Do you want to be a travel nurse in Florida? If so, you will find all the information you need about this field. For example, if you’re trying to find out what the average pay is for travel nurses in Florida, keep reading. You’ll also learn what other factors go into determining your salary as a travel nurse.
The average travel nurse salary in Florida is around $42,000 per year. Depending on the destination, this can vary between $38,000 and $52,000 and there are lots of opportunities for overtime pay. Benefits include health insurance coverage and 401(k) plans. Other perks may include on-site housing or relocation funds for long term contracts.
Travel nurses in Florida can earn a very high income on average. The median annual salary of travel nurses in Florida is $71,000, or $33.00 per hour. Like other states, however, the range of salaries will vary by job title and location. This article also share more information on travel nurse requirements, traveling nurse salary per hour.
Travel Nurse Salary In Florida
Overview
If you’re looking to become a travel nurse in Florida, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve got everything you need to know about becoming a travel nurse in Florida, including what the requirements are and how much you can make.
Travel nursing is one of the best ways for registered nurses to make money while traveling around the country. Travel nurses have flexible hours and can choose which shifts they want to work each week. As a traveling nurse, you’ll have the opportunity to work in many different states across the country—and even internationally! That means that while one week you might be working at a hospital in New York City, another week could find you working in Miami or Tampa.
The best part? You get paid well for doing it! According to U.S. News & World Report, travel nurses earn an average of $44 per hour.
What is a Travel Nurse?
Travel nurses are registered nurses who work in short-term roles at hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities around the world. Travel nurses help fill gaps in areas where there are nursing shortages, and as a result, the average travel nurse salary can be quite high!
With everything going on right now, more and more nurses are considering going into travel nursing to help in the areas that need it most, like New York. Nurses can expect to see much higher than average pay packages right now. But, there are still a number of factors you need to consider when it comes to your travel nurse salary. Here’s what you need to know to navigate pay as a travel nurse.
What other Benefits will You Receive as a Travel Nurse?
Aside from the salaries mentioned above, travel nurses may receive a package including several other benefits that provide additional value.
Insurance Coverage: Insurance coverage usually includes health, vision, and dental, though travel nurses often pay a part of their premiums directly from their pre-tax pay.
Retirement (401K) Options: 401(k) is by and large one of the most preferred retirement benefits in the US, and it is often available to travel nurses with a relatively high employer match.
Tax-Free Travel Reimbursement: Because travel nurses are expected to travel to different parts of the state, the country, and in a few cases even the world, employers will often reimburse them or even provide a stipend for their travel costs.
Sign-On, Completion and Retention Bonuses: Due to the demand for flexible travel nurses, many companies will provide bonuses. A sign-on bonus is provided when you agree to an assignment, a completion bonus is provided when the assignment is over, and a retention bonus may be provided to entice you to continue to take assignments through a particular company.
Free Housing: Many travel-nurses are provided with free housing. This may include only housing during long-term assignments, but in some cases, it may also include an apartment in the city of your primary residence.
Free CEUs: Because travel nurses must be licensed in order to practice in all 50 states, their employers will provide them with access to free continuing education (CEUs) to help ensure they have met their licensure requirements.
Highest Paying Cities in Florida For Travel Nurses
Average gross weekly nurse pay in the top cities/wider metro area
- Lakeland – $3,905
- Daytona Beach – $2,995
- Sun City Center – $2,522
- Brooksville – $2,214
- Hudson – $2,209
- Melbourne – $2,184
- Rockledge – $2,142
- Gainesville – $2,130
- Fort Pierce – $2,081
- Port St Lucie – $2,081
(Trusted Health Data)
Highest Paying Cities in Florida For Registered Nurses
Average annual nurse salary in the following cities/wider metro areas
- Naples/Immokalee/Marco Island – $76,040
- Gainesville – $70,940
- Punta Gorda – $70,810
- Miami/Fort Lauderdale/West Palm Beach – $69,920
- Cape Coral/Fort Myers – $69,830
- Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater – $69,440
- Palm Bay/Melbourne/Titusville – $69,230
- Port St. Lucie – $68,070
- North Port/Sarasota/Bradenton – $67,770
- The Villages – $66,570
Highest Paying Nurse Specialties in Florida
Average annual nurse salary for the following nurse specialties
- Med/Surg Nurse – $92,393 (Range of $83,585 – $102,928)
- Progressive Care Nurse – $82,371 (Range of $72,508 – $93,379)
- Operating Room Nurse – $74,923 (Range of $67,223 – $82,826)
- Emergency Nurse – $72,893 (Range of $65,092 – $80,962)
- ICU Nurse – $72,404 (Range of $65,236 – $78,684)
- Labor and Delivery Nurse – $70,400 (Range of $64,000 – $79,700)
- Pediatric Nurse – $68,800 (Range of $62,400 – $78,800)
(Data courtesy of Salary.com)
Cost of Living Florida
Although nurse salaries in Florida may be 13% lower than the national average, living in Florida costs about average. Florida ranks close to the national cost of living index. While your nursing salary may be lower, the cost of rent alone may make up for it. For more detailed cost of living by city, check out the nurse Salary Explorer.
Job Growth for Nurses in Florida
Florida is a popular destination for staff and travel nurses alike. In 2018, Florida was home to more than 189,820 nurses.
However, Florida has a strong job outlook, as the number of nurses in Florida is expected to grow. Registered nurse jobs are forecasted to grow by more than 16% between 2018 and 2028, bringing the total number of working nurses in Florida to more than 220,350.
traveling nurse salary per hour
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average travel nurse salary in 2022 sits at about $51 per hour.
travel nurse requirements
Travel nursing is an appealing option for many people because of perks like competitive pay, career flexibility, and the opportunity to travel and explore new places. If you are interested in how to get into travel nursing, here are some of the requirements you should know about before you begin your job search.
- License Requirements
- Certification Requirements
- Years of Experience
License Requirements
The most basic requirement to become a travel nurse is a current and unencumbered RN license. Nurses who have completed an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in nursing are eligible. Some travel nurse agencies may prefer to hire BSN-prepared registered nurses, but a BSN degree is not a formal job requirement. If you have a specific facility or assignment in mind, you should check the official travel nurse schooling requirements before signing with a staffing agency.
Certification Requirements
Along with a nursing license in good standing, you will need certifications in Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) and Basic Life Support (BLS) to be hired by a travel nurse agency. These basic certifications are necessary for travel nurses to perform routine healthcare tasks and procedures.
Additionally, if you plan to pursue assignments in a specialized care unit, it is recommended that you hold credentials in that specialty. For example, nurses pursuing roles in critical care should have CCRN certification, and nurses who work in labor and delivery should have Neonatal Resuscitation certification.
Years of Experience
Before applying with a healthcare staffing agency, a nurse should have at least one year but often two years of hospital-based bedside experience as a registered nurse. Nurses who will be providing patient care in a specialized unit should have experience commensurate with that specialty. For example, a critical care nurse must have several years of experience working with critically ill patients before they are eligible to work in an ICU.
