Registered Nurse Jobs in Tampa, FL
Registered nurses in Tampa earn a median of about $41 an hour, and specialty nurses at the region's only Level I trauma center on Davis Islands or the USF medical cluster in North Tampa can clear $55. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and how to get licensed.
Current registered nurse Openings in Tampa, FL
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Registered Nurse Work in Tampa
RN hiring in Tampa runs through a handful of large systems, and each sits in a part of town residents know by its hospital. Tampa General Hospital anchors Davis Islands as the teaching hospital for USF Health. The North Tampa corridor along Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and Fletcher Avenue packs Moffitt Cancer Center, the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital and AdventHealth Tampa within a few miles of the USF campus. BayCare's St. Joseph's hospitals, AdventHealth Carrollwood on Dale Mabry Highway, and the HCA Florida hospitals in South Tampa, Town 'N' Country and Brandon fill out the map.
That density means more specialty work than in most Florida cities: trauma, oncology, polytrauma rehab for veterans, and critical care. Hospitals compete for experienced nurses with float pool rates, clinical ladders and residencies, and many nurses commute in from Wesley Chapel or across the Howard Frankland Bridge from Pinellas.
Top Tampa Employers Hiring Registered Nurses
These Tampa health systems are hiring RNs across inpatient, outpatient and specialty units:
- Tampa General Hospital - the Magnet-designated academic hospital on Davis Islands hires in all nursing specialties and runs a Nurse Residency plus critical care, perioperative and ED transition programs.
- BayCare - the largest health employer in Tampa Bay hires RNs for the St. Joseph's hospitals and runs a one-year Registered Nurse Residency with a clinical ladder.
- AdventHealth - AdventHealth Tampa on Fletcher Avenue and AdventHealth Carrollwood post RN roles from float pool PCU to pre-op.
- HCA Florida Healthcare - HCA Florida West Tampa, South Tampa and Brandon hospitals hire RNs for units from PACU to rehab, with a new-graduate residency.
- James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital - the VA hospital on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard hires staff RNs, including polytrauma rehab nurses, on the federal nurse pay scale.
- Moffitt Cancer Center - the cancer center next to USF hires oncology RNs through inpatient and ambulatory oncology nurse residencies.
Registered Nurse Salaries in Tampa
- Entry level: about $35 to $38 per hour for new graduate nurses.
- Experienced: roughly $41 to $49 per hour for staff nurses with a few years on a unit.
- Senior and specialty: $50 to $60 or more per hour for critical care, float pool and charge nurses.
These are estimates drawn from federal wage data for the Tampa metro and ranges posted by local hospitals; AdventHealth's Tampa float pool posting, for example, lists $33 to $58 an hour, and the VA posts annual RN pay from about $79,000 to $151,000. Specialty unit, night shift, float pool status and a BSN all push pay up, and certifications such as CCRN or OCN help at the top of the range.
How to Become a Registered Nurse in Tampa
You need an associate or bachelor's degree in nursing, then a passing score on the NCLEX-RN and a license from the Florida Board of Nursing, part of the Florida Department of Health. Florida is a Nurse Licensure Compact state, so a Florida multistate license also covers other compact states. Locally, Hillsborough College offers its associate degree as Nursing: Basic Option at the Dale Mabry Campus, with sections at Plant City and SouthShore, plus an online RN-to-BSN. The USF Health College of Nursing offers a BSN and a 16-month Accelerated Second Degree, the University of Tampa runs a four-year BSN downtown, and Rasmussen University's Brandon campus offers an ADN.
What the Job Involves
Registered nurses assess patients, give medications and IV therapy, carry out physician orders, monitor vital signs and change in condition, and document care in the electronic health record. They educate patients and families, coordinate with physicians and therapists, and supervise nursing assistants and LPNs on the unit.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active Florida or multistate RN license
- BLS, plus ACLS or PALS for acute care units
- Strong assessment and critical thinking
- Electronic health record charting
- Medication and IV administration
- Calm communication under pressure
Career Path and Advancement
Most Tampa nurses start in a residency at Tampa General, BayCare, HCA Florida or Moffitt, then move into specialty units such as ICU, trauma, oncology or perioperative care. From there the ladder runs to charge nurse, nurse educator and nurse manager, while a BSN or MSN from USF or the University of Tampa opens the path to nurse practitioner.
Related Careers in Tampa
If nursing interests you, these related Tampa guides are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do registered nurses make in Tampa?
The median RN wage in the Tampa metro is about $41 an hour, or roughly $85,000 a year. New graduates usually start around $35 to $38 an hour, and experienced specialty nurses can earn $55 to $60 or more with differentials.
Who licenses nurses in Florida?
The Florida Board of Nursing, within the Florida Department of Health, licenses RNs after you pass the NCLEX-RN and complete Livescan fingerprinting. Licenses renew every two years with 24 hours of continuing education, including Florida laws and rules, prevention of medical errors and human trafficking courses.
Can I work in Tampa with a nursing license from another state?
Yes, if it is a multistate license from a Nurse Licensure Compact state, since Florida joined the compact in 2018. If your license is from a non-compact state, you need a Florida license before you start.
Do Tampa hospitals hire new graduate nurses?
Yes. Tampa General, BayCare, HCA Florida South Tampa and Moffitt all run nurse residency programs for new graduates, and BayCare's lasts one year.
Where can I study nursing in Tampa?
Hillsborough College offers an associate degree in nursing at its Dale Mabry Campus, the USF Health College of Nursing and the University of Tampa offer the BSN, and Rasmussen University has a campus in Brandon. USF also runs a 16-month accelerated BSN for people who already hold a bachelor's degree.
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