Florida Pay rates

It's been my personal experience that Florida pay rates suck, at least where I live. For nearly every job I've applied to the hourly rate has been around $21. I was making that as a new nurse back in 2003 in So. Dakota. The cost of living is pretty high in Florida as well.

NEFTC is a scary place to work. The upside is that it is a state job and you can qualify for early retirement. I do not know how long your friend has been an RN but the state starts nurses at around 35K per year. However, some state facilities have generous cost of living raises each year and I think NEFTC is one of them.

I am a new grad RN that just moved to the FL panhandle from TN. I accepted a position working 7p-7a at a big hospital. The base pay is $17/hr for new grads but the shift differential for nights is $4.40, so I will be making $21.40/hr. That's not too much different than TN. Hope this helps!

Hi, I have a friend who has just been offered a position in a Florida Treatment and Evaluation Center with an hourly rate of $21. 86. This will be his first job in the US. Is this an average rate? When I worked in CA back in 1990 I was earning $22 an hour. Any feed back I would appreciate.

Also comments on the cost of living and rents would be appreciated! Thanks

Depending on which part of the state you live in, $21.86 sounds about right. You might get two dollars an hour more in Orlando or Miami. Florida has no state income take, only sales tax and property tax. The housing boom hit us pretty hard and rents went up a great deal. They are now slowly dropping back down. Ft. Myers or Sarasota, two bedroom, two bath would run $850 to $1,000 a month. First, last and security required. Electrical runs any where from $100 to $150 a month. Food about $100 to $125 a week. Water and sewer about $100. Don't know what it will cost him to take the licensing exam but I was charged $204 for an endorsement. Plus $32 for an background check and finger prints.

Woody:balloons: