Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
Across all occupations in the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metropolitan area, the median wage is $46,140 a year ($22.18 an hour) and the mean $57,070, May 2025. That median is −9% against the US median of $50,980 and −4% against Florida's $47,880. BLS counts 265,280 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is anesthesiologists; the largest is stockers and order fillers.
All occupations: Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL vs Florida and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | Hourly | $14.14 | $17.04 | $22.18 | $30.10 | $45.84 | $27.44 | 265,280 |
| Annual | $29,410 | $35,430 | $46,140 | $62,610 | $95,340 | $57,070 | ||
| Florida | Hourly | $14.43 | $17.45 | $23.02 | $36.26 | $55.07 | $31.09 | 9,929,860 |
| Annual | $30,010 | $36,290 | $47,880 | $75,410 | $114,550 | $64,670 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
430 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profile: Florida. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anesthesiologists | $482,020 | $231.74 | 100 |
| 2 | Physicians, All Other | $295,940 | $142.28 | 330 |
| 3 | Family Medicine Physicians | $247,090 | $118.79 | 170 |
| 4 | Dentists, General | $205,300 | $98.70 | 210 |
| 5 | Chief Executives | $179,360 | $86.23 | 570 |
| 6 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Florida | $161,180 | $77.49 | 550 |
| 7 | Optometrists | $157,140 | $75.55 | 120 |
| 8 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $156,550 | $75.27 | 150 |
| 9 | Financial Managers in Florida | $151,440 | $72.81 | 1,200 |
| 10 | Pharmacists | $142,380 | $68.45 | 490 |
| 11 | Computer Network Architects | $139,150 | $66.90 | 140 |
| 12 | Human Resources Managers | $135,350 | $65.07 | 220 |
| 13 | Marketing Managers | $133,900 | $64.37 | 390 |
| 14 | Training and Development Managers | $131,670 | $63.30 | 60 |
| 15 | Veterinarians | $129,810 | $62.41 | 120 |
| 16 | Purchasing Managers | $127,200 | $61.15 | 80 |
| 17 | Sales Managers in Florida | $126,890 | $61.01 | 960 |
| 18 | Nurse Practitioners | $125,720 | $60.44 | 570 |
| 19 | Lawyers in Florida | $122,870 | $59.07 | 730 |
| 20 | Software Developers in Florida | $122,200 | $58.75 | 990 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes in this area cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
Most concentrated occupations in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
The 10 occupations with the highest location quotient among those employing at least 100 people in the area. A quotient of 2.00 means the occupation's share of local jobs is twice its national share.
| Rank | Occupation | Location quotient | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping | 3.51 | 320 | 1.20 | $49,130 |
| 1 | Roofers | 3.51 | 810 | 3.06 | $46,730 |
| 3 | Occupational Health and Safety Technicians | 3.32 | 170 | 0.65 | $57,590 |
| 4 | Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators in Florida | 3.30 | 4,370 | 16.46 | $48,290 |
| 5 | Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic | 3.00 | 170 | 0.64 | $43,680 |
| 6 | Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation | 2.57 | 120 | 0.45 | $43,920 |
| 7 | Fence Erectors | 2.56 | 110 | 0.40 | $45,550 |
| 7 | Packers and Packagers, Hand | 2.56 | 2,450 | 9.22 | $32,680 |
| 9 | Ophthalmic Medical Technicians | 2.54 | 310 | 1.16 | $44,960 |
| 10 | Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | 2.39 | 210 | 0.80 | $45,560 |
Occupation groups in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $101,260 | $123,510 | 15,640 | 58.97 | 0.82 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $84,820 | $93,170 | 4,620 | 17.41 | 0.51 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $80,200 | $90,640 | 16,860 | 63.55 | 1.01 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $77,750 | $87,010 | 2,450 | 9.25 | 0.55 |
| Legal | $74,590 | $101,430 | 1,630 | 6.14 | 0.73 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $74,170 | $79,530 | 13,810 | 52.06 | 0.77 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $63,260 | $73,760 | 1,660 | 6.24 | 0.66 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $53,350 | $56,850 | 12,620 | 47.57 | 1.22 |
| Community and Social Service | $51,500 | $54,620 | 3,360 | 12.67 | 0.74 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $50,160 | $50,620 | 15,010 | 56.59 | 0.97 |
| Construction and Extraction | $47,640 | $52,520 | 12,680 | 47.79 | 1.16 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $47,570 | $59,970 | 2,200 | 8.30 | 0.63 |
| Protective Service | $47,130 | $51,820 | 6,140 | 23.13 | 0.95 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $45,450 | $46,850 | 40,480 | 152.60 | 1.73 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $43,780 | $46,700 | 31,470 | 118.64 | 1.04 |
| Production | $43,550 | $47,180 | 13,770 | 51.90 | 0.94 |
| Healthcare Support | $36,080 | $39,470 | 9,200 | 34.68 | 0.68 |
| Sales and Related | $35,700 | $47,310 | 25,270 | 95.27 | 1.10 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $34,710 | $39,180 | 530 | 2.00 | 0.71 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $34,620 | $36,800 | 8,580 | 32.34 | 1.11 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $31,430 | $35,090 | 23,470 | 88.46 | 1.01 |
| Personal Care and Service | $30,320 | $35,840 | 3,830 | 14.43 | 0.69 |
Every occupation in Florida, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 430 published occupations for this area are in the wage explorer; other metros are on the metros hub.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL estimates (area 29460).
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL area; the location quotient is that share divided by the national share.
- The concentration table keeps only occupations with employment of 100 or more in the area, so a quotient built on a handful of rounded jobs cannot top it.