Jobs, pay and daily life in Sarasota, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Sarasota is a city in Florida with 56,970 residents. The median household earns $72,105 a year and the median rent is $1,684 a month, which is 28.0% of the median household income. It is part of the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL metropolitan area, where BLS counts 339,940 jobs.
How Sarasota compares. Among the 120 largest places in Florida, Sarasota is #71 by population, #1 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #32 for college degrees (#1 = most), #85 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Sarasota County, is #11 of 67 counties for average pay ($65,133).
Sarasota has 56,970 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Florida. It covers 15 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 3,875 people per square mile. The median age is 48.2, 13% older than the state median (48.2 against 42.6).
The median gross rent is $1,684 a month (rent plus utilities), about the same as the state median ($1,684 against $1,669). Over a year that is 28.0% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $463,000, which is 6.4 times the median household income ($72,105); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 57.5% of households own their home, 15% below the state average (57.5% against 67.6%).
The North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL metropolitan area has 339,940 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $47,440 a year, 7% below the national median ($47,440 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are food preparation and serving related (40,060 jobs, median $35,740); office and administrative support (39,490 jobs, median $46,200); sales and related (37,980 jobs, median $37,490). The area is most specialised in construction and extraction (1.5 times) and food preparation and serving related (1.3 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($101,210) and computer and mathematical ($99,820). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Sarasota County was 4.7%. 53.5% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Sarasota County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 71.5% drive alone, 1.0% use public transit, 2.3% walk, 13.3% work from home. 4.9% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 73% below the state average (4.9% against 18.1%).
41.8% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 22% above the state share (41.8% against 34.1%). 16.2% of residents were born outside the United States, 26% below the state share (16.2% against 21.9%). The poverty rate is 15.0%, 19% above the state rate (15.0% against 12.6%).
The warmest month is Aug, averaging 83°F (28.1°C), and the coolest is Jan at 61°F (16.1°C). About 1,349 mm (53 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Aug is the wettest month (234 mm) and Nov the driest (48 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Bradenton (11 miles, rent 4% lower); Lakewood Ranch (11 miles, rent 37% higher); North Port (29 miles, rent 12% higher); St. Petersburg (30 miles, similar rent). Rent differences are against Sarasota; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Florida (1,224) →State guide: FloridaCountry guideSarasota CountyFlorida rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,224 federal postings open in Florida (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Florida →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 13,420 | 1.58 | $35,160 | $28,970 | $47,510 | -1% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 9,200 | 1.85 | $36,660 | $28,370 | $64,080 | +4% |
| General and Operations Managers | 8,610 | 1.12 | $94,900 | $49,690 | $214,380 | -10% |
| Registered Nurses | 8,380 | 1.13 | $86,130 | $66,500 | $107,410 | -12% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 8,330 | 0.99 | $30,000 | $28,540 | $37,660 | -4% |
| Cashiers | 7,520 | 1.11 | $31,240 | $28,530 | $37,470 | -5% |
| Office Clerks, General | 7,230 | 1.34 | $45,630 | $32,000 | $66,930 | +1% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 6,060 | 0.98 | $37,130 | $31,320 | $46,860 | -1% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 5,090 | 0.90 | $42,310 | $32,210 | $60,730 | -5% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 5,010 | 0.78 | $38,790 | $31,510 | $50,500 | -4% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 4,780 | 1.55 | $37,440 | $30,630 | $46,550 | +0% |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 4,740 | 2.27 | $37,200 | $31,210 | $47,950 | -5% |
| Nursing Assistants | 4,660 | 1.47 | $39,950 | $36,130 | $49,220 | -5% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 4,400 | 1.32 | $47,070 | $34,200 | $65,770 | -5% |
| Construction Laborers | 4,260 | 1.77 | $45,390 | $34,570 | $60,760 | -4% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 3,940 | 0.82 | $35,530 | $29,530 | $47,530 | -4% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 3,830 | 1.03 | $46,380 | $34,190 | $68,070 | -2% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 3,610 | 1.20 | $50,460 | $38,750 | $72,080 | -0% |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 3,570 | 1.30 | $57,780 | $35,110 | $121,900 | -17% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 3,530 | 0.38 | $35,400 | $31,150 | $40,180 | -1% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | 580 | 2.49 | $321,550 | $175,870 | $463,940 | +32% |
| Physicians, All Other | 970 | 1.30 | $280,490 | $65,370 | $488,680 | +5% |
| Financial Managers | 1,090 | 0.59 | $145,450 | $70,750 | $276,320 | -13% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 810 | 0.55 | $142,620 | $102,500 | $232,110 | -19% |
