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Average Salary in Florida
This page shows what jobs actually pay in Florida, occupation by occupation, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for May 2024. BLS publishes wage estimates for 750 occupations in Florida. For context, the U.S. all-occupation mean annual wage in May 2024 was $67,920, the median wage was $23.80 an hour, and total U.S. employment covered by the survey was 154,187,380 jobs. Use the tables below to see Florida's highest-paying occupations, its largest occupations, and which Florida jobs pay more — or less — than the same job nationally.
Highest-paying occupations in Florida
The highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for Florida is cardiologists, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ — 605.6% higher than the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920 — and a median wage of $239,200+ across 550 jobs. Compared with the same occupation nationally (mean $239,200+), Florida pays 10.8% higher for this work. Next on the list are anesthesiologists at a mean of $239,200+ and orthopedic surgeons, except pediatric at $239,200+. These top-paying fields are small: together the top three employ 4,790 people in Florida, so they describe the top of the Florida wage ladder rather than the typical worker's experience.
| Occupation | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiologists | 550 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Anesthesiologists | 3,290 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | 950 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Radiologists | 1,140 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | 1,310 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Physicians, All Other | 22,370 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 2,280 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 6,640 | — | $220,350 | $239,200+ |
| Physicians, Pathologists | 450 | $115.00+ | $239,200+ | $239,200+ |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 7,580 | $106.01 | $220,500 | $239,200+ |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 6,140 | $95.16 | $197,940 | $236,610 |
| Physicists | 240 | $100.49 | $209,020 | $199,040 |
| Dentists, General | 8,400 | $78.30 | $162,870 | $196,320 |
| Pediatricians, General | 940 | $93.80 | $195,100 | $193,850 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 32,340 | $79.14 | $164,620 | $171,040 |
Largest occupations in Florida
The occupation with the most jobs in Florida is retail salespersons, employing an estimated 325,960 people at a median annual wage of $31,950 and a mean of $35,640. Nationally the same occupation pays a median of $34,580, so Florida's typical pay for this work runs 7.6% lower. The next-largest occupations are general and operations managers (249,620 jobs, median $100,750) and fast food and counter workers (241,010 jobs, median $27,990). Because these occupations are so large, their wages move the overall picture of Florida pay far more than the small, highly paid fields above.
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual | Mean annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 325,960 | $31,950 | $35,640 |
| General and Operations Managers | 249,620 | $100,750 | $128,610 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 241,010 | $27,990 | $29,600 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 238,300 | $38,890 | $42,200 |
| Registered Nurses in Florida | 218,100 | $82,850 | $88,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 208,920 | $29,580 | $39,040 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 201,770 | $36,490 | $37,290 |
| Cashiers | 197,310 | $29,320 | $30,690 |
| Office Clerks, General | 191,350 | $42,720 | $45,360 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 157,990 | $36,980 | $38,750 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 134,480 | $36,300 | $36,620 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 128,160 | $31,540 | $33,600 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 112,590 | $45,000 | $48,040 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 107,210 | $47,980 | $50,800 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Florida | 105,730 | $50,000 | $54,360 |
Where Florida pays a premium — and where it lags
Comparing each occupation's Florida median with its own national median shows where Florida's labor market is strong. Among occupations with at least 1,000 Florida jobs, the largest premium is for opticians, dispensing: a median of $56,920 in Florida versus $46,560 nationally, 22.3% higher. The largest discount is for natural sciences managers, at $100,640 in Florida versus $161,180 nationally, 37.6% lower. In total, 64 of the 524 occupations with 1,000 or more Florida jobs pay a median above their national median. Separately, 202 of the 750 occupations published for Florida have a median annual wage above the U.S. all-occupation mean of $67,920, which underlines how much of Florida's job base sits in lower-wage service work even in a state with high-paying headline jobs.
| Occupation | Florida median | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opticians, Dispensing | $56,920 | $46,560 | +22.3% |
| Barbers | $46,900 | $38,960 | +20.4% |
| Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers | $58,960 | $49,800 | +18.4% |
| Dental Laboratory Technicians | $56,910 | $48,310 | +17.8% |
| Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers | $56,470 | $49,140 | +14.9% |
| Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs | $36,170 | $51,500 | -29.8% |
| Biological Scientists, All Other | $65,060 | $93,330 | -30.3% |
| Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary | $31,100 | $44,930 | -30.8% |
| Lighting Technicians | $39,950 | $60,560 | -34.0% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $100,640 | $161,180 | -37.6% |
Detailed Florida occupation guides
- Human Resources Specialist salary in Florida
- Accountant salary in Florida
- Registered Nurse salary in Florida
- Truck Driver salary in Florida
Florida salary FAQ
What is the highest-paying job in Florida?
By average pay, cardiologists is the highest-paying occupation BLS publishes for Florida, with a mean annual wage of $239,200+ and a median of $239,200+ in May 2024.
What is the average salary in Florida?
For context, the U.S. all-occupation mean annual wage was $67,920 in May 2024. In Florida, the largest occupation, retail salespersons, paid a median of $31,950 across 325,960 jobs, and the tables on this page show mean and median pay for all 750 published occupations.
How many jobs does the largest occupation in Florida have?
Retail Salespersons is the largest occupation published for Florida, with an estimated 325,960 jobs in May 2024 and a mean annual wage of $35,640.
Which occupations pay more in Florida than in the U.S. overall?
Among occupations with at least 1,000 Florida jobs, opticians, dispensing shows the largest premium: a median of $56,920 in Florida versus $46,560 nationally, 22.3% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.