CONTENTS
CHOOSE VA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 For the Mission
As a nurse at the U.S. Department of Veterans Aairs, you have more than a job — you
have a mission to serve Veterans who’ve borne the battle with honor.
2 For the Compensation
Earn a competitive salary as you pursue excellence in health care for Veterans.
3 For the Coverage
Rest easy knowing that VA has you and your family covered.
4 For the Education and Growth Opportunities
Start your career at VA and benet from opportunities to build your skills throughout
your tenure.
5 For the Retirement Benets
Get ready for life after VA service with a three-tier retirement package.
6 For the Rewards
As a VA nurse, you serve with dedicated professionals and are rewarded with a strong
support system.
VACAREERS.VA.GOV |
1
CHOOSE VA for the Mission
As a nurse at the U.S. Department of Veterans Aairs (VA), you have more than a job — you have
a mission to serve Veterans who’ve borne the battle with honor. In carrying out this mission, you’ll
discover a career with competitive pay, opportunities for growth and mobility, a wealth of benets
and rich rewards.
VHA is the largest employer of nursing personnel, with a team of more than 100,000 professionals and projections
for continued annual growth as we continue to fulll the vision of advancing nursing and transforming health
care. As a VA nurse, you are an invaluable member and leader of the interprofessional health care team. VA nurses
contribute their knowledge and expertise to optimize patient-driven care and advance VA goals for improving
access. They also provide safe, eective, high-quality care as part of a dynamic team helping our hospitals
outperform the private sector.
VA nurses receive unparalleled opportunities to continuously develop as professionals and positively impact
health care. They are empowered through shared decision-making, implementation of evidence-based practice,
simulation and training/scholarship programs.
VA nursing practice provides Veteran health care across a continuum of services for acute and chronic conditions
in hospital, ambulatory and skilled nursing settings. To improve Veteran access to care, nurses help create new
models of care, introduce new nursing roles and advance existing ones. VA nurses share lessons learned, tools
and evidence-based practices across the system. They can advance their education, mentor and be mentored,
become a principal investigator and move into executive roles. They engage in emergency management and
disaster preparedness both in VA and beyond. VA nurses are integrally involved in the greater federal, national and
international communities of nursing, advocating for informed nursing practice so VA can constantly improve
nursing care for our nation’s heroes.
From your start as a nurse through retirement, you receive competitive pay and generous benets that add to the
satisfaction of a career based on giving back to those who have given so much to the nation.
No matter where or how you serve as a nurse at VA, support is there so you can focus on what matters most — the
mission to heal and care for Veterans so they can thrive in life after military service.
“I am proud to be a VA registered nurse. In 1995, I started my nursing career — not just a job — as a
LPN at VA where the retirement benets, health benets and pay have provided me the privilege to
work in many capacities while advancing my career. I value the diversity of settings and assignments
with opportunities in acute, long-term, mental health, medical/surgical and primary care. I’ve
participated in leadership programs, held both administrative and clinical positions, provided tutelage
to countless nursing students and other health care professionals, received and provided coaching/
mentoring, and have progressed to a terminal degree in nursing while working full time. I’m Team VA
all the way! Come and join us.”
— DR. VICTORIA L. COX, RN, CHCR, VHACM, OFFICE OF NURSING SERVICES, NATIONAL CONSULTANT FOR
RECRUITMENT AND RESOURCES
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ANNUAL COMPENSATION
$ 91,925
Average VA Central Iowa RN Salary*
+ $ 11,024
Value of VA health insurance premium
+ $ 6,033
Social Security paid by VA
1
+ $ 1,411
Medicare paid by VA
+ $ 500
Employee Assistance Program
+ $ 2,750
Flexible spending account
+ $ 195
Life insurance
+ $ 4,865
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
+ $ 8,077
FERS
+
$ 17,677
Value of 50 days annual Paid Time Off
$1 44,457
Estimated Annual Compensation
SAMPLE AVERAGE
SALARY FOR
REGISTERED NURSE
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TOTAL REWARD$ OF VA EMPLOYMENT
CHOOSE VA for the Compensation
Earn a competitive salary as you pursue excellence in health care for Veterans.
What are your total rewards for choosing a career
as a VA nurse? Let’s do the math.
1
Indicates a benefit received by most federal employees.
*May vary by location, education and years of experience. This sample is representative of V
A Central Iowa
Registered Nurse average salaries as of
September 2022.
NOTE: If you choose federal health insurance programs, your taxable wages and the employer’s share of the
Social Security tax will be reduced accordingly. Estimates above do not include the potential for up to $
6
0,000
annually in student loan reimbursement under the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), shift dierential/
premium pay, uniform allowances, Permanent Change of Station (PCS) relocation allowance, recruitment/
relocation/retention incentives, the value of free liability coverage, and other payments and awards.
