Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
Across all occupations in the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metropolitan area, the median wage is $48,510 a year ($23.32 an hour) and the mean $62,850, May 2025. That median is −5% against the US median of $50,980 and −2% against Michigan's $49,270. BLS counts 121,790 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is physicians, all other; the largest is registered nurses.
All occupations: Kalamazoo-Portage, MI vs Michigan and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | Hourly | $14.55 | $17.70 | $23.32 | $36.17 | $49.97 | $30.22 | 121,790 |
| Annual | $30,260 | $36,810 | $48,510 | $75,230 | $103,930 | $62,850 | ||
| Michigan | Hourly | $14.56 | $17.82 | $23.69 | $37.46 | $53.20 | $31.21 | 4,403,730 |
| Annual | $30,290 | $37,070 | $49,270 | $77,910 | $110,650 | $64,920 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
347 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profile: Michigan. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicians, All Other | $305,510 | $146.88 | 390 |
| 2 | Chief Executives | $285,300 | $137.16 | 150 |
| 3 | Family Medicine Physicians | $244,310 | $117.46 | 150 |
| 4 | Pediatricians, General | $232,880 | $111.96 | 40 |
| 5 | Dentists, General | $187,770 | $90.27 | 90 |
| 6 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $149,030 | $71.65 | 290 |
| 7 | Pharmacists | $140,910 | $67.75 | 250 |
| 8 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Michigan | $137,390 | $66.06 | 310 |
| 9 | Optometrists | $131,770 | $63.35 | 70 |
| 10 | Marketing Managers | $131,500 | $63.22 | 150 |
| 11 | Human Resources Managers | $131,350 | $63.15 | 150 |
| 12 | Financial Managers in Michigan | $130,760 | $62.86 | 560 |
| 13 | Managers, All Other in Michigan | $130,590 | $62.78 | 240 |
| 14 | Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | $128,560 | $61.81 | 350 |
| 15 | Sales Managers in Michigan | $128,360 | $61.71 | 480 |
| 16 | Industrial Production Managers | $127,770 | $61.43 | 490 |
| 17 | Physician Assistants | $127,570 | $61.33 | 210 |
| 18 | Nurse Practitioners | $126,460 | $60.80 | 300 |
| 19 | Purchasing Managers | $125,220 | $60.20 | 80 |
| 20 | Fundraising Managers | $122,340 | $58.82 | 40 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes in this area cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
Most concentrated occupations in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
The 10 occupations with the highest location quotient among those employing at least 100 people in the area. A quotient of 2.00 means the occupation's share of local jobs is twice its national share.
| Rank | Occupation | Location quotient | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 7.01 | 170 | 1.42 | $40,240 |
| 2 | Chemical Technicians | 6.73 | 300 | 2.49 | $65,250 |
| 3 | Psychiatric Aides | 6.47 | 180 | 1.48 | $55,100 |
| 4 | Musicians and Singers | 6.31 | 180 | 1.47 | * |
| 5 | Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 5.60 | 660 | 5.42 | $38,820 |
| 6 | Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders | 5.52 | 600 | 4.96 | $49,400 |
| 7 | Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 5.37 | 140 | 1.12 | $35,110 |
| 8 | Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 4.87 | 370 | 3.01 | $51,360 |
| 9 | Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 4.42 | 260 | 2.15 | $62,490 |
| 10 | Industrial Engineers | 4.34 | 1,240 | 10.21 | $97,250 |
Occupation groups in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $107,650 | $126,220 | 8,220 | 67.48 | 0.94 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $90,070 | $94,260 | 3,280 | 26.96 | 1.60 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $81,780 | $91,110 | 1,830 | 15.06 | 0.45 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $81,520 | $104,950 | 8,930 | 73.33 | 1.16 |
| Legal | $81,030 | $129,180 | 570 | 4.65 | 0.55 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $74,250 | $80,820 | 6,470 | 53.12 | 0.78 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $72,570 | $80,450 | 1,520 | 12.47 | 1.32 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $62,220 | $66,080 | 6,550 | 53.75 | 0.92 |
| Construction and Extraction | $61,720 | $66,320 | 4,630 | 38.04 | 0.92 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $58,120 | $60,470 | 5,170 | 42.47 | 1.09 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $55,620 | $62,150 | 1,470 | 12.11 | 0.92 |
| Protective Service | $55,080 | $55,790 | 1,330 | 10.94 | 0.45 |
| Community and Social Service | $53,390 | $57,130 | 2,670 | 21.94 | 1.28 |
| Production | $46,370 | $48,870 | 12,090 | 99.31 | 1.80 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $46,210 | $48,690 | 13,670 | 112.25 | 0.98 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $43,370 | $45,190 | 10,650 | 87.41 | 0.99 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $37,460 | $39,310 | 270 | 2.25 | 0.80 |
| Sales and Related | $37,080 | $51,780 | 9,660 | 79.30 | 0.92 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $36,610 | $39,190 | 3,390 | 27.81 | 0.95 |
| Healthcare Support | $36,500 | $39,930 | 6,450 | 52.98 | 1.04 |
| Personal Care and Service | $33,400 | $37,610 | 2,260 | 18.58 | 0.89 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $33,280 | $36,440 | 10,690 | 87.79 | 1.00 |
Every occupation in Michigan, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 347 published occupations for this area are in the wage explorer; other metros are on the metros hub.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Kalamazoo-Portage, MI estimates (area 28020).
*- Wage estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI area; the location quotient is that share divided by the national share.
- The concentration table keeps only occupations with employment of 100 or more in the area, so a quotient built on a handful of rounded jobs cannot top it.