Cost of hiring in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
BLS counts about 26,030 people in these 17 roles in Lakeland-Winter Haven1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($94,720 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($35,430), and Customer Support Specialist is the largest job, with about 6,000 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Lakeland-Winter Haven
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Specialist | -2.7% | 1,050 | |
| HR Assistant | -3.2% | 130 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -4.4% | 130 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -6.8% | 1,300 | |
| Project Coordinator | -7.4% | 1,150 | |
| Bookkeeper | -7.5% | 2,220 | |
| Accountant | -8.2% | 1,740 | |
| Office Manager | -8.5% | 2,390 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -9.5% | 220 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -12.1% | 2,430 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -13.3% | 100 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -13.4% | 6,000 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -14.0% | 2,470 | |
| Recruiter | -17.1% | 1,370 | |
| Paralegal | -21.3% | 630 | |
| Executive Assistant | -33.8% | 450 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -34.2% | 2,250 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $38,750 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $50,000 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Lakeland-Winter Haven against the US
Lakeland-Winter Haven pays below the US median for all 17 roles. The gap is smallest for marketing specialists (-2.7%) and HR assistants (-3.2%) and largest for sales development representatives (-34.2%). The middle gap across all 17 is -9.5%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for marketing specialists, #55 of 516 areas by median pay; its lowest is for executive assistants, #488 of 509.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Lakeland-Winter Haven has more medical administrative assistants (9.5% of these jobs here, against 6.1% nationally) and customer support specialists (23.1% against 16.4%), and fewer executive assistants (1.7% against 2.9%) and data entry specialists (0.5% against 0.8%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA is nearest, at -9.5%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | -9.4% | 16 | 9,790 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | -9.5% | 14 | 3,520 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | -9.5% (this area) | 17 | 26,030 |
| Savannah, GA | -9.7% | 17 | 17,290 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | -9.7% | 17 | 11,080 |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | -9.7% | 16 | 4,010 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, marketing specialists in Lakeland-Winter Haven span $43,390–$125,820, the widest band (2.9×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $34,890–$48,200. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 13 of 17 roles, sales development representatives most ($37,980–$148,840 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, executive assistants, e-commerce order specialists and 4 more roles: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($58,750 against a $46,070 median for sales development representatives).
Lakeland-Winter Haven against Florida
Against Florida as a whole, Lakeland-Winter Haven pays more for 4 of 17 roles, led by data entry specialists (+1.6%) and marketing specialists (+1.6%), and less for 13, most of all sales development representatives (-24.1%). It has the lowest median in Florida for sales development representatives.
Other areas in Florida
By jobs in these roles, Lakeland-Winter Haven is #7 of 24 areas in Florida. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Orlando-Kissimmee to Naples-Marco Island.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Orlando-Kissimmee, FL | 164,900 | 17 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL | 163,610 | 16 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 85,630 | 17 |
| North Port-Bradenton, FL | 34,660 | 17 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 32,120 | 16 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL | 25,310 | 17 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach, FL | 20,940 | 17 |
| Tallahassee, FL | 20,520 | 16 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass, FL | 19,150 | 16 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | 16,360 | 17 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $94,720 a year, about $122,219 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $35,430.
Is hiring in Lakeland-Winter Haven cheaper than the US median?
Yes, for every role we track: all 17 medians are below the US figure, the furthest for sales development representatives (-34.2%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.