It’s no secret that nurses are in high demand in the greater Miami area right now. But did you know this increase in demand also carries with it the potential for increased pay and benefits for nurses in almost all positions across the state of Florida?
In many parts of the country, nurses are in such high demand that the need is urgent. Recently, South Florida NBC 6 reported the gap in actively employed nurses as a full-blown crisis impacting every hospital in South Florida.
To meet the increase in demand, hospitals are increasing salaries and benefits to get and keep nursing staff. Benefits such as more time off, greater schedule flexibility, and new career development opportunities are becoming more common offerings to entice nurses to apply.
Hospitals also are also hiring new nursing graduates to work in specialized roles (ORs and other areas), which allows these new grads to advance their careers more quickly than they would have before the shortage. And, according to a Nov. 29, 2021 study on new nursing grad salaries, ZipRecruiter reports the average new graduate RN salary in Florida is $61,798, with the range typically between $55,439 and $70,648.
Overall, the rising demand for nurses allows those entering the workforce to negotiate higher salaries, more flexible working hours, and other benefits not traditionally available. Even sign-on bonuses may be available in areas with the highest need.
Salary ranges vary widely depending on the city and many other important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years a nurse has spent in his or her profession.
As of May 2020 the The Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the following annual salary and hourly data for nurses.
- General medical and surgical nurses, $81,680 annually or $39.27 per hour.
- Home health care services nurses, $75,870 annually or $36.48 per hour.
Since 2020, nurse salaries have increased due to the increase in demand.
As of Nov. 29, 2021, a ZipRecruiter survey shows salary comparisons for the nation versus the local Miami Dade area as:
- Nationwide – $46,531
- South Miami Beach – $72,610
- Aventura – $67,338
- North Miami – $65,687
- West Palm Beach – $72,610
- Broward – $68,262
Nurse turnover rates increased to around 22% in 2020, up from the annual rate of about 18% in 2019. Over the last 22 months, however, more than 20% of healthcare workers have quit their positions according to Timesonline.com. A 2021 survey of nurses by Advisory.com indicates that 22% of nurses intend to leave their jobs within the next year.
That means the demand for nurses will continue to grow.
Lisia McLean, BSN, RN, Director of Sovereign School of Nursing explains the importance of nursing schools like Sovereign to aid the cause: “If someone is looking for a new career, nursing is a great place to look right now,” she says. “We can help prepare nurses for the Florida NCLEX exam and get them into a new career in 12-14 months. Even if someone has failed out of a nursing program before, Sovereign will work with them to finalize their nursing program of choice.”
Finding a nursing job and getting started isn’t a problem either. In fact, nursing position applicants to First Care Home Services in Miami are hired, screened, trained, and placed into positions in a matter of days, according to First Care’s Claudia McLean. “We are always recruiting for LPN, RN, and HHA. We can always use nurses – new or experienced – we will train them to work with us but the demand is great right now and the need will only grow in the coming year.”
If you’re thinking about nursing as a new/expanded/second career, now is the time to get started. Click here to learn more about our programs, admissions criteria, or enrollment dates, or call us at 305-945-5677 to speak directly to an admissions director.
