State of Florida Employee Salaries: Are They Public, and Where Can You Look Them Up?
TL;DR: Yes. State of Florida employee salaries are public records that any person can look up under Chapter 119. The state posts pay for most state staff, state attorneys, and the courts. State schools and colleges run their own lists apart from the main site. Cities, counties, and school districts stay off the state list. Pay in those local offices is still public, so just ask. Some pay details stay private by law, like Social Security numbers and bank account numbers.
Are state of Florida employee salaries public?
Yes. State of Florida employee salaries are public records, and pay for a public worker is open to all.
The rule sits in section 119.07(1), Florida Statutes. The access right comes from Article I, section 24, of the state constitution.
The right covers state, county, district, and city workers under section 119.011(2), Florida Statutes.
The Florida Supreme Court applied the open rule to staff files. See Michel v. Douglas, 464 So. 2d 545 (Fla. 1985).
You do not need a reason to ask, and the office cannot ask for one.
Where to look up Florida state employee salaries
The state posts salaries on its own site, but that tool covers only part of the public pay rolls.
Here is where each group of workers lives, and what each list has.
The state salary search
The main tool is at salaries.myflorida.com. It is the Right to Know search run by the state.
The site lists pay from the People First system. That system covers state agencies, the Lottery, state attorneys, public defenders, and the courts.
The state refreshes the site each Monday, and judges and court staff show up there too.
State universities and state colleges
The Search State Payroll page links out to each state school. It points to the 12 state universities and the 28 state colleges.
The state pulls that data about twice a year. The same page links to the State Board of Administration, which puts out numbers each quarter.
The Florida Legislature
Pay for state lawmakers and their staff is not on the main search. The Senate and the House each post their own list.
The state Senate has a salary list page, and the state House has a search form of its own.
A short “who is where” map
| Group | Where to look |
|---|---|
| State agencies, Lottery, state attorneys, public defenders, courts | salaries.myflorida.com |
| State universities and state colleges | floridahasarighttoknow.myflorida.com/search_state_payroll |
| State Board of Administration | floridahasarighttoknow.myflorida.com/search_state_payroll |
| Florida Senate staff | flsenate.gov salary page |
| Florida House staff | flhouse.gov salary search |
| City, county, sheriff, school district | The local site or a records request |
What the state salary search shows, and what it leaves out
The state search answers most pay questions, but not all of them. Here is what it shows, and what it drops.
Base salary and pay add-ons
The search shows the annual base salary for each person. For some workers, it also shows pay add-ons, like a shift add-on.
The office sets the title and the class code, and you can filter the list by code.
Overtime and bonus pay
Overtime is not on the list, and bonus pay is not there either.
Ask the office for pay records to see the total. The state search is a start, not a full view.
Hourly wage for OPS workers
The state hires some workers as Other Personal Services, or OPS, and they work hourly, not annual.
The search shows an hourly wage in place of a yearly salary. Many of them are students, retired folks, or short-term staff.
Vacant jobs and private details
Vacant jobs are not listed. The site also leaves out any part that stays closed by law.
That is why the search can show less than the full staff file. Ask the office for the rest.
Florida public employee salaries outside state government
Not every public worker in Florida shows up on the state list, and most do not. The rest work for city halls, county seats, sheriffs, and school boards.
Cities, counties, sheriffs, and school districts
Cities, counties, sheriffs, and school districts each run their own pay rolls, and the state search does not include them.
Their pay records are still open under section 119.07(1), Florida Statutes. Pay for a city clerk or a sheriff’s deputy is a public record.
Some offices post a county salary search on their own site. For the rest, send a records request.
How to ask the office for pay records
Send a records request to the records custodian for that office. See how to write a public records request letter.
Ask for pay records for a named person, by year, and you do not have to say why.
The office cannot ask you to use its form, and it cannot ask for your name or your purpose first.
What pay details stay private
Some items in a pay file stay closed by law. The office can black those out and give you the rest.
Social Security numbers
The law closes a worker’s Social Security number. Section 119.071(4)(a), Florida Statutes, keeps the number private.
That rule covers current and past workers at the office that paid them.
Bank and direct deposit account numbers
A direct deposit record shows a bank and an account. Section 17.076(5), Florida Statutes, keeps both closed.
Deferred compensation accounts
Some public workers put money into a government deferred compensation plan. Section 112.215(7), Florida Statutes, keeps the account activity closed.
School employee payroll deductions
School district pay rolls list each payroll deduction, like union dues. Section 1012.31(3)(a)4., Florida Statutes, keeps those lines closed.
Other offices do not get the same cover, so payroll deduction lines elsewhere stay open unless another law closes them.
Home address of some workers
Section 119.071(4)(d), Florida Statutes, closes the home address of some groups, like law enforcement officers and some judges.
The home address of other public workers stays open. A plain worker’s home address is not closed without a statute.
What it costs and how long it takes
The custodian must act on your request soon. Section 119.07(1)(c), Florida Statutes, calls for a prompt response in good faith.
Paper copies cost up to 15 cents per one-sided page. Section 119.07(4)(a)1., Florida Statutes, sets that fee.
A big job can carry a special service charge for extra staff time. See what the office can charge.
If the office withholds a part of the record, it must name the law it uses. On request, it must state the basis in writing under section 119.07(1)(e) and (f), Florida Statutes.
A worker who thinks a listing is wrong can call the HR office of the agency.
Related
- Are personnel records public in Florida?
- How to keep your home address out of records
- Are school records public?
- How courts read records exemptions
- Which bodies are covered?
- How much can the office charge?
Frequently asked questions
- Are state of Florida employee salaries public record?
- Yes, and the search is open to all without any reason or form.
- Where can I look up Florida state employee salaries?
- Use salaries.myflorida.com for state staff, the Lottery, state attorneys, and the courts.
- Are Florida university salaries public?
- Yes, and the Search State Payroll page links to pay for 12 state schools and 28 state colleges.
- How do I find a city, county, or school district worker's pay?
- They are not on the state list, so check the local site or ask the records custodian.
- Does the state salary search show overtime?
- No, it shows an annual salary with some add-ons, but no overtime and no bonus pay.
- What pay details stay private?
- Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, and some other items stay closed by law.
- Do I have to say why I want someone's salary?
- No, and the state cannot force you to use its form or give your name first.
Not legal advice. Educational and informational content only. Reading this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice on a specific matter, consult a licensed Florida attorney.