| Physician Assistants | 520 | 1.46 | $142,510 | $106,710 | $183,400 | +5% |
| Pharmacists | 790 | 1.12 | $138,760 | $71,770 | $175,140 | -2% |
| Lawyers | 1,440 | 0.87 | $136,910 | $77,600 | $277,420 | -14% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 630 | 0.89 | $134,470 | $102,990 | $167,370 | +2% |
| Software Developers | 1,680 | 0.46 | $131,890 | $80,320 | $210,160 | -3% |
| Marketing Managers | 510 | 0.59 | $128,320 | $74,960 | $227,160 | -23% |
| Sales Managers | 1,320 | 0.95 | $124,820 | $66,020 | $227,730 | -16% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 1,460 | 1.12 | $122,770 | $65,830 | $183,200 | -1% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 500 | 0.70 | $106,560 | $60,200 | $165,960 | +1% |
| Occupational Therapists | 730 | 2.06 | $104,030 | $66,230 | $113,320 | +4% |
| Physical Therapists | 680 | 1.16 | $104,020 | $81,090 | $129,060 | +1% |
| Construction Managers | 1,560 | 1.88 | $103,240 | $65,660 | $180,030 | -10% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 660 | 0.58 | $98,350 | $59,990 | $154,430 | -7% |
| Project Management Specialists | 2,060 | 0.88 | $96,510 | $58,610 | $156,300 | -6% |
| General and Operations Managers | 8,610 | 1.12 | $94,900 | $49,690 | $214,380 | -10% |
| Management Analysts | 1,380 | 0.71 | $88,710 | $61,300 | $146,950 | -13% |
These figures are for the whole North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $47,440 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.7% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 22.9% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 15.1% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 13.4% |
| Retail trade | 11.9% |
| Construction | 7.8% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 7.1% |
| Manufacturing | 5.2% |
| Other services | 5.0% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.8% |
| Public administration | 2.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.0% |
| Information | 1.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.6% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Sarasota lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarasota County | 459,547 | $35,891 million | $78,101 | 190,078 | 21,213 | $65,133 | +1.7% | 4.7% | 201,260 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 36,752 | 21.1% | $67,214 | 1.35 |
| Retail trade | 24,927 | 14.3% | $43,604 | 1.31 |
| Accommodation and food services | 21,788 | 12.5% | $33,490 | 1.26 |
| Construction | 18,479 | 10.6% | $68,459 | 1.85 |
| Professional and technical services | 13,403 | 7.7% | $101,488 | 1.01 |
| Administrative and waste services | 11,271 | 6.5% | $55,151 | 1.01 |
| Manufacturing | 8,855 | 5.1% | $73,321 | 0.57 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 7,123 | 4.1% | $47,142 | 1.24 |
| Finance and insurance | 6,104 | 3.5% | $132,254 | 0.79 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 5,778 | 3.3% | $41,303 | 1.81 |
| Wholesale trade | 4,693 | 2.7% | $92,032 | 0.63 |
| Real estate and rental | 4,374 | 2.5% | $60,672 | 1.48 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3,243 | 1.9% | $53,005 | 0.40 |
| Educational services | 3,194 | 1.8% | $52,936 | 0.81 |
| Information | 2,285 | 1.3% | $144,744 | 0.64 |
| Management of companies | 1,487 | 0.9% | $164,383 | 0.46 |
| Utilities | 479 | 0.3% | $125,157 | 0.66 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 71.5% |
| Public transit | 1.0% |
| Walk | 2.3% |
| Work from home | 13.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 4.9% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,105 |
| Income per person | $60,995 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,684 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 28.0% |
| Median home value | $463,000 |
| Homeowners | 57.5% |
| Poverty rate | 15.0% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 102.4 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $47,440 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: No state tax on wages.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 48.2 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 92.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 41.8% |
| Born abroad | 16.2% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 53.5% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16.1 | 61 | 61 |
| Feb | 17.6 | 64 | 59 |
| Mar | 19.9 | 68 | 65 |
| Apr | 23.0 | 73 | 58 |
| May | 25.9 | 79 | 86 |
| Jun | 27.6 | 82 | 206 |
| Jul | 28.0 | 82 | 216 |
| Aug | 28.1 | 83 | 234 |
| Sep | 26.9 | 80 | 184 |
| Oct | 24.2 | 76 | 71 |
| Nov | 20.4 | 69 | 48 |
| Dec | 18.1 | 65 | 61 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradenton | FL | 11 mi | 57,014 | $60,822 | $1,618 |
| Lakewood Ranch | FL | 11 mi | 43,945 | $122,925 | $2,299 |
| North Port | FL | 29 mi | 84,605 | $84,049 | $1,894 |
| St. Petersburg | FL | 30 mi | 262,732 | $75,192 | $1,663 |
| Port Charlotte | FL | 36 mi | 66,133 | $63,844 | $1,553 |
| Riverview | FL | 37 mi | 113,697 | $100,438 | $2,002 |
| Pinellas Park | FL | 37 mi | 53,560 | $63,432 | $1,631 |
| Largo | FL | 42 mi | 82,617 | $62,096 | $1,618 |
| Tampa | FL | 44 mi | 401,618 | $75,475 | $1,701 |
| Brandon | FL | 44 mi | 119,767 | $79,685 | $1,784 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
56,970 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,684 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 28.0% of the median household income.
$72,105 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.7% (BLS county, Sarasota County (latest month 2026M09)).
Florida. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.