StateRates

Lakeland-Winter Haven salaries

The median worker in the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro area earned $44,610 a year in 2024, about $21.45 an hour. That ranks #276 of the 391 metro areas published here, 9.9% below the national median.

Florida

Median pay $44,610 $21.45 per hour
Vs national -9.9% U.S. $49,500
Workers 261,610 wage and salary
Metro rank #276 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Lakeland-Winter Haven pays 4.8% less than Florida as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Housing here moved +2.6% over the year to 2026 Q2 and +33.1% over five years. Pay and house prices rarely move together, and where they diverge for long the affordability of an area changes even when nothing about the jobs does. House prices in Lakeland-Winter Haven.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Roofers 3.53× 820 $46,320
Stockers and Order Fillers 3.21× 15,140 $36,920
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders 2.96× 1,930 $37,940
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators 2.82× 1,460 $68,320
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators 2.55× 3,480 $41,390
Packers and Packagers, Hand 2.28× 2,320 $29,670
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 2.1× 7,360 $56,450
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers 1.81× 630 $45,100
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines 1.77× 540 $61,370
Production Workers, All Other 1.71× 800 $35,470
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors 1.68× 1,730 $62,390
Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks 1.66× 650 $47,220

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Lakeland-Winter Haven
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Chief Executives $176,240 $84.73 480
Computer and Information Systems Managers $156,180 $75.09 610
Pharmacists $139,810 $67.22 430
Financial Managers $130,560 $62.77 1,040
Nurse Practitioners $123,140 $59.20 510
Human Resources Managers $123,040 $59.15 220
Software Developers $121,580 $58.45 1,060
Marketing Managers $121,480 $58.41 380
Physician Assistants $121,470 $58.40 260
Sales Managers $120,600 $57.98 730
Industrial Production Managers $115,860 $55.70 330
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $115,600 $55.58 330
Lawyers $108,990 $52.40 880
Industrial Engineers $105,120 $50.54 310
Data Scientists $103,300 $49.66 200
Medical and Health Services Managers $101,590 $48.84 930
Construction Managers $101,380 $48.74 580
Managers, All Other $99,990 $48.07 940
Physical Therapists $98,020 $47.12 370
Civil Engineers $97,760 $47.00 410
Information Security Analysts $97,190 $46.73 250
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers $96,150 $46.22 200
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $95,480 $45.90 400
General and Operations Managers $94,100 $45.24 5,300
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $90,960 $43.73 410
Project Management Specialists $90,120 $43.33 1,160
Computer Systems Analysts $86,340 $41.51 770
Financial and Investment Analysts $86,030 $41.36 350
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $84,090 n/a 540
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $81,470 $39.17 260
Engineers, All Other $81,410 $39.14 230
Registered Nurses $81,080 $38.98 5,840
Respiratory Therapists $80,620 $38.76 270
Dental Hygienists $80,450 $38.68 260
Loan Officers $78,970 $37.97 510
Management Analysts $77,260 $37.14 990
Insurance Underwriters $76,530 $36.79 280
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $76,250 n/a 200
Personal Financial Advisors $75,920 $36.50 220
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers $75,720 $36.40 340
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $74,730 $35.93 1,180
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $73,360 $35.27 990
Cost Estimators $72,850 $35.02 390
Accountants and Auditors $72,620 $34.91 1,670
Healthcare Social Workers $71,130 $34.20 200
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $69,210 $33.27 1,810
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators $68,320 $32.85 1,460
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $66,790 $32.11 1,340
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians $66,500 $31.97 480
Compliance Officers $66,050 $31.76 460
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $65,900 $31.68 1,310
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors $64,900 $31.20 750
Computer Occupations, All Other $64,230 $30.88 260
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders $64,100 $30.82 390
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists $64,090 $30.81 300
Industrial Machinery Mechanics $63,980 $30.76 930
Buyers and Purchasing Agents $63,730 $30.64 680
Physical Therapist Assistants $63,700 $30.62 270
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $63,210 $30.39 1,460
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $62,840 n/a 1,980

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Lakeland-Winter Haven by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Stockers and Order Fillers 15,140 $36,920 $17.75
Retail Salespersons 8,040 $30,470 $14.65
Fast Food and Counter Workers 7,590 $27,280 $13.11
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 7,360 $56,450 $27.14
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 6,150 $36,840 $17.71
Registered Nurses 5,840 $81,080 $38.98
Customer Service Representatives 5,820 $36,530 $17.56
Cashiers 5,410 $28,440 $13.67
General and Operations Managers 5,300 $94,100 $45.24
Office Clerks, General 4,530 $40,150 $19.31
Waiters and Waitresses 3,620 $28,900 $13.89
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 3,560 $30,160 $14.50
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 3,520 $62,390 n/a
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators 3,480 $41,390 $19.90
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 2,990 $44,880 $21.58
Light Truck Drivers 2,800 $48,480 $23.31
Nursing Assistants 2,730 $36,080 $17.35
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 2,450 $60,820 $29.24
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 2,410 $46,000 $22.12
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 2,390 $42,860 $20.60

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other Florida metro areas

Lakeland-Winter Haven pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Lakeland-Winter Haven?

The median across all occupations is $44,610, or $21.45 an hour, covering 261,610 wage and salary workers. The mean is $56,020, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Lakeland-Winter Haven pay more than the rest of Florida?

No. The metro median of $44,610 is 4.8% below the Florida median of $46,860. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Lakeland-Winter Haven?

Chief Executives ($176,240), Computer and Information Systems Managers ($156,180), Pharmacists ($139,810). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Lakeland-Winter Haven unusually full of?

Roofers, at 3.53× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.