What Is the Annual Salary of a Nurse in Florida?
The state of Florida has set up a workforce center called the Florida Center for Nursing, or FCN, to recommend strategies for filling vacancies and retaining nurses to resolve the nursing shortage there. Resolving nursing shortages improves patient outcomes and also improves work environments, thus reducing turnover in the nursing profession, according to the FCN.
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RN Salary Range
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Of the estimated 2.6 million registered nurses, or RNs, employed in 2009, about 151,000 had jobs in Florida, notes the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average annual salary of an RN in Florida was $29.94 per hour, or $62,270 per year. The nationwide average for this occupation was about 6 percent higher, at $31.99 per hour. The middle 50 percent of RNs in Florida were earning $24.30 to $34.14 per hour in 2009. The bottom 10 percent had pay rates of $20.77 and below, and the top 10 percent were earning at least $40.35 per hour, or $83,940 per year.
RN Salary by Geography
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The lowest pay for RNs in Florida in 2009 was in the Punta Gorda area, where RNs were earning $23.14 per hour on average in 2009, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This ranks Punta Gorda in the bottom 25 percent nationwide for RN salaries. The highest average pay in Florida was in the greater metropolitan area including Miami, Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Kendall, Pompano Beach and Deerfield, and in the Naples-Marco Island area. The average in these cities was in the range of about $32 to $33 per hour.
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LPN Salary Range
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The FCN is also interested in recruiting and retaining licensed practical nurses, or LPNs. An estimated 729,000 LPNs were working in 2009, with about 43,350 employed in Florida, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average salary of an LPN in Florida was $19.19 per hour in 2009, or $39,910 per year. The average salary nationwide was similar, at $19.66 per hour. The middle 50 percent of LPNs in Florida had hourly wages of $16.76 to $21.72. The bottom 10 percent were earning $14.85 and less, and the top 10 percent were making at least $24.43 per hour, or $50,810 per year.
LPN Salary by Geography
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The lowest pay for LPNs in Florida in 2009 was in the northwest non-metropolitan area, at $16.37 per hour on average. The area of Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin was the lowest-paying metro region in the state for LPNs, at $16.68 per hour on average. The highest pay rate for LPNs was about $20 per hour, found in the greater metro areas of West Palm Beach, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Naples-Marco Island, Cape Coral-Fort Myers and Ocala.
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References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Registered Nurses Occupational Employment and Wages
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Occupational Employment and Wages
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment Statistics Query System
- Florida Center for Nursing: Welcome
- Florida Center for Nursing: Economic Benefits of Resolving Florida's Nursing Shortage
Resources
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