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Most veteran recruiters know that Florida is a juggernaut state for travel healthcare staffing. The Sunshine State utilizes more travelers than most states, in part because of heavy winter seasonal needs.

Those job needs have come back in force in the last few weeks of September, according to staffing industry sources. David Kinslow, a senior client advisor for LiquidAgents Healthcare, said he’s aware of more than 140 new jobs in the state, an increase of 80 compared to August.

Agencies have anticipated this spike in job needs for several weeks. Florida ranks third in the country for most hospitals statewide according to American Hospital Directory data, and many of those facilities start recruiting for winter in late September and early October.

Along with other southern states like Texas and New Mexico, Florida is a large target for “snowbirds” seeking warm weather for winter contracts. This could mean the job market will continue to ramp up through December, eventually cooling down by next January.

For travelers who are interested in Florida, here are some things you should consider before working in the state this winter.

1. Florida became a nursing compact state this year

Florida joined the enhanced Nursing Licensure Compact in January, so nurses who have their compact license can now work in the state and don’t have to apply for a single-state license.

This only applies to nurses, so allied healthcare travelers will still have to get a single-state license.

Click here to see a map of states who have joined the enhanced Nursing Licensure Compact.

2. Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) uses a lot of travelers

HCA is one of the largest private health systems in Florida with 50 hospitals and 31 surgery centers across the state, according to their website, and many HCA-associated facilities use a large number of travelers, according to staffing industry sources.

This is good news for travelers who want some variety when picking a location, as HCA-affiliated hospitals are located in almost all major cities in the state.

3. Depending on location, cost-of-living in Florida is pretty cheap

According to our Travel Nursing Pay Package Ranking List, Florida has a 99.7 rating on the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price parity index, which means the state is almost exactly at the national average for prices on housing, gas and other goods.

However, the state average is largely affected by Miami, which is significantly more expensive than most other cities in the state.

When looking at other locations like Tallahassee,  Tampa or Orlando, prices drop to 5 percent or more below the national average. This is mostly because of dirt cheap rent and housing costs, which is great for travelers hoping to pocket extra money from agency housing stipends.

Florida is also peppered with temporary vacation homes and seasonal vacancies, so finding proper short-term housing may be easier than in other states.

4. Expect fierce competition

Just because there are lots of job opportunities in Florida doesn’t mean travelers can apply to jobs at their leisure. Hospitals in major “snowbird” states are looking to fill jobs fast, and agencies will send in qualified candidates even faster.

Speed and efficiency are key to locking down a solid Florida contract, so travelers who are flexible on location and who can quickly produce necessary compliance docs will have the edge over others.

5. Beware of January pre-books

David Kinslow, a senior client advisor at LiquidAgents Healthcare, said travelers should be wary about pre-booking Florida jobs with January start dates. Census numbers may not be high enough to warrant a high number of travelers, so January contracts could be canceled before the start date.

While no one can perfectly predict how healthcare needs will change in the state once winter hits, it’s still safer to book early and ride out a fall contract through the winter than hope for needs to stay consistent.