*Stated gures were current at time of publication. Please reach out to a VA recruiter for up-to-date information.
Competitive salaries. At VA, you receive
compensation based on your education,
training, licensure, certication and
experience. See how your total rewards add
up (left and below).
Regular increases. Receive annual cost of
living increases (when signed into federal
law), within-grade or “step” increases and,
when appropriate, grade increases resulting
from additional credentials or promotions.
Service without strings. Whether you serve
full or part time, your employment at VA is
without employment contracts, noncompete
clauses, restrictive covenants or other
restrictions on outside work.
Liability Protection
VHA nurses are covered under federal tort laws and may be
defended by the United States against allegations of malpractice or
negligence (38 USC 7316). The average cost of malpractice insurance
in the private sector varies a great deal by occupation and other
variables, ranging from $80 to $1,000 annually.
$17,677
Annual combined value
of paid holidays, sick
leave and annual leave.
Computed as hourly
salary x
50
leave days
and holidays x 8 hours
per day
VACAREERS.VA.GOV |
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CHOOSE VA for the Coverage
Rest easy knowing that VA has you and your family covered.
Health insurance. With Federal Employees Health
Benets (FEHB), choose from a variety of self or family
health maintenance organizations or fee-for-service
health plans that all cover preexisting conditions. Your
spouse, domestic partner and children under age 26
are eligible, as are children — regardless of age —
who are unable to support themselves. VA pays up to
75% of health premiums, a benet that can continue
into retirement (conditions apply). Your portion of the
premium is taken on a pretax basis unless you opt out.
Plans can be adjusted during annual open season from
November-December. Start exible, tax-free spending
accounts for up to $2,500 in medical expenses for
individuals and up to $5,000 in dependent care
expenses.
Dental and vision insurance. Under the Federal
Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program
(FEDVIP), supplemental dental and/or vision benets
are available to you and your family, including children
up to age 22. FEDVIP coverage may continue into
retirement for nurses enrolled as employees.
Life insurance. Plan for what’s next with Federal
Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI), which is
group term life insurance covering you and eligible
family members. Receive this benet with no physical
exam if you elect to enroll within 60 days of being
hired and get coverage that applies from your start
date and continues into retirement.
Long-term care. Under the Federal Long-Term Care
Insurance Program, VA nurses can access long-term
care coverage for home care, adult day care and facility
care. You may be eligible to apply for long-term care
insurance even if you’re not enrolled in the FEHB
Program.
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TOTAL REWARD$ OF VA EMPLOYMENT
CHOOSE VA for the Education and Growth Opportunities
Start your career at VA and benet from opportunities to build your skills throughout your tenure.
Student loan reimbursement. If you’re a VA nurse
hired for a specic, dicult-to-recruit direct patient
care position, you may be eligible for VA’s Education
Debt Reduction Program (EDRP). This program oers
qualifying nurses student loan reimbursement of up to
$200,000 over a ve-year period.
Continuing education. VA is the nation’s leading
provider of continuing nursing education credits and
hours. As a VA nurse, you can keep your education up-
to-date through the Talent Management System (TMS)
while receiving opportunities from a wide variety of
external agencies and presenters.
In-person and virtual training. VA leads in clinical
simulation training, with dedicated experts and state-
of-the-art resources to support the learning needs of
VA sta across over 170 VA medical centers and more
than 1,255 sites of care.
Leadership skills development. VA provides a
competitive, three-tiered continuum of leadership
development at the local, network and national levels
for employees with the potential and desire to serve in
leadership positions.
“Since beginning my VA career in 2002, I have been thrilled with the countless professional
development opportunities and pathways available for enhancing my education. For me,
this has included attending training, becoming certied, advancing my formal education and
completing leadership development programs. As my career progressed through various roles,
such as student nurse technician, medical-surgical registered nurse, nursing informatics, nurse
manager, chief nurse and program manager, I have always felt empowered to excel because of
the various education and training opportunities VA has provided. Each day I am honored to
use the advanced expertise I have attained, as well as continuously seek new knowledge, to fulll
our vision of advancing nursing and transforming health care.”
HEATHER ARREDONDO, DHA, RN, VHACM, OFFICE OF NURSING SERVICES PROGRAM
MANAGER FOR PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS BOARDS
VACAREERS.VA.GOV |
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CHOOSE VA for the Retirement Benets
Get ready for life after VA service with Social Security, a pension and Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).
Enroll in
Federal
Employees
Retirement
System*
SOCIAL
SECURITY
» Portable
» Lifetime payments at retirement
PENSION
» Lifetime payments at retirement
» Deferred benets after ve years
of service to use at retirement
TSP (401(K)-
TYPE PLAN)
» Portable
» Transferable
» Low cost
*Conditions apply. See pages 6-7 for more information and
www.opm.gov/retirement-services/fers-information.
