[James9283]

Hello, I was planning to become a new teacher in this state in the a few months and have heard that the proffesion is underpaid when balanced with the high cost of living in Flordia, is this really the case? I also wonder are there cities that worse than others when it comes to this and does anyone know whic areas are growing the fastest? Please reply...

[Cameron Cayman]

James, yes, unfortunately it's true about the comparably low paying school systems in Florida. The better paying systems include Hillborough County (Tampa area) and of course Dade and the Miami area. But, the cost of living just doesn't cut it for most. I work for a school system in Tennessee and I can tell you that I make up to 5k to 6K more here than I would in Fla., plus our cost of living is way less. I work with five teachers who've recently left Florida to take higher paying jobs in Georgia and Tennessee.

A lot of it depends on how bad you want to live in "sunny Florida" and what you're willing to spend for living expenses. If you want an idea of the salaries, just go to google and type in whatever county you're interested in such as "Orlando florida/orange county schools" and it'll lead you to their website and the "employment opportunity" page.

Anyway, this is just one former Florida resident opinion................

[Cameron Cayman]

James, all of Flordia is growing and changing at a rapid pace, except for a few very rural counties in northern Fla. The worst crime is in south Florida and Tampa areas, but Jacksonville isn't far behind. But, like anywhere else, there are good areas and areas that you want to stay away from after dark.

In general terms, south Florida is also more expensive overall, but really, much of the state is overpriced in my opinion. I just don't understand what the big deal is about Florida, but, then again, I've grown up around it, so I guess I don't appreciate it as much.

What area school systems are you interested in? I'm sure you'll be able to find many opportunities. I'm not trying to discourage you at all, but I'm just trying to be real here. If you're young and single, you can totally make it work for you, but if you've got a mortgage and a family to support, it will be more difficult on a teaching salary.