Average wages in the Miami metropolitan area rose slightly faster than inflation between 2020 and 2025, according to a new analysis of federal labor data.
Annual mean pay across the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach area reached $67,190 in May 2025, the analysis found. That was $777, or 1.17%, higher than the inflation-adjusted value of the area’s $52,970 average wage in May 2020.
The increase placed South Florida 10th among large U.S. metropolitan areas for wage growth after inflation. However, Miami trailed Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and Orlando among Florida’s four large metro areas.
Jacksonville led the national rankings with a 4.93% increase in inflation-adjusted wages, followed among Florida metros by Tampa Bay at 2.44% and Orlando at 1.71%.
“How Miami compares”
Miami: up 1.17%, or $777
Jacksonville: up 4.93%, or $3,086
Tampa Bay: up 2.44%, or $1,581
Orlando: up 1.71%, or $1,043
United States: down 1.18%, or $831
Statewide, Florida’s average annual wage increased from $50,020 in 2020 to $64,670 in 2025. After adjusting the earlier figure for inflation, that represented a gain of $1,955, or 3.12%—the second-largest percentage increase among states.
By comparison, the average U.S. wage declined by an inflation-adjusted $831, or 1.18%, during the same period.
The analysis was conducted by Energy Drive, a motor-control company, using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics and the Consumer Price Index from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It applied a national inflation rate of 25.38% to compare May 2020 and May 2025 wages.
The results measure changes in average wages, not the experience of every worker. Local living costs and changes in the mix of occupations can also affect how far a paycheck goes.