Nurses in These Florida Cities Make $75K—And Still Feel Broke

Hey there nurse,

On paper, things look fine.
You’re working full-time. You’re getting paid around $70K to $80K.
Maybe you’ve even saved up to buy a house.

But once the mortgage hits…
You’re barely keeping anything.

In some Florida cities, nurses are walking away with less than $100/month after taxes and home payments.
Not $100 after food.
Not $100 after travel.
Just… $100. Period.

Let’s talk about it…

Nurses in These Cities Make $75K… and Feel Broke

Florida has always been hyped up as a “nurse-friendly” state:

• No state income tax

• Sunshine and palm trees

• Plenty of healthcare jobs

But when we looked at the real numbers, the truth hit hard:

💀 Many nurses in Florida are technically middle class, but living paycheck to paycheck after buying a home.

Let’s break it down:

Let’s pause for a second.

Imagine working full-time as a nurse, paying off a $500K house, and having less than $250/month left after taxes and mortgage.

That’s what’s happening in these cities.

And no shade to Florida — this isn’t just a “bad money habits” issue.
This is a math issue.

🔍 Where’s the Money Going?

Let’s take Destin, FL as an example:

• You earn $74,650

• After taxes: $60,675

• Your home costs $604,508

• Monthly mortgage = $4,471

• Yearly mortgage payments = $53,652

• 💀 Leftover income: $585 for the year. That’s $48/month.

If you add just $2,000/month in typical living expenses (groceries, gas, car, phone, etc)?

You’re now in the negative.

You’re either burning through savings, racking up credit cards, or hoping for overtime just to keep up.

And that’s if you’re not trying to support kids, care for family, or invest in your future.

Renting? Not Much Better in Some Cities

Let’s say you rent instead of buying.
You might assume renting is “cheaper” — and sometimes it is.

But in places like Miami or West Palm, your take-home pay after rent still leaves you feeling squeezed.

Here’s what the “True Net Salary If Renting” looks like:

• Miami: $2,257/year left

• Sarasota: $2,309/year left

• West Palm Beach: $2,392/year left

• Destin: $2,556/year left

That’s $188 to $213/month.
Still not enough to breathe.

Real Talk: A $75K Salary Means Nothing Without This…

Most people hear “$75K” and think:
“Okay, not rich, but solid. That’s decent money.”

But if you’re keeping less than $3K for the year after housing and taxes?

That $75K feels like $30K.

It’s not about what you make. It’s about what you keep.

You could be in a higher-paying city with lower housing costs, and keep 3x as much working fewer hours.

Let’s compare:

Sebastian, FL has similar wages but lower housing costs — nurses there keep almost $8,400/year after mortgage.

That’s 14x more than Miami.
Same state. Different outcome.

Why Do Nurses Stay in High-Cost Cities?

Let’s be honest…

• It’s hard to leave friends, family, or weather you love.

• You might not know where to go that’s better.

• Moving sounds expensive and stressful.

• And nobody wants to feel like they made a mistake buying a house.

But what’s more expensive is staying in a city that keeps you stuck.

I’ve talked to nurses who:

• Work 2 jobs and still can’t save

• Live in beautiful homes they secretly regret buying

• Put off investing, vacations, or starting a family

That’s not “living your best life.” That’s survival mode.

“Isn’t California More Expensive?”

I get this question a lot.

And yeah, some cities in California are crazy expensive.

But when you factor in higher nurse pay, union protections, and ratios that let you work fewer hours — you actually get to keep more in the right places.

For example, my wife and I both work under 20 hours a week and still take home nearly $300K combined because we moved strategically to Northern California.

(And no — we didn’t do travel nursing. Just regular hospital jobs.)

We’ve seen nurses go from $80K → $200K/year and work fewer hours.

✉️ Want to Know What You’d Keep in Your City?

I’ll run the numbers for you.

✅ Tell me your city
✅ I’ll show you what you’d take home after taxes, rent or mortgage
✅ And compare it to 2–3 better cities

Just reply to this email (or DM @mapmypay on Instagram) and type your city name. I’ll send you a custom breakdown.

🚀 Final Thought

You don’t need to work harder.
You don’t need a second job.
You just need better data.

Map My Pay was built by nurses, for nurses, to help you:

• Find cities where you can live comfortably

• Keep more of your paycheck

• Make confident career moves without guessing

If you're stuck in a city where you're grinding just to break even — it's not your fault.
But you do have options.

Let’s find them.

— Jason from Map My Pay 👋