What People Make

John Stanley is a college graduate, an experienced businessman, and now a teacher at Barron Collier High School in Naples. His base salary is just over $38,000, and the Stanley family is barely getting by.

"[The money] doesn't go far; it's paycheck to paycheck," says Stanley, 40, who left a career as a travel agent to pursue his dream of teaching. "I can't complain. I chose this profession, so I knew what I was getting into."

Still, raising seven children between the ages of four and 15, Stanley has to supplement his income. He works at an afterschool program and officiates at youth football and basketball games. Together, these activities add another $10,000 or so to his salary-while eating away precious family time.

"I am never at home, so that adds to the stress," he says.

A teacher's salary looks pretty good to Julee Carlson, 32. She makes $30,000 as a case manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Florida and supplements it by selling The Body Shop at Home products. Family members have helped her afford a home.

"I will have to go back to teaching in the fall because I love what I do, but I can't survive on this salary," she says. "It's hard enough on a beginning teacher's salary."

Predicaments like Stanley's and Carlson's are nothing unusual in Southwest Florida. Despite a reputation for wealth and the good life, it's no secret that salaries have not kept up with the area's skyrocketing cost of living.

"Wages have increased a great deal over the last three or four years, but still lag behind national [figures] and even those from other parts of Florida," says Jim Wall, a manager with the Southwest Florida Workforce Development Board.

According to the state Agency for Workforce Innovation, the average annual salary in Lee County's private sector in 2005 was $34,719. The statewide average for that year was $37,625. In Collier County, wages were a bit better and passed the statewide figure; the average salary there for the same time period was $37,686.

Nationally, the average annual private-sector wage was $40,505, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This discrepancy inevitably evokes the old chestnut that locals are paid partially in "sunshine."

Wall says that in the past, many job seekers were willing to accept a lower salary in exchange for the region's beautiful weather and famous beaches. However, as housing and other costs rise, climate is becoming a less persuasive factor.

"I think the time when individuals were willing to live in Southwest Florida and sacrifice wages for our quality of life, for the area's amenities, is coming to a halt," he says.

Regina Smith, executive director of the Lee County Economic Development Office, says that the real estate boom of the past few years has also taken its toll on families.

People who might have considered relocating here look elsewhere because it's too expensive to live here. This makes recruiting the right people a hurdle for many

Southwest Florida companies.

The other side of the coin is that some workers have chosen to cash in the equity in their homes and move to other areas where they can get more value for the dollars.

Bottom line: Local workforce experts believe that salary figures in Southwest Florida will continue to move upward, and it is only a matter of time until wages catch up to the cost of living.

"There was a time when the cost of housing was way over-inflated, and we're seeing that correction in the housing market now," Wall says. "The same will happen with wages. Employers and businesses that want to survive, that want to provide a quality service or product, are going to have to pay a livable wage to their employees."

Editor's note: The following information was compiled from individuals and public information sources, including Yahoo! Finance for publicly traded companies. Names have been withheld for those individuals whose jobs could be threatened by revealing company or salary information.

Name: Julee Carlson

Age: 32

Position: case manager

employer: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Florida, Naples

Years in position: since fall 2006

2006 Salary: $30,000 (plus an additional $500 per month through The Body Shop at Home)

Name: Ryan Chiodo

Age: 28

Position: real estate

salesperson

Business: Chiodo and Associates Inc., Estero (with Downing-Frey through the end of 2006)

Years in position: 3

2006 Salary: $700,000

Name: Mike Davis

Age: 60

Position: Florida State Representative

Years in position: 4.5

2006-'07 Salary: $30,996

Name: Scott Edmonds

Age: 49

Position: CEO and president

Company: Chico's FAS

Years in position: 3.5 (with company since 1993)

2006 Pay (including salary, bonuses, etc.): $3.4 million

Name: Kevin Giles

Age: 54

POSITION: sales manager

Employer: Sportboats Marine, Fort Myers Beach

Years in position: 5 (20 in the business)

2006 Income: $75,000

Name: James R. Gillis

Age: 54

Position: interim co-CEO, president and chief operating officer

Company: Source Interlink, Bonita Springs

years In that position: Since November 2006

2006 Pay (including salary, bonuses, etc.): $1.07 million

Name: Charles A. Goff

Age: 39

Position: real estate

salesperson

Business: Goff, Prebish, Giordano and Associates, Amerivest Realty, Naples

Years in position: 5

2006 Salary: $382,000

Name: Dan Gourley

Age: 55

Position: fire chief

Employer: Bonita Springs Fire District

Years in position: 30

2006 Salary: $140,924.82

Name: Felicia Hyde

Age: 26

Position: sheriff's deputy

Employer: Lee County Sheriff's Office

Years in position: 1

2006 Salary: $37,111.12

Name: Jill Kersey

Age: 38

Position: owner and interior decorator

Business: Kersey & Company Design Consultants LLC, Naples

Years in position: 5

2006 Salary: $85,000

Name: Laura Litzan

Age: 48

Position: city clerk

Employer: City of Marco Island

Years in position: 9

2006 Salary: $65,715

Name: Vicki Olszewski

Age: 53

business: home-cleaning

service, Fort Myers

Employer: self-employed

Years in position: 8

2006 Salary: $50,000

Name: Terrie Ray

Age: 48

Position: math and science teacher

Employer: Lee County Public School District

Years in that position: 4 (at various schools)

2006 Salary: base, $36,000; estimated $38,000 with supplements

Name: Lowell Robinson

Age: 57

Position: chief financial

officer

Employer: Miva Inc.

years In position: since December 2006

Salary: $350,000

Name: Jason Tower

Age: 29

Occupation: freelance camera operator and editor

Business: Fiddler Productions, Naples

Years in position: 5

Salary: $65,000

Name: Alan Tuchman

Age: 48

Position: interim co-CEO and executive vice president; president and chief operating officer of Alliance Entertainment

business: Source Interlink

years In position: since November 2006

2006 Pay (including salary, bonuses, etc.): $1.77 million

Name: Russell A. Whitney

Age: 51

Position: founder, chairman and CEO

Business: Whitney Information Network Inc., Cape Coral

Years in business: since 1992

2006 Pay (includes salary, bonuses etc.): $1.51 million

Name: Withheld

Age: 24

Position: administrative assistant

Employer: real estate

developer, Naples

Years in position: 2.5

2006 Salary: $26,000

Name: Withheld

Age: 35

Position: salesperson

Employer: luxury car dealer

Years in position: 3

2006 Salary: $115,000

Name: Withheld

Age: 39

Position: director of

operations

Business: property

management, Naples

Years in position: 6

2006 Salary: $60,000

(including bonuses)