Get credit for
military service.
Have you earned service credits
from your time in military
service? Don’t worry — if you
move to a federal job at VA,
you may carry over service
time that is added to your total
years of work for retirement
purposes. This may increase your
retirement pension payments
(conditions apply).
“I chose VA because of the wonderful experiences I had as a student nurse during my clinical
rotations on the medical-surgical units. From the start, I received guidance and support from my
nurse manager and chief nurse to pursue professional development opportunities. By the end of my
rst year, I was a competent medical-surgical nurse and an emerging leader in the organization.
After ve years, I have coordinated and led the eorts in the facility’s rst succession planning
program, the implementation of a new shared governance model, and our journey to Pathway
to Excellence
®
and Magnet
®
designations. In addition, the VA has provided various learning
opportunities in areas such as program and project management and health care data analytics. I
am grateful for the wonderful mentors that I have had throughout my journey, and I am proud to
be a VA nurse serving our Veterans and the nursing workforce.”
IVETTE VALADEZ, BSN, RN
WORKFORCE EXCELLENCE COORDINATOR
VA NORTH TEXAS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
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TOTAL REWARD$ OF VA EMPLOYMENT
Choose VA for the Retirement Benets (cont.)
Basic/Dened Retirement Plan
Earn a generous federal pension after a long career of
service to VA as a nurse (see illustration below).
Highlights include:
• Generous pension. Under the federal retirement
system, your future pension benets are funded
through an automatic 4.4% deduction from your
salary and an 8.3% matching contribution from VA
each pay period. After retirement, monthly pension
annuity payments are distributed for life.
• Vesting. Become vested in the FERS Basic/Dened
Benet pension after only ve years of creditable
civilian service.
• Long-term coverage. Become eligible for disability
retirement benets (similar to long-term disability
insurance coverage) and employee death benets
after 18 months of service.
• Survivor benets. Become eligible for survivor
benets after 10 years of service.
Here are two examples of how VA may calculate your pension:
AGE:
Under age 62 at
separation for
retirement
BENEFIT:
1% of your
highest three
years of average
salary for each
year of service
EXAMPLE:
56 years old
34 years of VA service
$115,000 average high
three salary
$39,100
annual
pensionAGE:
Age 62 or older at
separation with 20
or more years of
service
BENEFIT:
1.1% of your highest
three years of
average salary for
each year
EXAMPLE:
63 years old
41 years of VA service
$118,500 average high
three salary
$53,444
annual pension
The information above is expressed in current dollars and based on the average salary for VA nurses who have served 30 years. Many dierent factors impact
pension amounts; for instance, unused sick leave extends your creditable service time on a day-for-day basis. Review your specic situation with a VA recruiter
and follow the links in the Resources section for more information.
Thrift Savings Plan
Grow retirement funds by supplementing your
pension, Social Security and other savings with the TSP
(see illustration, next page).
Highlights include:
• More savings. TSP lets you contribute up to
$19,500 a year* to your account.
• Catch up at midcareer. If you’re age 50 or older,
grow TSP beyond the maximum with additional
“catch up” contributions of up to $6,500 or more per
year,* for a total potential contribution of $26,000.
Catch-up ceilings are regularly increased so check
the TSP website for the latest information.
• Employer matching. Earn VA contributions right
away. VA makes an automatic contribution of 1%
of your salary into your TSP fund. VA also matches
*indicates the 2020 amount and may increase in future years.
VACAREERS.VA.GOV |
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Choose VA for the Retirement Benets (cont.)
contributions dollar-for-dollar on the rst 3% of
your salary and 50 cents-on-the-dollar for the
next 2% of your salary, for a total of up to 5% in
employer contributions.
• Vesting. When you’re “vested,” you have
ownership of contributions — they are yours to
take with you, into the next job or retirement.
You are automatically vested in your own
contributions and VA’s matching contributions
from day one of VA employment. Employees are
vested in the 1% automatic contribution after
three years of VA service.
• Low-cost, choice-based investing. TSP
features matching funds, tax-treatment options
(pretax traditional/after-tax Roth), investment
choices and portability so you control how
much you contribute and where to invest. TSP
administration fees are 25 times lower than
industry averages: 40 cents for every $1,000
invested versus the industry average of roughly
$10 for every $1,000 invested. That’s more
money in your pocket to use when you retire.
*Indicates the 2020 amount and may increase in future years.
Plan for a comfortable life after federal service with
TSP and compound interest.
Invest $19,500 annually toward retirement and see your
savings stack up.
