Dental Assistants in the Lakeland-Winter Haven Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Dental Assistants pay in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL at a median of $46,670 per year ($22.44/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $48,070, the metro estimate is 3% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 580 dental assistants are employed across the Lakeland-Winter Haven MSA in SOC 31-9091.

The Lakeland-Winter Haven pay distribution spans from $39,220 at the 10th percentile to $58,100 at the 90th, a 1.5× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $44,430 and the 75th at $56,910, so half of Lakeland-Winter Haven-based dental assistants earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide FL estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.