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When the Posted High Rate Is Not the Typical Shift, September 2026
Minimum, median, and maximum hourly rates on live per-diem shifts, so the top of a range is not mistaken for the going rate.
Updated September 23, 2026 · live AllShifts shift data
The high number is real, and it is often not the middle
Pay tables usually lead with the top of the range. That figure is a rate on a shift you can open in the app. It is the highest hourly rate posted in that city for that license. It is a poor stand-in for what the rest of the board pays.
On the September 22, 2026 at 10:15 UTC shift board, 320 RN, LPN, and CNA markets clear a $10/hr floor and hold 3,881 open slots for the next 30 days. 162 of those markets post one hourly rate, covering 877 open slots. The other 158 markets post a range and cover 3,004 open slots. In 93 of those ranged markets the median shift rate equals the minimum. Those markets hold 1,961 open slots. In 38 ranged markets the median equals the maximum (388 open slots). In the remaining 27 the median sits strictly between the two (655 open slots).
The median on this page is the middle hourly rate among the shifts posted in that city for that license. Each shift counts once. A shift with several open slots does not count extra. Open-slot totals are listed beside the rates so the two ideas stay separate.
Where the median sits, by license
LVN is counted with LPN. GNA, LNA, and STNA are counted with CNA. The city tables further down keep the license name that is actually posted.
| License | Markets with a range | Median equals the low rate | Open slots in those | Open slots in all ranged markets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA, GNA, LNA, STNA | 75 | 45 | 1,301 | 1,915 |
| LPN and LVN | 58 | 32 | 450 | 810 |
| RN | 25 | 16 | 210 | 279 |
The widest ranges on the board
The widest spread right now is Buzzards Bay, MA RN: $51.63–$83.43/hr, median $55.62/hr, 28 open slots. The top of that range is $31.80 above the bottom. The median is much closer to the bottom than to the top. These twelve markets have the widest low-to-high gaps. Read the median column before you treat the high column as the going rate.
| City | License | Low | Median | High | Open slots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buzzards Bay, MA | RN | $51.63 | $55.62 | $83.43 | 28 |
| Buzzards Bay, MA | LPN | $44.07 | $48.06 | $72.09 | 38 |
| Gettysburg, PA | RN | $48.30 | $48.30 | $74.52 | 49 |
| Manchester, NH | RN | $50.75 | $50.75 | $76.13 | 22 |
| Ithaca, NY | LPN | $39.33 | $39.96 | $61.07 | 146 |
| Baldwinsville, NY | CNA | $26.80 | $27.47 | $42.21 | 12 |
| Bowdle, SD | CNA | $30.00 | $30.00 | $45.00 | 38 |
| Vineland, NJ | CNA | $19.50 | $22.72 | $31.95 | 48 |
| Gettysburg, PA | CNA | $20.70 | $20.70 | $33.12 | 165 |
| Liberty, NY | CNA | $23.40 | $24.96 | $35.10 | 30 |
| Buzzards Bay, MA | CNA | $23.18 | $23.18 | $34.77 | 94 |
| Ithaca, NY | CNA | $22.77 | $22.77 | $34.16 | 81 |
Each city links to its live market page. Markets whose posted minimum or maximum is under $10/hr are left out. That filter removes placeholder rates.
Deep markets where the typical shift is the low rate
A wide range with one open slot is easy to over-read. The table below is the other case: the median equals the lowest posted rate, and the city has real volume. The busiest of these is Gettysburg, PA CNA, $20.70–$33.12/hr, median $20.70/hr, 165 open slots. The high rate is on the board. Most of the shifts in that market are not at that high rate.
| City | License | Posted range | Median | Open slots |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gettysburg, PA | CNA | $20.70–$33.12/hr | $20.70 | 165 |
| Hollidaysburg, PA | LPN | $37.14–$38.64/hr | $37.14 | 108 |
| Buzzards Bay, MA | CNA | $23.18–$34.77/hr | $23.18 | 94 |
| Windham, NH | LNA | $24.83–$26.27/hr | $24.83 | 88 |
| Ithaca, NY | CNA | $22.77–$34.16/hr | $22.77 | 81 |
| Huntington, NY | CNA | $26.80–$28.14/hr | $26.80 | 78 |
| Rising Sun, MD | GNA | $20.70–$22.08/hr | $20.70 | 59 |
| Franklin, PA | CNA | $20.70–$22.08/hr | $20.70 | 57 |
| Milford, DE | CNA | $20.70–$22.08/hr | $20.70 | 56 |
| Orbisonia, PA | CNA | $24.30–$25.70/hr | $24.30 | 51 |
Where the typical shift is the high rate
The reverse also shows up. In 38 ranged markets the median equals the highest posted rate, so the low number is the exception. The busiest of those is Vineland, NJ LPN, $32.75–$37.18/hr, median $37.18/hr, 37 open slots. 162 further markets have no range at all: every shift posted there for that license carries the same hourly rate, and together they hold 877 open slots.
| City | License | Posted range | Median | Open slots |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vineland, NJ | LPN | $32.75–$37.18/hr | $37.18 | 37 |
| Parkville, MD | GNA | $20.70–$22.08/hr | $22.08 | 29 |
| Gloucester, MA | LPN | $43.72–$47.40/hr | $47.40 | 25 |
| Leeds, MA | CNA | $23.18–$25.47/hr | $25.47 | 22 |
| Essex, MD | GNA | $20.70–$22.08/hr | $22.08 | 21 |
| Gloucester, MA | RN | $48.81–$52.49/hr | $52.49 | 21 |
| Fond Du Lac, WI | CNA | $23.46–$24.84/hr | $24.84 | 19 |
| Bluffton, OH | STNA | $20.70–$22.08/hr | $22.08 | 15 |
How to use this before you claim a shift
- Compare a shift to the median, then to the low. If a city page advertises a high rate and the median equals the minimum, most shifts in that market are at the low number.
- The rate on the shift is the rate. This page is a map of the board. The app shows the hourly rate on the shift you are about to claim.
- Night, weekend, and holiday dates often sit at the top of a range. See the night-shift guide and the weekend and holiday guide.
- City pages still have the full list. The RN, LPN, and CNA pay-by-city guides rank markets by the high rate. The pay-by-state guide rolls the same board up by state. Cities that currently have all three licenses are in the three-license city guide.
Common questions
Does the median mean half the open slots pay that rate?
No. The median is the middle hourly rate among shifts posted in that city for that license. Each shift counts once, even when it has more than one open slot. The open-slot column is the separate count of unfilled slots over the next 30 days.
Should I ignore the high rate?
No. It is a rate on a live shift. Use it as the top of what is posted, and use the median to see whether that top is common. If the median equals the minimum, plan around the low number and treat anything above it as extra.
Why do some cities show one number on the other guides?
Those are the 162 markets where the lowest and highest posted rates are the same. There is no hidden higher rate behind a single number.
How do I see the actual shifts?
Download the AllShifts app (iPhone / Android), add your license and credentials, and the app shows the shifts your file qualifies for, with the hourly rate on the shift before you claim it. Pay is W-2. The W-2 vs 1099 guide covers why that status matters.
Pay figures on this page come from shifts currently posted in the AllShifts app and change daily. AllShifts is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.