$19,500
ANNUALLY
compounded by 6.5% assumed annual rate
of return of a TSP fund,
$765,521
AT 20 YEARS
$1,698,037
AT 30 YEARS
$3,444,822
AT 40 YEARS
Spend Time with Family and Friends with Many Days of Paid Leave
Leave Category Full Time Part Time
Federal Holidays 11 days 11 days*
Annual Leave 26 days
1 hour for every
10 hours worked
Annual Leave Maximum Carryover 86 days 240 hours
Sick Leave 13 days
1 hour for every
20 hours worked
Sick Leave Maximum Carryover Unlimited Unlimited
Military Leave 15 days Prorated
Military Leave Maximum Balance 30 days Prorated
Paid Parental Leave** 12 weeks
Prorated (must work at least
1,250 hours per year)
*Part-time employees are entitled to federal holidays that fall on days employees would otherwise be
required to work or take leave. This does not include overtime work.
**The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provides up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave
in connection with the birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child for employees covered
by Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provisions applicable to federal civilian employees.
Annual Leave
As a full-time VA nurse, you accrue
208 hours, or 26 days, of annual leave
a year.
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TOTAL REWARD$ OF VA EMPLOYMENT
CHOOSE VA for the Rewards
As a VA nurse, you serve with dedicated colleagues and are rewarded with a strong support system. A
VA health care career oers you a balanced, exible work environment focused on your unique needs.
• Work anywhere. With one full and unrestricted
active U.S. license, you can be a nurse at any of the
1,255 VA sites of care — by the beach, in a city or in
the countryside — and take your benefits with you.
Apply for an open position at VA facilities in all 50
states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam,
American Samoa and the Philippines.
• Take time off. On day one as a full time VA nurse,
you start accruing five weeks paid annual vacation,
13 days paid annual sick leave and 11 paid holidays
each year.
• Relocate with ease. Applying for work at another
VA? You won’t typically lose any benefits or
accumulated paid leave. Your nursing grade or step
should not be affected by the transfer..
• Receive assistance. Under VA’s Employment
Assistance Program (EAP), get free, short-term
counseling and other services to cope with the
stresses of life and other issues. EAP includes:
» 24/7 access to and follow up with professional
counselors.
» Counseling on legal, nancial, child and elder
care, mental health, identity theft and wellness
issues.
» Community resources and referrals.
» Internal and external tools on EAP services.
“Transitioning from the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps to the VA in 1980, I started a journey through ve
VA Medical Centers and countless opportunities locally and nationally, all using the same Nursing
License. Opportunities abound in VA and I progressed from ICU nurse through management roles
and have been fortunate enough to work for VA nursing sta as a Chief Nurse Executive since 1993.
Nursing shared governance and mentoring are cornerstones of VA’s eort to help every nurse own
and contribute to their evidence-based professional nursing practice. My VA journey has included
the Midwest, Southwest and the Southeast. A close friend described the VA not as a career but rather
a lifestyle. Our commitment to serving Veterans and advancing our nursing profession cement that
lifestyle characterized by growth and the privilege of leading in health care.”
DAVID PRZESTRZELSKI, MS, RN
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR PATIENT CARE SERVICES/CHIEF NURSE EXECUTIVE
CHARLES GEORGE VA MEDICAL CENTER, ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
CHOOSE VA to Contribute to the Quality of Care
RESOURCES
Benets, education and employment incentives
• Education support: https://www.vacareers.va.gov/Benets/
EducationSupport
• Employment benets: https://www.vacareers.va.gov/
Benets/EmploymentBenets
• Federal benets: https://www.opm.gov
Coverage
• Liability protection explained: https://www.vacareers.
va.gov/Benets/EmploymentBenets/#insurance
• Life insurance: http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/
life-insurance
Health insurance
• Dental/vision: http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/
dental-vision
• Federal health benets: http://www.opm.gov/insure/
health/index.asp
• Federal health benets comparison tools: https://www.
opm.gov/healthcare-insurance
• Federal insurance frequently asked questions: http://www.
opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/insurance-faqs
• Flexible spending accounts primer: http://www.opm.gov/
healthcare-insurance/exible-spending-accounts
• Long-term care: http://www.opm.gov/healthcare-
insurance/long-term-care
Retirement
• Estimate future pension benets: OPM’s Federal Ballpark
Estimate – https://www.opm.gov/retirement-services/
calculators/federal-ball-park-estimator/
• Thrift Savings Plan: https://www.tsp.gov/index.html
• Retirement benets: http://www.opm.gov/retirement-
services/fers-information
“I have found the Transition to Practice Nurse Residency program at the William S. Middleton
VA Hospital to be an invaluable asset as I navigate the start of my nursing career. In addition to
opportunities to practice and develop critical nursing skills, it has provided exposure to other units,
services and resources in the hospital that are useful not only in my current practice but also in
formulating my long-term goals as a nurse. Further, it has been helpful to develop relationships
with other newly hired nurses in this program, to be able to support each other and learn from each
other.”
JILL FRANK, BSN, RN
VACAREERS.VA.GOV |
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