Florida RN Salary - How Much Do RNs Make in FL?

The state of Florida is the fourth highest employer of registered nurses. Of the 2,711,500 RNs employed nationwide, 162,500 were working in Florida according to May 2018 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). At that time, the average RN salary in Florida is $60,420 which was about $29.05 an hour. Registered nurses with earnings in the top tenth percentile were paid $81,380 or more. Those with earnings in the bottom tenth percentile were paid $45,040 or less. These numbers are lower than the national averages, which were $65,470 per year and $31.48 per hour in 2012.

The highest numbers of RNs are concentrated in the Miami, Tampa, and Orlando metropolitan areas. The Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville, and West Palm Beach metropolitan areas also employ large numbers of registered nurses. In all parts of Florida, with the exception of the Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach Metropolitan areas, the median annual salary is lower than the national average for this occupation.

The highest paying area in Florida for registered nurses is the Ft. Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach metropolitan division. This area employed 14,300 nurses as of May 2018. The average salary for RNs in this area was $68,200. Even this is only slightly higher than the national average. In 2018, RN salaries in this area ranged from under $41,560 to more than $92,140. Though these wages are marginally better than in other areas of the state, it is important to note that the cost of living in the Ft. Lauderdale area is approximately eight percent higher than the national average.

RNs in Florida, like in any other state, can set themselves apart from the competition and increase their earning potential by pursuing higher education and becoming more experienced. Becoming certified in a specialty area may also help one earn a higher salary. Nurses in this state must keep in mind the higher cost of living in certain metropolitan areas when considering salaries.

Resources

• https://www.forbes.com/places/fl/fort-lauderdale/
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Registered-nurses.htm