In some locations, bilingual registered nurses are in high demand. They cut down on the costs of paying interpreters to interpret for non-English speaking patients, and they are in-house so that medical facilities do not have to call a phone-based interpreting company. Some bilingual registered nurses earn salaries that are slightly higher than their non-bilingual colleagues. They may also not earn any extra income because of their bilingual skills. Individual employers vary in how they pay bilingual RNs.
National
The average annual salary of a registered nurse in the United States as of May 2010 was $67,720, or $32.56 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10th percentile earned up to $44,190 per year or $21.24 per hour. The 25th percentile earned up to $52,980 annually or $25.47 per hour. The median annual salary was $64,690 or $31.10 per hour. The upper salary limit of the 75th percentile was $79,020 per year or $37.99 per hour. The 90th percentile made at least $95,130 per year or $45.74 per hour.
Insurance Companies
One example of bilingual RN salaries comes from the insurance company Aetna for a position in San Antonio. As of July, 2010, Aetna was hiring for RN Bilingual Health Coach Consultants there. The salary range was between $54,450 to $65,100 per year. The average annual salary of a RN in San Antonio as of May 2010 was $68,550, according to the BLS.
Sign-On Bonus
Epic Med Staff Services in the Friendswood/Missouri City/Houston area was hiring bilingual RNs to work in pediatric home care as of July, 2011.. The position provided a $250 sign-on bonus in addition to the multiple benefits and competitive pay it provided, which was unspecified. The sign-on bonus was payable after new RNs had worked 120 hours. The average salary for a RN in Houston as of May 2010 was $71,700 per year.
Cities
Oakland, California was hiring for a bilingual nurse case manager as of July, 2011, and the salary range was between $4,907 and $6,025 per month. This equaled an annual salary of between $58,884 and $72,300. Bilingual skills in Cantonese, Mandarin and Spanish were desired. The average annual salary of a RN in Oakland as of May 2010 was $100,900, according to the BLS.
