Florida RN Salaries

Work2Live · Jun 11, 2015

I worked three seasons as a seasonal nurse (December - April) in SWFL and I recently completed a travel contract in Sarasota. Florida does not pay well (relative to many other parts of the country). IF you're interested in relocating to Florida, I would highly recommend that you try a seasonal contract (anywhere from 4-6 months). The flat rate (i.e. no health insurance or housing) is $40-45 per hour in SWFL. I know that Sarasota Memorial Hospital (5:1 days, 6:1 nights; Magnet hospital) hires seasonal nurses too. If you have a good relationship with your current employer, remain PRN and work there when you're not working in Florida. I know several nurses that do that.

whd13b · Jun 11, 2015

Thank you for the information! I understand that Florida salaries are lower than NYS which is one of the reasons I'm trying to find out just how low is low :) My focus is Tampa Bay or West Palm Beach as I know these regions pay the highest and I'm familiar with both. I have considered becoming a travel nurse in those areas to get a feel for the regions but before I move, however I still want to find out a basic hourly rate for those regions. Unfortunately staying on per diem for most facilities requires working 2 to 3 weekend shifts per month so I don't see how that could work with working a full time job in Florida Thanks for the information though, it's well appreciated.

Journey_On, BSN, RN · Jun 11, 2015

As a new grad (BSN), the pay was $22.12/hour in a city that was about 45 minutes from Tampa. The patient-to-nurse ratio was typically 5:1 during the day (stroke floor).

Work2Live · Jun 11, 2015

I have been a RN for 8+ years in M/S and I was offered approximately $26 per hour in SWFL. 5 years of experience will DEF get you less than $30 in Tampa. Where are you in New York? I have worked as a traveler in a couple of hospitals in the upper and lower Hudson Valley.

whd13b · Jun 11, 2015

Thank you! :)

whd13b · Jun 11, 2015

That gives me a little bit of an idea so thank you! I'm hoping I can land $28-34 an hour in one of these larger cities. From the research that I've done, Boca Raton and Ft. Lauderdale seem have the highest per hour salary for RN's. Boca Raton is only about 15 minutes south of West Palm Beach, so that could work. I live and work in Middletown which is in Orange County, and considered the lower Hudson Valley :)

Work2Live · Jun 11, 2015

The beaches are MUCH nicer on the Gulf Coast. :)

DowntheRiver · Jun 11, 2015

For Tampa, I made $24.00/hr +3.75-5.00 shift diff + 2.00 extra for weekends. This was as a new grad at the largest multi hospital system in the TB area. My hourly increased after 90 days to $24.50 and would have increased another dollar when I got my BSN. The hospital system also gives you a lot of money to go back to school. Benefits are also decent and cheap.

However, the hospital setting wasn't for me so now I work Urgent Care in Tampa where I make $28.50/hr. Benefits are pretty good and only cost me $100 a month for everything out the door - health, dental, and vision.

You have to remember that, at least in the Tampa area, that the cost of living is low compared to up north. I wish we could switch places. :yes: I've lived in FL my entire life and would love to get out of this heat. My husband's job and license require him to remain in this state so we'll be here forever.

whd13b · Jun 11, 2015

Wow..thank you so much for the detailed salary and benefit information. Ironic after living in Florida all your life, you seek the north :) And myself growing up in the north, seek the south. I actually love the Hudson Valley region of NYS where I live. It's beautiful here and only 1 hour outside Manhattan. The long, cold, dreary winters though I'm just growing tired of. It's almost impossible to be active during the winter months. I have compared cost of living between the two regions and only thing more expensive in the Hudson Valley are property and school taxes. Food, rent, gas, utilities, and real estate are all pretty similar. Thanks again for the great information :)

BeachsideRN, ASN · Jun 11, 2015

That gives me a little bit of an idea so thank you! I'm hoping I can land $28-34 an hour in one of these larger cities. From the research that I've done, Boca Raton and Ft. Lauderdale seem have the highest per hour salary for RN's. Boca Raton is only about 15 minutes south of West Palm Beach, so that could work. I live and work in Middletown which is in Orange County, and considered the lower Hudson Valley :)

Only about 15 minutes south - without traffic! Boca traffic if horrific.

whd13b · Jun 11, 2015

It certainly can be! Then again traffic anywhere in South Florida is horrific, especially during season. I lived in WPB for 5 years and Boca for 3, pre RN days so I have a good idea of the region for home owner or rent purposes but for being an RN..I have no clue..