Executive Assistant salary in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
Hiring an executive assistant costs less in Lakeland-Winter Haven than in Florida or the country as a whole. The median is $50,690 a year1: 21.7% below the Florida statewide median of $64,710 and 33.8% below the US median of $76,590. Nationally that is #488 of 509 areas, in the bottom tenth. About 450 executive assistants work here, 2% of the Florida total.
BLS occupation 43-6011, area Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Lakeland-Winter Haven against Florida and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $36,490 | $50,690 | $83,240 | |
| Florida | $42,830 | $64,710 | $99,220 | |
| United States | $50,560 | $76,590 | $109,850 |
Executive assistants at the 90th percentile earn $83,240, 2.3 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.2. The middle half of executive assistants in Lakeland-Winter Haven earns $45,030–$70,010. The mean ($58,960) is 16% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $24,980 wide, against $29,600 across Florida and $33,000 nationally: employers in Lakeland-Winter Haven pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an executive assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,490 | $3,041 | $17.54 | $47,084 |
| 25th percentile | $45,030 | $3,752 | $21.65 | $58,103 |
| Median | $50,690 | $4,224 | $24.37 | $65,406 |
| 75th percentile | $70,010 | $5,834 | $33.66 | $90,335 |
| 90th percentile | $83,240 | $6,937 | $40.02 | $107,406 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $19,320 over the median, the 25th only $5,660 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $24,929 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $76,590 falls between the 75th and 90th percentiles in Lakeland-Winter Haven, and the Florida statewide median of $64,710 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local executive assistants earn.
What a hire really costs in Lakeland-Winter Haven
At the $50,690 median, a local hire costs about $65,406 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $14,716 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
Our open executive assistant roles pay $800–$1,100 a month under a direct contract. The one-time fee is $2,5003 with a 180-day replacement; paying through Deel adds $49 a month4. Change any number below to match your plan.
A local hire here costs about 4.5 times as much as a remote hire in year one at the midpoint of our range. From year two, when the fee drops out, it is 5.5 times the remote figure of $11,988. About the candidates: most apply through our assessment platform with a written and a spoken English task; each profile shows the English level (B1–C2); Silkstaff interviews every shortlisted candidate live, in English, before you meet them.
Other roles in Lakeland-Winter Haven
Of the 17 roles we track in Lakeland-Winter Haven, this one ranks #7 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($52,710) and paralegals ($49,520). Project Coordinator is the highest at $94,720.
| Role | Median | vs executive assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiter | +24.2% | 1,370 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +4.0% | 220 | |
| Executive Assistant | this role | 450 | |
| Paralegal | -2.3% | 630 | |
| HR Assistant | -3.4% | 130 |
Measured against the US median, executive assistants rank #16 of the 17 roles we track in Lakeland-Winter Haven (-33.8%), between paralegals (-21.3%) and sales development representatives (-34.2%). The typical role here is at -9.5%, so, measured against the US, executive assistants cost less in Lakeland-Winter Haven than the area's general pay level would suggest. Executive assistants hold 1.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Lakeland-Winter Haven, 1.7% across Florida and 2.9% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Florida
Across the 23 areas of Florida with data for this job, the median runs from $47,450 in Homosassa Springs to $73,180 in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, a gap of $25,730 a year. All 6 areas in Florida with more executive assistants than Lakeland-Winter Haven also pay more, among them Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL ($73,180) and Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL ($64,710).
| Area | Median | vs Lakeland-Winter Haven | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ocala, FL | +20.4% | 130 | |
| Tallahassee, FL | +12.9% | 730 | |
| Sebring, FL | +12.6% | 40 | |
| Gainesville, FL | +10.1% | 450 | |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | +8.5% | 140 | |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | this area | 450 | |
| Homosassa Springs, FL | -6.4% | 50 |
Lakeland-Winter Haven against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lakeland-Winter Haven is #124 of 506 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, yet its pay sits in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Florida, Morristown and Cheyenne pay just above Lakeland-Winter Haven and Sierra Vista-Douglas and Shreveport-Bossier City just below. All four are within $850 a year of the median in Lakeland-Winter Haven. Of the three markets with about as many executive assistants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lakeland-Winter Haven | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | +63.2% | 460 | jobs | |
| Reno, NV | +34.3% | 450 | jobs | |
| El Paso, TX | +23.2% | 450 | jobs | |
| Cheyenne, WY | +1.7% | 180 | pay | |
| Morristown, TN | +1.1% | 50 | pay | |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | this area | 450 | ||
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | -0.7% | 70 | pay | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | -0.9% | 790 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an executive assistant in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL?
About $65,406 a year at the median, or $5,451 a month: $50,690 in pay plus about $14,716 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for executive assistants in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $50,690 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $36,490, the 90th $83,240, and the middle half earned $45,030 to $70,010.
Is Lakeland-Winter Haven cheaper than the rest of Florida for executive assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $50,690 against $64,710 statewide. The next area up in Florida is Panama City-Panama City Beach at $54,990, the next down Homosassa Springs at $47,450.
How many executive assistants work in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
BLS counts about 450 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Florida total of 19,220. 7 areas in Florida have more; the closest in size is Gainesville, with about 450.
Does an executive assistant cost more than a paralegal in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
Yes: $1,170 a year more at the median. The medians are $50,690 and $49,520.
What does a remote executive assistant cost compared with Lakeland-Winter Haven?
Our open roles pay $800–$1,100 a month. At the midpoint, with the one-time fee and Deel, year one comes to $14,488, against about $65,406 for a local hire at the median.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.