Comparison Study of Starting Salaries for Deputies and Annual Rent in 30 Florida Counties

Prepared by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Planning and Research Division
June 3, 1999

STIPULATED:

• Family of four…
• The Deputy’s salary is the only family income…
• Renting a 1,200 sq.ft. single-family dwelling…
• No other expenses (utilities, taxes, insurance, food, etc.) considered.

Source for Deputy Sheriff Starting Salaries: Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Source for Rent Amounts for 1,200 sq. ft. Home: Economic Research Institute

General Conclusions:

• Monroe County’s rent is the highest of all the Counties studied, both as a raw number and as a percentage of a Deputy’s starting salary. In the next most expensive County, Palm Beach County, rent is approximately $864 less per year than in Monroe County and the starting pay is approximately $5,036 higher.
• The highest starting salary studied was in Hillsborough County at $32,891 ($5,927) more than in Monroe County; the Hillsborough County rent is $10,512 ($4,056) less per year than in Monroe County.
• Although the salary for a first-year Deputy in Putnum County, is $6,326 less than the salary for first-year Deputy in Monroe County, the Putnum County Deputy has $3,910 moreleft after paying his rent for a year than the first-year Deputy in Monroe County has left.
• The first-year
•   salary for a Deputy in Monroe County is $1,953 over the average of the 30 Counties studied, but that Deputy’s annual rent is $5,052 more than the average of the 30 Counties studied.
• With an 8% salary increase in Monroe County, the rent to salary ratio will still be at the highest among the 30 counties analyzed, at 50% allocated to rent. The average being 38%.

Starting Salary/Annual Rent
Sorted Alphabetically

COUNTY

STARTING SALARY

ANNUAL RENT PAID

RENT = % OF STARTING SALARY

% REMAINING

Alachua

$23,551

$8,760

37%

62%

Bay

$19,115

$6,708

35%

64%

Brevard

$24,527

$9,924

40%

60%

Broward

$31,553

$11,880

38%

62%

Charlotte

$21,090

$9,624

46%

54%

Collier

$26,879

$8,532

32%

68%

Dade-Miami

$29,833

$11,304

38%

63%

Duval

$30,072

$11,940

40%

60%

Escambia

$20,862

$6,900

33%

67%

Hernando

$23,391

$7,524

32%

68%

Hillsborough

$32,891

$10,512

32%

68%

Indian River

$25,477

$10,116

40%

60%

Lake

$24,000

$6,756

28%

72%

Lee

$25,000

$9,624

38%

68%

Leon

$25,000

$7,896

32%

69%

Manatee

$24,104

$9,408

39%

61%

Marion

$22,235

$6,684

30%

70%

Monroe

$26,964

$14,568

54%

46%

Nassau

$24,000

$8,424

35%

65%

Okaloosa

$20,295

$8,184

40%

60%

Orange

$27,000

$12,804

47%

53%

Osceola

$25,304

$9,528

38%

62%

Palm Beach

$32,000

$13,704

43%

57%

Pasco

$25,636

$9,228

36%

64%

Pinellas

$25,578

$10,032

39%

61%

Polk

$25,779

$7,860

30%

70%

Putnam

$20,638

$4,332

20%

80%

Sarasota

$23,000

$11,544

50%

50%

Seminole 

$23,050

$11,124

48%

52%

St. Johns

$21,500

$10,044

47%

53%

Average of

 the 30 Counties

$25,011

$9,516

38%

Starting Salary/Annual Rent
Sorted by Rent (for 1200 sqft) as % of Salary

COUNTY

STARTING SALARY

ANNUAL RENT PAID

RENT = % OF STARTING SALARY

% REMAINING

Monroe

$26,964

$14,568

54%

46%

Sarasota

$23,000

$11,544

50%

50%

Seminole

$23,050

$11,124

48%

52%

Orange

$27,000

$12,804

47%

53%

St. Johns

$21,500

$10,044

47%

53%

Charlotte

$21,090

$9,624

46%

54%

Palm Beach

$32,000

$13,704

43%

57%

Brevard

$24,527

$9,924

40%

60%

Okaloosa

$20,295

$8,184

40%

60%

Indian River

$25,477

$10,116

40%

60%

Duval

$30,072

$11,940

40%

60%

Manatee

$24,104

$9,408

39%

61%

Pinellas

$25,578

$10,032

39%

61%

Broward

$31,553

$11,880

38%

62%

Dade-Miami

$29,833

$11,304

38%

62%

Lee

$25,000

$9,624

38%

62%

Osceola

$25,304

$9,528

38%

62%

Alachua

$23,551

$8,760

37%

63%

Pasco

$25,636

$9,228

36%

64%

Bay

$19,115

$6,708

35%

65%

Nassau

$24,000

$8,424

35%

65%

Escambia

$20,862

$6,900

33%

67%

Collier

$26,879

$8,532

32%

68%

Hernando

$23,391

$7,524

32%

68%

Hillsborough

$32,891

$10,512

32%

68%

Leon

$25,000

$7,896

32%

68%

Marion

$22,235

$6,684

30%

70%

Polk

$25,779

$7,860

30%

70%

Lake

$24,000

$6,756

28%

72%

Putnam

$20,638

$4,332

20%

80%

Average of

  the 30 Counties

$25,011

$9,516

38%