program AuthorizedPermanent$86k–$174k/ year
- Nurse (Clinical/Ambulatory)Permanent$107k–$139k/ year
+ 122 more in your report. Each one has pay, shift and start date.