SOC 27-3031 · Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro

Public Relations Specialists Salary in Lakeland, FL

The average salary for public relations specialists in Lakeland, Florida is $64,050 a year ($30.79 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $57,720: half of the 340 people in this job in the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 25% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($85,506).

$64,050average per year

$30.79 / hourMedian $57,720Take-home ≈ $53,644

  • $33K10th
  • $42K25th
  • $58KMedian
  • $80K75th
  • $98K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

340people in this job
-25%vs U.S. metro average
#16 of 20Florida metros
97cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Public Relations Specialists pay range in Lakeland

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $32,810 a year or less, while the top 10% make $98,160 or more. The middle half of public relations specialists in Lakeland earn between $41,640 and $79,630.

  • $33K10th
  • $42K25th
  • $58KMedian
  • $80K75th
  • $98K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$64,050$5,338$30.79
Median$57,720$4,810$27.75
Entry level (25th percentile)$41,640$3,470$20.02
Experienced (75th percentile)$79,630$6,636$38.28

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Public Relations Specialists salary after taxes in Lakeland

On the average salary of $64,050, a single filer in Lakeland takes home about $53,644 a year, or $4,470 a month and $2,063 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

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Is Lakeland a good place for public relations specialists? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Lakeland area are 3% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.1), so the average $64,050 buys what about $65,935 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Lakeland ($46,140). A typical home costs $298,816, or 4.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $64,050 is worth in another city

Public Relations Specialists salary in other Florida cities

Lakeland ranks 16th of 20 Florida metro areas for this job; Jacksonville pays the most ($76,350).

All Public Relations Specialists salaries in Florida

Highest-paying cities for public relations specialists

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($126,870).

Public Relations Specialists salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Public Relations Specialists in Lakeland, FL.

Public Relations Specialists salary in Lakeland: questions

How much do public relations specialists make an hour in Lakeland?

$30.79 an hour on average, and $27.75 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level public relations specialists salary in Lakeland?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $32,810 a year and the 25th percentile is $41,640, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the public relations specialists take-home pay in Lakeland?

About $53,644 a year ($4,470 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $64,050. Florida has no state income tax.

Do public relations specialists earn more in Lakeland than elsewhere?

The average here is 25% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($85,506).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 27-3031; area Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL (29460). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.3%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.71, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.71).

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