Tampa pay rates

RUmedic · May 24, 2016

That's a tough question, however the pay range is definitely going to be lower than everywhere else. Where you are going to compensate is start bonus. In Tampa we have Adventist Healthcare and HCA that offer large bonuses to very experienced nurse. The other day I saw an ICU position with $20,000 start bonus.

ERNURSE47 · May 24, 2016

Thanks for the info. When I see a sign-on bonus that high, it usually indicates problems and usually comes with a minimum 2 year commitment. I currently live in south FL and was looking to the Tampa area due to lower cost of real estate (as compared to the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area).

RUmedic · May 24, 2016

Thanks for the info. When I see a sign-on bonus that high, it usually indicates problems and usually comes with a minimum 2 year commitment. I currently live in south FL and was looking to the Tampa area due to lower cost of real estate (as compared to the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area).

I hear you... It would then be my recommendation to look at Baycare and Tampa General Hospital. These two pay the most in the entire Tampa Bay area.

Remarkably, neither one offers start bonuses. Both have great ED positions available (I assume you are an ER nurse). TGH is level I Trauma hospital and the only one level I trauma in Central FLA.

Baycare is a great place to work at - I worked there.

msjack · Jun 2, 2016

I am relocating to the tampa area in the next few months. Working on getting my florida license now. Do you know how the Moffitt cancer center pays? I have 7 years experience with all of it being in oncology/hospice. I make a little more than $30 an hour here in Va. I could also look at tampa general for their onc floor. But thinking about a change. May want to do something different.

RUmedic · Jun 2, 2016

I am relocating to the tampa area in the next few months. Working on getting my florida license now. Do you know how the Moffitt cancer center pays? I have 7 years experience with all of it being in oncology/hospice. I make a little more than $30 an hour here in Va. I could also look at tampa general for their onc floor. But thinking about a change. May want to do something different.

I have a neighbor who works as an IT Admin at Moffitt. He says it is a good place for oncology nurses, although I had a hard time even pushing my applications through their HR department. Being that they are a Magnet hospital, they only want the best of the best, i.e. BSN, Oncology certification, tons of experience, good credit, etc. I detested their application process and after a few attempts simply gave up on them. Your mileage might vary.

If I were to choose between TGH and Moffitt, I'd go to Tampa General. Their pay and culture are better and they have less arrogance and such.

There's a couple of positions that I saw which call for Infusion nurse w/Chemotherapy certification. That pays nicely. If you have chemotherapy cert, look into Florida Medical Clinic's listings.

Lastly, whatever you earn in Va is going to be invariably more than what most Tampa hospitals pay. You trade dollars in for sunshine, humidity and no state income tax :)

Good luck!

msjack · Jun 3, 2016

Thanks for the info! I am chemo certified which is helpful. I work with a traveler now that travels to florida often and she did warn me that the pay for nurses in florida was bad. Just hoping its not too bad lol. Since the cost of living is lower I am willing to take a pay cut. On a few other threads I looked at the starting pay for new grads didn't seem to bad. I saw $22 and $23 and I started at $25 here, so not a huge difference. I will look at tampa general. I actually am leaning towards that, because part of me wants to do something different and wouldn't really be able to do that at moffitt. We will see. Thanks again!

NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN · Jun 11, 2016

Thanks for the info! I am chemo certified which is helpful. I work with a traveler now that travels to florida often and she did warn me that the pay for nurses in florida was bad. Just hoping its not too bad lol. Since the cost of living is lower I am willing to take a pay cut. On a few other threads I looked at the starting pay for new grads didn't seem to bad. I saw $22 and $23 and I started at $25 here, so not a huge difference. I will look at tampa general. I actually am leaning towards that, because part of me wants to do something different and wouldn't really be able to do that at moffitt. We will see. Thanks again!

I don't know what Tampa General pays, but some of the hospitals in the area use a pay grid based on number of years as a nurse to determine what they will offer for compensation. The longer you've been a nurse, the higher your starting rate will be with employers that use this pay scale.