Who's Earning What-Now

Two years ago, when Gulfshore Business first ran its salary survey, workers were hurting because they couldn’t afford the high cost of housing in booming Southwest Florida. Salaries lagged behind the cost of living, and employers were offering hiring bonuses and extra benefits just to entice enough job candidates.

Now, with unemployment more than 11 percent in much of Southwest Florida, those who are still employed and solvent can find cheaper homes, and companies no longer have to offer juicy incentives to find top-notch, well-
qualified employees.

On the contrary, many employees are accepting unpaid furloughs, hiring and salary freezes, and pay cuts just to keep their jobs. Those who rely on commissions and tips have experienced pay cuts, too, as consumers are clenching their wallets. 

Restaurant server David George is among those with a job, but he’s not making as much as he was a couple of years ago. “It depresses me,” he says.

Governments and nonprofits are freezing salaries, too, including the Southwest Florida Workforce Development Board, whose workers are in constant contact with job seekers. The nonprofit group’s nearly $11 million annual budget mostly comes from federal funds and grants.

“It is harder to keep the morale up, but I think most people are in the position where they’re thankful they have a job,” says Joe Paterno, executive director. “Most of them are appreciative of the fact that they’re maintaining their jobs and benefits.”

In this year’s snapshot, we revisited some of those who were included in past years and checked public records to find out how salaries are stacking up. Most of the heads of local publicly traded companies who were listed in past years are no longer with those companies or have different roles, including Scott Edmonds of Chico’s FAS, Lowell Robinson of Miva Inc., Russ Whitney of Whitney Information Network, Jerry Starkey of WCI Communities and Burke Whitman of Health Management Associates.People who still hold the same or similar positions, from government leaders to restaurant workers, have generally seen their salaries stagnate or decline.