Salaries in Plantation, FL

Plantation might look like another sunny Florida suburb, but its job market has a secret: a surprising number of software developers earning well over six figures, even by Miami-area standards. It’s not a tech hub, but the presence of companies like AutoNation and a slice of the healthcare industry has created a solid, if quiet, high-income niche. You don’t expect a city of 96,537 to have a median household income of $95,965, but here we are.

That income sounds great until you factor in the cost of living, which is 11.8% above the national average. A $95,965 salary here has the buying power of about $85,800 elsewhere. For a single person renting a one-bedroom apartment for $1,621 a month, that’s a meaningful chunk of take-home pay. It’s not a bargain, but it’s not a wallet-crushing nightmare like some coastal cities. You’re paying a premium, but you’re also earning more than the national median to offset it.

Who thrives here? The data points to a clear class of professionals. Software developers pull in a median of $131,765, followed by accountants and registered nurses, both hovering around $89,000. The city’s educated workforce—nearly 48% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher—supports these white-collar roles. You’ll also find a strong contingent of tradespeople, like electricians, who do well here thanks to constant suburban development and a tight 3.2% unemployment rate.

Here’s the honest catch: while top earners do just fine, the city’s overall average salary is $56,307, which drops to a COL-adjusted $50,364. That’s a tight squeeze for anyone not in one of those top-tier jobs. Wages haven’t fully kept pace with the rising cost of living over the past few years, making it a city that works best for dual-income households or those in the right fields. It’s a solid middle-class bet, but not a get-rich-quick scheme.

The numbers below will show you exactly where you’d land on that spectrum.