Waiters and Waitresses in the Lakeland-Winter Haven Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Waiters and Waitresses pay in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL at a median of $35,270 per year ($16.96/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $35,230, the metro estimate is same as. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 3,730 waiters and waitresses are employed across the Lakeland-Winter Haven MSA in SOC 35-3031.

The Lakeland-Winter Haven pay distribution spans from $27,050 at the 10th percentile to $60,030 at the 90th, a 2.2× 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 $28,490 and the 75th at $45,560, so half of Lakeland-Winter Haven-based waiters and waitresses 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.