Verified wage scale data from 29 employers, covering 2,326 job positions — from union hospital contracts to published retail pay scales.
Kaiser Permanente Northern California RN → — CNA contract, $85.70–$119.80/hr base (equal pay across 21+ NorCal hospitals), plus night & per-diem rates.
Kaiser Permanente Southern California RN (Level III) → — new contract for ICU/ED/PACU/OR nurses, $58.30–$95.98/hr benefited (Year 1) rising to $111.16/hr by Year 4, plus per-diem rates.
Sharp HealthCare RN (San Diego) → — $64.55–$94.29/hr base by experience, plus evening (+$3.25/hr) and night (+$4.75/hr) differentials.
Providence Portland RN (Oregon) → — Oregon Nurses Association contract, $57.90–$84.50/hr base, plus evening (+$3/hr) and night (+$10/hr) differentials.
El Camino Hospital RN (Bay Area) → — Clinical Nurse II scale, $89.40–$116.78/hr day and up to $140.14/hr nights (Mountain View & Los Gatos). Among the highest RN pay in the US.
Union wages are hourly pay rates negotiated between a labor union and an employer through collective bargaining. These rates are published in union contracts and apply to all covered employees based on their job title and years of service (YOS).
Unlike posted salary ranges on job boards, union wage scales show the exact hourly rate for each position at each step. There's no guessing — if you're a Step 5 Respiratory Therapist at Dominican Hospital, your rate is set in the contract.
Use the Union Wage Lookup to search by job title or employer. You can filter by facility and apply evening, night, or weekend shift differentials to see adjusted rates.
See union pay scales for specific healthcare and trade positions across all covered employers:
Union workers consistently out-earn their non-union counterparts. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, union members earn a median of roughly 15-20% more in base wages than non-union workers in similar roles. But the base wage is only part of the picture:
| Factor | Union | Typical Non-Union |
|---|---|---|
| Base hourly rate | 10-20% higher | Market rate |
| Raises | Guaranteed step increases | Discretionary |
| Shift differentials | Contractually set | Varies / none |
| Pay transparency | Public wage scale | Often secret |
| Cost | Dues ~1.5-2.5% of pay | No dues |
For a full analysis with real numbers, read our guide: Union vs. Non-Union Pay.
Union pay and staffing disputes are increasingly in the headlines. See our analysis of recent events and what workers actually take home:
Yes, on average. Union members earn 10-20% higher base wages than non-union workers in comparable roles, plus guaranteed step increases and contractual shift differentials. Union dues (typically 1.5-2.5% of pay) usually cost far less than the wage premium provides.
Union wage scales use steps tied to years of service. Step 0 is the new-hire rate; each annual step typically raises pay 2-4%. The top step is the maximum for that job classification, usually reached after 10-25 years depending on the contract.
Individual negotiation is generally not part of union employment — that's the point. Your rate is set by the contract based on your title and years of service, ensuring everyone in the same role and step earns the same. The union negotiates raises collectively for all members.
Yes. Union contracts (collective bargaining agreements) are typically public documents, and the wage scales within them are available to members and often the public. This is why WAGETru can publish exact rates — they come from these public contracts.
WAGETru shows verified union wage scales and paycheck data. Browse wages · Union lookup · Net pay calculator
Union wage scales are pay structures negotiated between labor unions and employers through collective bargaining. Unlike non-union positions where pay is individually negotiated (and often kept secret), union contracts publish exact hourly rates for every job classification and experience level.
This transparency benefits workers in multiple ways:
WAGETru collects these publicly available wage scales and presents them in a searchable, comparable format. You can look up any job title across multiple hospitals to see how pay varies by employer, experience level, and shift differential.
Each wage scale shows hourly rates organized by "steps" which typically correspond to years of service. Step 0 is the starting rate for a new hire. Step 5 represents the rate after 5 years at that employer. The highest step represents the top of the pay range for that classification.
Differentials are additional per-hour payments for working undesirable shifts. Common differentials include evening shift ($1-$5/hr extra), night shift ($2-$8/hr extra), and weekend shift ($1-$4/hr extra). These are added on top of the base hourly rate.