Registered Nurses Salary
Registered Nurses in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL make a median of $84,030 a year, or about $40.4 an hour. The range runs from $65K at the entry level to $102K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.14), that's roughly $86,504 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,497/month, or 26.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $84K 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 registered nurses
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What this looks like in Lakeland-Winter Haven
Pay for registered nurses in Lakeland-Winter Haven runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $98K. Rent runs $1,497/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. 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 registered nurses in metros near Lakeland-Winter Haven, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $91K | $80K |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $85K | $85K |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $84K | $82K |
| Jacksonville | $84K | $84K |
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 registered nurses (10th percentile) start around $65K. Mid-career wages sit at $84K. Top earners bring in $102K or more, a $37K spread from bottom to top.
Registered Nurses pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Registered Nurses salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $140K | +44% | 338,940 |
| Hawaii | $136K | +40% | 12,940 |
| Oregon | $129K | +32% | 39,730 |
| Washington | $124K | +27% | 69,260 |
| Alaska | $109K | +12% | 7,510 |
| New York | $109K | +12% | 205,810 |
| New Jersey | $107K | +9% | 92,680 |
| Massachusetts | $105K | +7% | 88,200 |
| Nevada | $104K | +6% | 27,070 |
| Connecticut | $103K | +5% | 40,110 |
| District of Columbia | $103K | +5% | 11,440 |
| Minnesota | $102K | +4% | 70,110 |
| Rhode Island | $101K | +3% | 10,090 |
| Colorado | $100K | +3% | 54,490 |
| Maryland | $100K | +2% | 52,910 |
| New Hampshire | $100K | +2% | 15,390 |
| Delaware | $100K | +2% | 14,290 |
| Arizona | $100K | +2% | 73,150 |
| Vermont | $97K | -0% | 7,410 |
| Pennsylvania | $96K | -1% | 146,520 |
| Illinois | $96K | -2% | 138,910 |
| Texas | $96K | -2% | 271,380 |
| Wisconsin | $96K | -2% | 68,060 |
| New Mexico | $94K | -3% | 17,980 |
| Michigan | $94K | -3% | 104,950 |
| Virginia | $94K | -4% | 77,490 |
| Georgia | $94K | -4% | 100,950 |
| Idaho | $92K | -5% | 16,880 |
| Maine | $87K | -11% | 16,540 |
| Montana | $85K | -13% | 10,950 |
| Nebraska | $85K | -13% | 24,720 |
| Utah | $85K | -13% | 27,420 |
| North Carolina | $84K | -14% | 111,120 |
| Florida | $84K | -14% | 229,940 |
| Wyoming | $84K | -14% | 5,330 |
| Indiana | $84K | -14% | 68,980 |
| Oklahoma | $83K | -15% | 38,270 |
| Ohio | $83K | -15% | 143,730 |
| South Carolina | $82K | -16% | 49,750 |
| Missouri | $82K | -16% | 76,310 |
| Tennessee | $82K | -16% | 72,200 |
| Kentucky | $81K | -17% | 50,300 |
| North Dakota | $81K | -17% | 11,340 |
| Louisiana | $80K | -18% | 48,970 |
| West Virginia | $80K | -18% | 23,430 |
| Kansas | $79K | -19% | 33,800 |
| Arkansas | $79K | -19% | 29,400 |
| Iowa | $79K | -19% | 34,420 |
| South Dakota | $78K | -20% | 14,710 |
| Mississippi | $77K | -21% | 29,060 |
| Alabama | $77K | -21% | 54,340 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track registered nurses salary changes
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Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
Yes — at the median salary of $84K, rent takes 26.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,497/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for registered nurses in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new registered nurses typically earn — is $65K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,877/month. At HUD’s $1,497/month FMR, rent would take 39% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is registered nurse a high-paying job in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $84K here vs. $98K nationally.
How does Lakeland-Winter Haven compare to the national average for registered nurses?
Lakeland-Winter Haven pays $84K median vs. the U.S. average of $98K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $87K — below the national median.
How much do registered nurses make in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL?
The median is $84,030 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $64,610, and experienced registered nurses can clear $102,070. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $84K enough to live in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,625/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,497/month, which eats 26.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a registered nurses 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 registered nurses salary is worth about $86,504 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do registered nurses 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.