Best Culinary & Pastry Schools in Lakeland, Florida (2026)

Quick answer: Culinary professionals in Florida earn a median of $58,240 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited culinary professional schools near Lakeland, Florida with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Lakeland sits within the Florida culinary professional workforce, served by accredited training providers. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $58,240 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Lakeland Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$58,240BLS OEWS, May 2025
Florida pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$31,920 to $92,300BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lakeland, FL metro median wage$50,720BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+7.1% growth, about 24,400 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment19,670 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
Polk County establishments360BLS QCEW, 2024
Polk County industry employment7,700BLS QCEW, 2024
Polk County unemployment rate4.2%BLS LAUS, 2024
Florida location quotient1.54BLS OEWS, May 2025

Nearby Cities

Explore the Culinary professional Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Lakeland. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the Polk County and Florida figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.


Culinary & Pastry Schools near Lakeland

#1

Traviss Technical College

Lakeland, FL 1.1 miles away
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 85.8% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 33
  • Annual completions: 552
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing: $38,755 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Ridge Technical College

Winter Haven, FL 18.3 miles away
Tuition $3,918 - $27,493
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 79.6%
  • Programs offered: 34
  • Annual completions: 417
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing: $35,542 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Erwin Technical College

Tampa, FL 29.7 miles away
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 79.8% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 43
  • Annual completions: 658
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing: $41,518 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Hillsborough Community College

Tampa, FL 31.8 miles away
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 33.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 98
  • Annual completions: 2835
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing: $49,784 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

South Florida State College

Avon Park, FL 41.7 miles away
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 49.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 69
  • Annual completions: 464
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing: $48,619 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Culinary And Pastry Salary Snapshot

U.S.
U.S. Median Pay $40,078 $19.27 per hour
Job Outlook 12.9% 245,100 jobs (2024–2034)
315,000 openings/yr

Culinary-And-Pastry Salary in U.S.

Median Salary $40,078 $19.27/hr
Average Salary $41,729 $20.06/hr

Salary Range

$37,900 10th pctl
$40,078 Median
$98,560 90th pctl
10th Percentile $37,900 $18.22/hr
25th Percentile $48,440 $23.29/hr
75th Percentile $78,750 $37.86/hr
90th Percentile $98,560 $47.39/hr

Employment & Outlook

Total Employed1,846,130
Growth (2024-2034)12.9%
Annual Openings315,000
Jobs per 1,0001.3

Chefs and Head Cooks (35-1011) • BLS OEWS, May 2025 • bls.gov/oes

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About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade career guide using BLS, DOL, and state licensing data. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.