SOC 29-1131 · Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro

Veterinarians Salary in Lakeland, FL

The average salary for veterinarians in Lakeland, Florida is $143,250 a year ($68.87 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $129,810: half of the 120 people in this job in the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($146,208).

$143,250average per year

$68.87 / hourMedian $129,810Take-home ≈ $109,177

  • $60K10th
  • $80K25th
  • $130KMedian
  • $180K75th
  • $245K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

120people in this job
-2%vs U.S. metro average
#6 of 19Florida metros
97cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Veterinarians pay range in Lakeland

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $60,180 a year or less, while the top 10% make $245,220 or more. The middle half of veterinarians in Lakeland earn between $80,090 and $179,990.

  • $60K10th
  • $80K25th
  • $130KMedian
  • $180K75th
  • $245K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$143,250$11,938$68.87
Median$129,810$10,818$62.41
Entry level (25th percentile)$80,090$6,674$38.50
Experienced (75th percentile)$179,990$14,999$86.53

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

Veterinarians salary after taxes in Lakeland

On the average salary of $143,250, a single filer in Lakeland takes home about $109,177 a year, or $9,098 a month and $4,199 every two weeks. Taxes take 24% 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 veterinarians? 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 $143,250 buys what about $147,466 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Lakeland ($46,140). A typical home costs $298,816, or 2.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $143,250 is worth in another city

Veterinarians salary in other Florida cities

Lakeland ranks 6th of 19 Florida metro areas for this job; Sebastian pays the most ($147,580).

All Veterinarians salaries in Florida

Highest-paying cities for veterinarians

Anchorage, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($215,060).

Veterinarians salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Veterinarians in Lakeland, FL.

Veterinarians salary in Lakeland: questions

How much do veterinarians make an hour in Lakeland?

$68.87 an hour on average, and $62.41 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level veterinarians salary in Lakeland?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $60,180 a year and the 25th percentile is $80,090, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the veterinarians take-home pay in Lakeland?

About $109,177 a year ($9,098 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $143,250. Florida has no state income tax.

Do veterinarians earn more in Lakeland than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($146,208).

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 29-1131; area Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL (29460). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.2%.
  • 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 0.85, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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