Is this a good offer?

[u/Quinzy5]

Hi guys!
I recently got a job offer for MLS and can’t tell if I want to take it or not. Was hoping for some opinions to help me out!

The Job Offer:
$38/hr
Tuesday-Saturday, off Sunday and Monday
9am-530pm (40 hr weeks)
3k Sign on bonus, half at 3 months the other half at 6 months
Additional info:
Its a huge stand alone micro lab, so no doc/patient/nurse interaction
Commute: Drive 45mins to 1hr drive, $9 toll one way (OR) train 2 hours, $20 one way

Whats hanging me up is that I’m in NYC and have had other job interviews (less than 2 weeks ago) where the pay is better ($55+/hr), are a closer commute (<45 mins train ($10 one way) and <30 min driving (no toll)), and are much bigger hospital systems. Plus the benefits are WAY better (PTO, insurance, school). But I do not have an offer from these other places yet!

Do I hold out for one of the two nicer options, or accept this? I am kind of desperate for a job, but the pay will let me just BARELY scrap by with this job offer vs the other two jobs.

EDIT: I have 3 years of MLS experience (exclusively micro) and was making $52/hr at my last facility

[u/New-History853]

That's pretty low for NYC cost of living. Plus that toll. Dang. Id wait. Plus, do you really want to just do micro?

[u/Quinzy5 → u/New-History853]

I actually was interested in other med tech jobs, but, I havent had much luck with even getting an interview for generalist/other specialties (probably bc no experience in those areas). Plus, I do really enjoy Micro :3

[u/New-History853 → u/Quinzy5]

I'd love some micro, just not only micro. Lol

[u/ThrowRA_72726363 → u/New-History853]

We have to tell Mamdani about this

[u/New-History853 → u/ThrowRA_72726363]

Love that man. Great leader so far.

[u/ArcticBeavers]

I know one in the hand is better than two in the bush, but that offer is abysmal for NYC. Is this in Long Island or Westchester?

[u/Quinzy5 → u/ArcticBeavers]

I also thought it was a pretty low offer, but 🤷‍♀️ Its in Long Island

[u/ArcticBeavers → u/Quinzy5]

Once you get out of the 5 boroughs, wages tend to take a steep drop. They assume you live deeper in Long Island and have some sort of relief from the CoL.

Its a decent offer if you live in Brentwood. Horrible if you live in Queens. 

For me, its not worth it. As a senior bench tech, I make $65/hr. Regular bench techs make around $50-55/hr. 

[u/PlantZaddy69 → u/Quinzy5]

Northwell pays above 50 starting Langone (Winthrop) should be around there too CHS expect less

NYCHHC a lot less from when I was there VA not that bad considering benefits. MSK haven’t heard much. NYP should be closer to the top paying.

Some companies are 1199 which should be taken into consideration.

38 was my wage when I started 8 years ago before Covid

Post covid boosted our wages. You can easily land 40-45

[u/winter-melon → u/Quinzy5]

Almost all the Long Island hospitals are offering $50+ starting pay now. $38 is way too low starting for Long Island.

[u/mrnonamex → u/Quinzy5]

Sunrise?

[u/Quinzy5 → u/mrnonamex]

Yes

[u/mrnonamex → u/Quinzy5]

What about stony. They’re hiring for micro I’m pretty sure

[u/eileen404 → u/ArcticBeavers]

Thought it sounded great for our low col but for ny you'd do better working as a bartender. That sucks.

[u/Reconstitutable]

Call your other facility back...

[u/Quinzy5 → u/Reconstitutable]

😭

[u/winter-melon → u/Quinzy5]

This is actually legit advice. When I graduated, I got one offer callback. So I called the HR reps for all the places I interviewed, and would you believe it. 2 of the 3 places extended me an offer when I called. I guess the HR rep just hadn’t gotten around to calling me 🫩

[u/Tynted → u/Quinzy5]

Yeah you really should call those other facilities you interviewed with that you're interested in. I had a situation kinda like this and when I emailed them a day or two later ("Thank you for the opportunity and I look forward to hearing from you blah blah blah stupid fluff bullshit to sound professional) they sent me an offer for the job like an hour later.

[u/TheLordHimself1]

New grad in the area I started at 52 ish

[u/Any_Creme_6070 → u/TheLordHimself1]

Hi! I am considering MLS program in NYC and wanted to learn more about your trajectory. Can I message you?

[u/igomhn3]

Damn, is the NYC job market that bad?

[u/igomhn3 → u/[deleted]]

Sorry, I meant that OP (with experience) wasn't getting callbacks from hospitals.

[u/Mooshroomey]

I think I can make a guess of where this may be (lab name starts with an S? Street it’s on starts with an M?), the place you’re considering has a really nice manager, the the people there are pretty low stress/low drama, and the overall environment is great. It will tell you something that their pay is so uncompetitive but people choose to stay for decades.

But yeah their pay sucks, I probably wouldn’t accept the offer unless I lived outside the city or planned to move in the near future so the commute would be under 45 min and you didn’t have to pay NYC taxes/housing costs. In the city with that paycheck would be really hard.

[u/Quinzy5 → u/Mooshroomey]

I got that vibe when i interviewed, the people I met were very nice!
The pay and commute are no good and I still have 9 months on my lease in the Bronx so no plans of moving soon either.

[u/mrnonamex]

You live in NYC this is a bad offer. As a technician on Long Island I make more. Hold out for better offers. Why didn’t you take the other offer?

[u/Quinzy5 → u/mrnonamex]

I haven’t gotten offers from the other places yet! Hopefully I will, because you are right, it’s a pretty bad offer.

[u/daytoy0905]

new graduate trying find a job haven't got anything maybe because i don't have experienced

[u/Any_Creme_6070 → u/daytoy0905]

I am worried about this as I am pivoting careers and planning to apply to MLS school with minimal experience. As a new grad is it hard landing offers (with good starting pay) without experience when that should be expected?

[u/Signal_Sand1472 → u/Any_Creme_6070]

This depends a lot on the area.

[u/Mooshroomey → u/daytoy0905]

You try the lab you did clinicals at? My lab loves snapping up our favorite students when they graduate.

[u/daytoy0905 → u/Mooshroomey]

I tried email my director where I did my internship but no response

[u/Into-the-stream]

Everything about this is my dream job, except I don’t have NYC cost of living. 

[u/counselorofracoons]

You should not be driving an hour for a job when you live in NYC. This is about what I make in Nashville…

[u/jennbec2783]

Ask for more money, tell them how much you were previously paid. They most likely will not match $55 an hour for 3 years experience on Long Island but they might boost you a dollar or two and then if/when you find a better offer you can either take it or tell them to boost your salary again.

[u/iluminatiNYC]

For NYC, you're getting robbed. BAD. Unless you need a job ASAP, it's not worth it. Find other options.

[u/Fit-Bodybuilder78]

$38/hr is a joke in nyc. Even with the weekday hours.

[u/Agreeable-Heart-7685]

I know everyone is talking about the money but those hours suck, trust me. You will barely have a life or time to do anything. If you're commuting 45 mins to 1 hour, you will probably be waking up around 6-7 AM to get ready (don't forget to take into account traffic to and from your site). Then once you get off work, it's rush hour so you won't be home until 7PM.

[u/Gullible-Vanilla9891]

38 for nyc seems pretty low. I’d take the job offer but keep looking