The Florida Center for Nursing and other stakeholders place an increasing emphasis on nurses obtaining a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), since it produces the highest level of practice-focused training available. And Florida’s nurses are taking note. In fact, according to the Florida Center for Nursing, enrollment in doctoral nursing programs increased 22 percent between 2017 and 2018, and the number of graduates of doctoral programs increased 47 percent between 2016 and 2018.
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Possessing a DNP offers the assurance of high salaries as documented by the Advance Healthcare Network in its 2018 survey of the salaries of nurse practitioners throughout the country. NPs with a DNP earned an average of 7% more than those with a master’s degree.
Statewide Salary Data for DNP-Educated APNs and More in Florida
DNP-educated nurses in all their various roles are consistently recognized for earning top salaries (Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, 2018):
- Nurse Administrators and Executives – $126,230-$182,690
- Nurse Practitioners – $115,280-$129,970
- Nurse-Midwives – $105,880-$122,360
Salaries for DNP Nurses in Florida’s Major Cities
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity provides salary information for DNP-educated advanced nursing professionals in the most populated cities in the state (2018):
Nurse Administrators and Executives:
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach – $140,890+
- Tampa-St. Petersburg – $126,570-$182,850
- Jacksonville – $121,130-$172,960
Nurse Practitioners:
- Orlando – $104,760-$122,810
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach – $120,420-$132,540
- Tampa-St. Petersburg – $107,440-$123,550
Nurse-Midwives:
- Tampa-St. Petersburg – $121,260-$129,920
- Orlando – $112,540-$124,080
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach – $99,870-$105,540
Nurse Educators:
- Orlando – $92,370-$102,830
- Tampa-St. Petersburg – $91,830-$126,750
An Overview of Hourly Wages for Florida’s DNP-Educated Nurses
A 2019 Medscape Compensation Report found that 78% of APRNs are paid overtime, thereby highlighting that many DNP nurses are paid hourly. It is often helpful to view hourly wages for DNP nurses because overtime for these professionals can account for a significant part of their annual income.
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity provides hourly wages for DPN-educated nursing professionals, as of 2018:
- Nurse-Midwives: $50.90-$58.82
- Nurse Practitioners: $55.43-$62.48
- Nurse Administrators and Executives: $60.69-$87.83
Salary and employment data compiled by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity in May of 2018 – (http://www.floridajobs.org/workforce-statistics). Salary data represents state and MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) average and median earnings for the occupations listed and includes workers at all levels of education and experience. This data does not represent starting salaries. Employment conditions in your area may vary.
All salary and job growth data accessed in December 2019.
This page includes salaries that fall within the 75th and 90th percentiles for each nursing role to account for the fact that DNP-educated nurses are recognized as earning more than master’s-prepared nurses in the same roles.