What's employment like int he Ozarks (Springfield, Rolla: sale, apartments, crime)

[tambre]

Hi, I live in NY, so this is information from the web:

Springfield Hospitals

Cox Medical Center
North - 1423 N. Jefferson St.
417-269-3000

Cox Medical Center South - 3801 S. National Ave.
417-269-6000

Cox Walnut Lawn - 3535 S. National Ave.
417-269-9800

Doctors Hospital
2828 N. National Ave.
417-837-4000

Lakeland Regional Hospital
440 S. Market Ave.
417-865-5581

St. John's Hospital

Sure that some of the locals would be able to tell you more.

Good luck with your search.

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by DRvortec

Define low cost of living? Example, wife makes $25hr and our rent is $1300 and gas price are $3.99 a gallon, our cable, phone, internet is $99, sales tax is 8%, etc. Are you saying with the lower pay rate, your costs are below mine still?

Well cost of living is sort of subjective since I don't know what you are getting for your $1300. Here you can rent a 3/2 1400 square foot with 2 car garage in a subdivision for $700+ but there are a lot less expensive places to be had. A two bedroom apartment starts at about $500 and there are mobile homes around (where you would have some yard) for probably $400.

Gas prices, right now are hovering around $3.50, and I'm sure that cable and phone (which I have neither) are comparable with what you pay in your neck of the woods. Sales tax is around 7.75% (in town) but property taxes are very low. We have a little house in a rural subdivision (not living there presently, it's for sale - wanna buy it????) and the taxes are around $400 a year.

Food costs, of course are high, as are most other living expenses. Although I am told that our electricity is somewhat lower than the norm. Even during peak air conditioning times our bill runs around $130, and the rest of the year way below $100. Of course, our house is small (under 800 square feet), so that helps. I'm sure the folks in their 2400 square foot McMansions are doling out considerably more. LOL

Since I don't know any nurses personally I can't comment on salaries, but I'm sure they are at the upper end of the pay scale for this area. And I'm sure there is always a big demand for them.

20yrsinBranson

[DRvortec]

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

Well cost of living is sort of subjective since I don't know what you are getting for your $1300. Here you can rent a 3/2 1400 square foot with 2 car garage in a subdivision for $700+ but there are a lot less expensive places to be had. A two bedroom apartment starts at about $500 and there are mobile homes around (where you would have some yard) for probably $400.

Gas prices, right now are hovering around $3.50, and I'm sure that cable and phone (which I have neither) are comparable with what you pay in your neck of the woods. Sales tax is around 7.75% (in town) but property taxes are very low. We have a little house in a rural subdivision (not living there presently, it's for sale - wanna buy it????) and the taxes are around $400 a year.

Food costs, of course are high, as are most other living expenses. Although I am told that our electricity is somewhat lower than the norm. Even during peak air conditioning times our bill runs around $130, and the rest of the year way below $100. Of course, our house is small (under 800 square feet), so that helps. I'm sure the folks in their 2400 square foot McMansions are doling out considerably more. LOL

Since I don't know any nurses personally I can't comment on salaries, but I'm sure they are at the upper end of the pay scale for this area. And I'm sure there is always a big demand for them.

20yrsinBranson

I think house was built in mid 1990's. about 1300-1400sq ft. 3+2bth. Grass yard in front and rear. We are a lake community. There are about 4500 houses in here. We can walk to the lake (ride jet ski's or boat) and beach (lay out, swim, etc). Houses range from $200k-1million. There is a golf course too. I would say it is st least middle class. We have private security, code enforecemnt and our own post office. Of course there is a small gas station, store, video store, insurance, etc. If you leave the community and drive 10min you hit the town where there is tons of shopping a new movie theater going, (old one built last year is 15min away), etc. That's what $1300 gets you. Same there?

Sounds like a little cheaper for rent there then? Electric bills runs us around $130 with running 80% of the time in summer. Gas is around $60 for house. No tax on food.

Can you list the top cities you would move in or around for the medical field? And of course low-low crime

Thanks so much for your help!

[Paw Tucker]

Originally Posted by DRvortec

Can you list the top cities you would move in or around for the medical field? And of course low-low crime

Thanks so much for your help!

Moderator cut: off topic There are lots of places nationwide that have low costs of living comparably and just as abundant living advantages, and that is what internet serches are for. I would specifically call the hospitals one by one and ask them what the starting pay would be for someone with the proper qualifications. 20 years is correct in that the medical industry personel are on the top rung of wage earners here, but compared to what you are used to it might not be worth the effort. Only you can answer that. There are lots of people who bemoan living in Florida or California and constantly cry that the sky is falling, but I would give them about a year to realize that they basically just bring their problems with them and soon they'll be complaining about something here. And like anywhere else there's always something to complain about.
Being completely honest as a person who has substantial knwledge and experience in this area, the people who have the best advantage are the retirees and the people who have enough capital to invest in a small business. No one, and I mean no one is going to get rich working for an employer in Springfield or Branson. There are lots of people who are married and work in the medical field. I've known of couples where one worked as a nurse and made twice what their spouses did locally and in the end it was not such a great advantage.
Moderator cut: off topic, we discuss topics,, not members

