What's the starting salary for graduates fresh out of nursin school in South Florida?

ERDIVA2B · Sep 20, 2003

I live in South Florida. Miami pays more than Broward County. Here new grads start at $18.50, and a dollar more for critical care and ER. plus another $ 1 if you were an LPN before. I had a $5000 sign on bonus for one year of work, plus they sent me to a Critical CAre, ER course for 2and a half months while being paid my RN pay as a GN. You must apply right away to the State so you can get your GN letter.

Try the North Broward Hospital District, which has 4 hospitals. They do pay the best down here. and also the Memorial Hospital system which is Memorial Regional, west, pembroke, if you plan to live south of the airport that is where to apply.

There are smaller hospitals around that belong to the HCA/Columbia system, nicer but pay is less. I worked for one as a Nurse tech, but they did not compete with the North Broward district. I researched every hospital down here before graduation. and most want you for 18 months to 2 years for that same amount of sign-on bonus.

Also Tenet has a bunch of hospitals, Cleveland Clinic, Florida Medical, Northridge. Cleveland is by far the prettiest.

greenlin · Sep 22, 2003

it's completely out of my expectation, I thought RN working IN USA can get highest pay in the world, only $18 to start, in Australian it's $36

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Sep 22, 2003

Pay in Florida has always been abysmal.

BaByLoVeR18 · Aug 25, 2006

It's sad that nurses get paid so little. I'm really looking forward to becoming a neonatal nurse but I will not be looking forward to the pay. I am very disappointed in our system. Nurses deserve more and maybe in the future they will get more.

NurseLatteDNP, MSN, DNP, RN · Aug 25, 2006

I wish you can at least say that the low pay means that there is a lower cost of living there. I have looked on some websites to find a home there, and the prices are very high compared to Texas.

HARRN2b · Aug 25, 2006

Home prices in Florida are starting to compare to CA. I sold my beautiful home in FL in 2001 for 179k. I am sick as that same home today would sell for between 300-500k. It was only 2000 sq feet. But it was in a master plan community with a water view. A trailer would cost that much today. It is all driven by the number of baby boomers with huge pensions that are moving there from the midwest and northeast.

NurseguyFL · Aug 29, 2006

Do not be misled by what anyone says about south Florida because its not all sun and fun. Please do a lot of research before making the decision to move here. I know many people who moved here for the sunshine and beaches but got over them real quick once they realize how expensive it is to live here. Just from searching through these threads you will see from other people's posts that I am not making this up. The cost of living is high, even though there is no state income tax. If you are coming from a big city where you never needed a car you are going to need one here so figure a car note and monthly insurance premiums into your budget if your don't already own one.

Property values have fallen a bit due to the housing slump, but real estate is still very expensive (average house costs around $300,000+ in Broward County), and property taxes and insurance are high. If you plan to buy a home here separate wind damage and flood insurance are a must due to the hurricanes. You need to be making at least $80,000 to qualify for a traditional mortage for an average home in the tri-county area (which includes putting down 20% of the value of the property), and this is much more than most nurses in FL earn. If you plan to rent, you should figure at least $1000 a month for a one bedroom apartment if you want to live in a relatively decent and safe area. You can still find cheap apartments to rent in certain areas of Fort Lauderdale but I wouldn't recommend those areas to my worst enemy. And don't forget to factor in the cost of gas (because you'll need to drive everywhere). True that you will no longer need to buy expensive winter clothing every year or pay higher electric bills due to heating during the winter months in the midwest where you are, but you will have to run the A/C all year long due to the heat here so you'd be trading six for a half-dozen.

More and more people are moving here every year but public infrastructure development has not kept pace. The public transportation system is laughable, the public schools are overcrowded, and traffic during the rush hour commute can be a nightmare. New grads in south FL are making anywhere between $18.50 and about $22.00. That's higher than the average income in Florida but its not a lot when you consider how much everything here costs.

If you really want to move here please do more research first. Many nurses have left south Florida because of the poor working conditions and low pay and thats the main reason the area hospitals use so many agency nurses. Come down on an extended vacation and see how you like it before deciding to move here permanently.

HARRN2b · Aug 30, 2006

I just checked the Lee Memorial website in Ft. Myers. Site said you might get a 15 minute break on your shift, as one of the benefits. No thanks! I will go to another state. I need time to go to the bathroom. My health comes before yours Mr. or Ms. corporate at Lee Memorial. That is slavery, and furthermore to advertise it as a benefit on your website makes me laugh!!!!!!

bonjovigirl · Aug 31, 2006

I must work at a good hospital. New grads start here (in Tampa $19.55-$20.00) and trust me, we get our breaks. We are busy, but the working environment is not bad at all. Not once since I started have I had a real complaint (except money) about the hospital I work at. After one year I make $21/hr which stinks, but I left Philadelphia as a new grad, and I complared take home pay to a friend of mine who works in the philly suburbs as a new grad as well, and there wasn't a HUGE difference. 200k will buy you a row house in philly, and in my town in Fl you can get a brand new single home with a yard. I have not seen a big difference in my lifestyle, except I love it here, while Philly was getting on my very last nerve. I go outside and swim in my pool in the sumer instead of sitting on my front step ontop of my neighbors.

I think nursing is all the same, just depends where you want to live. NOW, if your SO is a teacher or a laborer of any kind, his pay may drop significantly, depending on where in Floirda you end up.

spottss · Aug 31, 2006

I lived in South Fl for 3 and a half years and worked there as a Massage Therapist. I am now in New Hampshire and waiting on my LPN license. I am considering FL again but after all i have read, maybe not. I think that the conditions may be worse for working there due to the demographics and historically low pay. I also think the expectations are lower there too for achievement, which of course translates to frustration for those who really want to excel as a nurse.