Employment increased in 20 of Florida’s 25 largest counties from March 2024 to March 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pasco and St. Johns counties led with employment gains of 2.2 percent each, while Pinellas County saw the largest decrease at 1.4 percent.
Miami-Dade County had the highest employment among large counties in Florida, with 1,283,000 jobs as of March 2025. The state’s 27 largest counties accounted for nearly 88 percent of total covered employment in Florida. In comparison, the nation’s 372 largest counties made up about 73 percent of total covered employment across the United States.
All large Florida counties with published data reported increases in average weekly wages over the year. Duval County recorded the largest wage increase at 6.8 percent, while other large counties saw gains ranging from 6.7 percent to 1.8 percent.
Only two of Florida’s largest counties had average weekly wages above the national average of $1,589: Miami-Dade at $1,708 and another unnamed county. Marion County reported an average weekly wage of $1,032.
For smaller Florida counties—those with fewer than 75,000 employees—wage levels were below the national average. Indian River had the highest average weekly wage among these smaller counties at $1,306; Holmes County had the lowest at $773.
Across all Florida’s 67 counties, nine reported average weekly wages under $900; twenty-one registered between $900 and $1,024; thirteen ranged from $1,025 to $1,149; ten fell between $1,150 and $1,274; and fourteen had wages at or above $1,275.
“Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that Pasco and St. Johns counties had the largest over-the-year increases in employment, with gains of 2.2 percent each.”
Further details on county-level employment and wage statistics can be found on the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages website and in related technical notes provided by BLS.
The next release covering second quarter data is scheduled for December 3, 2025.