[sunshine girl]

DRV - The only two hospitals here are Cox and St. John's. The tiny, used to be called Doctor's Hospital, is now a privately owned, renamed place that will distribute folks seeking ER services to Cox or St. John's. There are not many LPN's hired/working in the hospitals here. They will use lower waged nurses aides over the LPN. Most of the LPN's are hired on in physicians offices, nursing homes, or home health, and therefore, lower wages than hospitals pay. All those folks that want M-F, no holidays, no weekends trade the "ideal" schedule for wages. The wages that were quoted from an ad from another poster are, as you already seem to know, somewhat misleading. However, the general public thinks that's what we make. Both hospitals here have their own schools of nursing, and rely on those new grads (with new grad starter wages) to fulfill many of their staffing requirements. Those grads have no basis for comparison in regard to wages, job opportunies within the field, benefits, and the world of medicine outside this area. Therefore, a happy employer, and a happy new nurse because this is all they know. The big two also prefer hiring them to an outside nurse because of this. As previously mentioned, you can easily call and ask for the starting wages of an LPN, even knowing the new grad wages will give you an idea. The nurse/patient ratios here are a consideration also. It is not unusual to take care of 9-11 patients per nurse, with 8-9/nurse being the standard here. For the doubters out there, these are not exaggerations or isolated events, I have been a hospital nurse for almost 30 years now, have working in several different hospitals, in several different states, and so do have a basis for comparison, which is what is being asked for here. These are true statements, based in fact, not opinion. And I think that is what the OP is looking for. Yes, healthcare usually provides the higher wages in any area, but believe me, we are not getting something for nothing. There is much, much more to nursing than what we make hourly. Over the years, expectations and financial responsibilities (or irresponsibilities) of the employer have changed nursing, but, of course, that is a whole 'nother topic. All that being said, I am proud of my profession, and honored to take care of my patients no matter where we are. As I said, there is more to nursing than the wages, but that sometimes gets lost on those who look at nursing as a job/wages, and not a career. Also a whole 'nother discussion, I'm just full of 'em.

[DRvortec]

Of course. But, you have to pay the bills too. She didn't get a $30k school loan to make $10hr either :-) As a Nurse for 30yrs I am sure you have an idea then? If asked in our area. I could easly answer in a few sentences. Starting pay is $17hr local. Drive 45min and get $21 starting. Wife is at $25hr. Are you a RN or LPN?

Usually when someone says they do it for the fun and enjoyment tells me the pay is low. I have talked to MANY of the people at wife's job, I have yet to run into a Nurse that 100% does it to help others. The pay is there too. I look in the drive way, many BMW's, Mercedes, etc. Its about the money too. ;-) Don't get me wrong, I can actually show you letters wife has of the patients families that have written her on how they enjoyed having her as a Nurse. Not one letter, MANY. She does love her job and the pay that goes with it.

Thanks for your time.

[sunshine girl]

DRV - reread one of your other questions. I can tell you that $17-18/hr is starting salary for new grad RN here, not LPN.

[DRvortec]

It's early here. I must have missed that :-) Wow, that is low. $36-$38 is starting pay here. Something to think about, she wants her RN after I am done with my RRT (Respiratory Therapy).

Thanks for your time.

[sunshine girl]

Did not mean to sound so altuistic. You are correct, if I did not get paid, I would not do what I do. As an RN, I will not become rich. I choose not to drive a BMW, live in a fancy house, or anything else that would create that much debt for me. I am trying not to answer some of your questions, because I risk being blasted by others on the forum. We personally are not fans of this area, and will be leaving. The lower wages vs. lower housing costs probably in all honestly, do even out. That is only one of the issues that make us want to leave after living here for 2 years now. I drive 10 minutes door to door to work, so gas and drive time are non issues for me. However, most of the folks I directly work with drive from as far away as 70 miles one way to work here as there are no jobs where they do live. I purposely live that close because I did NOT want the commute. Others have chosen to live in outlying areas for their own personal reasons. One does not HAVE to live far from work, it is a choice. There are a few that bicycle in, also. There is public transportation within the city also, but the hours of operation may not coincide with hospital working hours. As you can see from some of your responses, as anywhere, there are folks who are very proud of the area they live in (and I truly do not mean that in a detrimental way) and defend it vigorously. Sometimes, however, that is different than how visitors and newcomers view an area.

[DRvortec]

I didn't take it personally. Its a open forum and was just chatting. Our rent here is $1300. Lake community. No trees and dirt yards. We all have grass, and its a housing track. Golf course too. So, its nice.

I actually went and told wife what I wrote. I asked her if pay was the reason to be a Nurse. She said no. She said it was helping others. I asked so, $10hr where we move to is ok? She laughed and said no. So, I said pay is a part of it, she said since I put it that way, yes.

We don't drive fancy cars neither. We choose to do stuff as a family and with kids. We get more enjoyment out of it.

I agree. We thought about moving a few years back. The NC people denfend their state as well. We flew out there and after a week there we were happy to be home. We passed. These forums are only a tool. Search, search, then fly out there and check it out.

You can PM me on anything you can't and wont say publically if you want.

Thanks for your help.