Medical Records Specialists Salary
The median pay for a medical records specialists in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL is $46,820/year ($22.51/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.14), that's roughly $48,198 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,497/month, about 44.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $47K get you in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
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 medical records specialists
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What this looks like in Lakeland-Winter Haven
Medical records specialists pay in Lakeland-Winter Haven tracks closely to the national median, $47K locally vs. $51K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,497/month, which is 45.3% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for medical records specialists in metros near Lakeland-Winter Haven, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $49K | $43K |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $50K | $50K |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $45K | $44K |
| Jacksonville | $50K | $50K |
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 medical records specialists (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $40K spread from bottom to top.
Medical Records Specialists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Medical Records Specialists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $72K | +41% | 270 |
| Rhode Island | $64K | +25% | 650 |
| Hawaii | $63K | +24% | 400 |
| Washington | $62K | +22% | 5,010 |
| California | $62K | +21% | 18,700 |
| New York | $62K | +21% | 9,080 |
| Minnesota | $62K | +20% | 3,150 |
| Alaska | $61K | +19% | 1,070 |
| Connecticut | $61K | +19% | 1,120 |
| Massachusetts | $60K | +18% | 3,500 |
| Wisconsin | $60K | +18% | 2,870 |
| Colorado | $59K | +15% | 1,780 |
| Oregon | $59K | +15% | 2,560 |
| Vermont | $58K | +13% | N/A |
| New Mexico | $57K | +12% | 1,400 |
| Illinois | $56K | +10% | 5,740 |
| Delaware | $56K | +10% | 610 |
| South Carolina | $54K | +6% | 2,750 |
| Maryland | $54K | +6% | 2,440 |
| Wyoming | $54K | +6% | 280 |
| Idaho | $53K | +5% | 1,490 |
| Oklahoma | $53K | +5% | 2,480 |
| Virginia | $53K | +4% | 4,630 |
| Utah | $53K | +3% | 1,910 |
| Maine | $52K | +2% | 1,000 |
| Nebraska | $52K | +1% | 1,640 |
| South Dakota | $52K | +1% | 900 |
| Georgia | $52K | +1% | 5,930 |
| Ohio | $51K | -0% | 7,440 |
| Missouri | $51K | -1% | 3,890 |
| Iowa | $51K | -1% | 2,250 |
| Nevada | $50K | -2% | 2,350 |
| New Jersey | $50K | -2% | 4,450 |
| Montana | $50K | -2% | 820 |
| North Carolina | $50K | -3% | 6,760 |
| New Hampshire | $49K | -4% | 930 |
| Texas | $49K | -4% | 17,210 |
| Tennessee | $49K | -5% | 4,440 |
| Kentucky | $48K | -5% | 4,210 |
| Kansas | $48K | -6% | 2,030 |
| Michigan | $48K | -6% | 4,890 |
| Indiana | $48K | -7% | 5,860 |
| Arizona | $48K | -7% | 3,750 |
| West Virginia | $47K | -7% | 1,260 |
| Pennsylvania | $47K | -8% | 6,970 |
| North Dakota | $46K | -10% | 520 |
| Florida | $46K | -11% | 21,490 |
| Louisiana | $45K | -13% | 2,600 |
| Alabama | $44K | -14% | 2,330 |
| Arkansas | $42K | -18% | 1,920 |
| Mississippi | $42K | -19% | 2,310 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track medical records specialists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Lakeland-Winter Haven numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a medical records specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 45.3% 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 $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for medical records specialists in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new medical records specialists typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,141/month. At HUD’s $1,497/month FMR, rent would take 70% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is medical records specialist a high-paying job in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $47K locally vs. $51K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Lakeland-Winter Haven compare to the national average for medical records specialists?
Lakeland-Winter Haven pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — below the national median.
How much do medical records specialists make in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL?
The median is $46,820 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,680, and experienced medical records specialists can clear $76,010. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,305/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,497/month, which eats 45.3% 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 medical records 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 medical records specialists salary is worth about $48,198 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do medical records 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.