Health Education Specialists Salary
In Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL, health education specialists earn $55,430 at the median, or about $26.65 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $105K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.14), that's roughly $57,062 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,497/month, about 38.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $55K actually covers in Lakeland-Winter Haven, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lakeland-Winter Haven’s Regional Price Parity (97.14). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About health education specialists
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What this looks like in Lakeland-Winter Haven
Pay for health education specialists in Lakeland-Winter Haven runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $64K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,497/month, which is 38.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.14) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for health education specialists.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for health education specialists in metros near Lakeland-Winter Haven, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $62K | $61K |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $55K | $54K |
| Jacksonville | $56K | $56K |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | $54K | $52K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
Entry-level health education specialists (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $105K or more, a $67K spread from bottom to top.
Health Education Specialists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Health Education Specialists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $104K | +63% | 2,220 |
| District of Columbia | $103K | +61% | 680 |
| Georgia | $99K | +55% | 3,210 |
| Pennsylvania | $81K | +26% | 2,690 |
| Minnesota | $78K | +22% | 1,250 |
| Washington | $77K | +21% | 1,750 |
| Iowa | $76K | +18% | 540 |
| Oregon | $76K | +18% | 840 |
| Rhode Island | $75K | +18% | 150 |
| Colorado | $74K | +16% | 750 |
| Wisconsin | $74K | +16% | 900 |
| New Jersey | $74K | +15% | 1,420 |
| Alaska | $72K | +12% | 310 |
| New Hampshire | $70K | +9% | 250 |
| Vermont | $68K | +6% | 180 |
| Connecticut | $67K | +4% | 400 |
| Kentucky | $65K | +2% | 760 |
| Alabama | $65K | +2% | 540 |
| Ohio | $65K | +1% | 1,970 |
| South Carolina | $65K | +1% | 470 |
| Virginia | $64K | -0% | 690 |
| Hawaii | $64K | -1% | 190 |
| California | $64K | -1% | 12,520 |
| Arizona | $63K | -1% | 1,140 |
| Delaware | $63K | -1% | 340 |
| Kansas | $63K | -2% | 520 |
| West Virginia | $63K | -2% | 400 |
| Wyoming | $63K | -2% | 90 |
| New York | $63K | -2% | 4,150 |
| Oklahoma | $62K | -3% | 820 |
| Arkansas | $62K | -3% | 200 |
| Nevada | $62K | -3% | 270 |
| Idaho | $61K | -4% | 370 |
| Illinois | $60K | -6% | 1,010 |
| Utah | $60K | -7% | 490 |
| North Dakota | $60K | -7% | 200 |
| Texas | $59K | -7% | 5,320 |
| Maine | $58K | -9% | 490 |
| Indiana | $58K | -9% | 1,380 |
| North Carolina | $58K | -9% | 2,110 |
| New Mexico | $58K | -9% | 660 |
| Louisiana | $58K | -10% | 470 |
| Massachusetts | $58K | -10% | 2,420 |
| South Dakota | $57K | -10% | 190 |
| Missouri | $57K | -11% | N/A |
| Nebraska | $57K | -11% | 230 |
| Michigan | $56K | -12% | 1,480 |
| Montana | $51K | -20% | 240 |
| Mississippi | $51K | -20% | 410 |
| Tennessee | $50K | -23% | 490 |
| Florida | $46K | -28% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track health education specialists salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Lakeland-Winter Haven numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a health education specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 38.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,497/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for health education specialists in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new health education specialists typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,754/month. At HUD’s $1,497/month FMR, rent would take 54% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is health education specialist a high-paying job in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $55K here vs. $64K nationally.
How does Lakeland-Winter Haven compare to the national average for health education specialists?
Lakeland-Winter Haven pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — below the national median.
How much do health education specialists make in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL?
The median is $55,430 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,600, and experienced health education specialists can clear $105,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,881/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,497/month, which eats 38.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a health education specialists salary go in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
Lakeland-Winter Haven has a Regional Price Parity of 97.14 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median health education specialists salary is worth about $57,062 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do health education specialists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.