Ponce, PR
Across all occupations in the Ponce, PR metropolitan area, the median wage is $26,940 a year ($12.95 an hour) and the mean $35,310, May 2025. That median is −47% against the US median of $50,980 and −6% against Puerto Rico's $28,680. BLS counts 63,500 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is physicians, all other; the largest is retail salespersons.
All occupations: Ponce, PR vs Puerto Rico and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Ponce, PR | Hourly | $10.50 | $10.53 | $12.95 | $18.20 | $29.01 | $16.97 | 63,500 |
| Annual | $21,840 | $21,910 | $26,940 | $37,850 | $60,330 | $35,310 | ||
| Puerto Rico | Hourly | $10.50 | $10.81 | $13.79 | $21.20 | $30.97 | $18.68 | 938,710 |
| Annual | $21,840 | $22,490 | $28,680 | $44,090 | $64,420 | $38,840 | ||
| 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 | ||
220 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Ponce, PR
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicians, All Other | $253,660 | $121.95 | 40 |
| 2 | Industrial Production Managers | $130,550 | $62.77 | 90 |
| 3 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $128,650 | $61.85 | 50 |
| 4 | Family Medicine Physicians | $128,080 | $61.58 | ** |
| 5 | Pharmacists | $107,010 | $51.45 | 150 |
| 6 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $98,070 | $47.15 | 40 |
| 7 | Industrial Engineers | $83,040 | $39.92 | 290 |
| 8 | Human Resources Managers | $82,770 | $39.79 | 50 |
| 9 | Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | $82,590 | * | 120 |
| 10 | Chief Executives | $81,730 | $39.29 | 120 |
| 11 | Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $78,990 | $37.98 | 60 |
| 12 | Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $77,970 | $37.48 | 70 |
| 13 | Financial Managers | $77,470 | $37.24 | 150 |
| 14 | Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $77,370 | * | 110 |
| 15 | Clinical and Counseling Psychologists | $76,840 | $36.94 | 40 |
| 16 | Financial and Investment Analysts | $75,640 | $36.36 | 50 |
| 17 | Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other | $75,380 | * | 30 |
| 18 | Construction Managers | $72,420 | $34.82 | 50 |
| 19 | Sales Managers | $66,190 | $31.82 | 80 |
| 20 | Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary | $65,570 | * | 70 |
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 Ponce, PR
Most concentrated occupations in Ponce, PR
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 | Helpers--Carpenters | 12.28 | 110 | 1.71 | $23,210 |
| 2 | Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education | 11.85 | 530 | 8.29 | $62,860 |
| 3 | Teachers and Instructors, All Other | 9.86 | 460 | 7.22 | $63,040 |
| 4 | Couriers and Messengers | 7.45 | 210 | 3.29 | $21,840 |
| 5 | Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | 6.52 | 400 | 6.28 | $58,140 |
| 6 | Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary | 4.89 | 230 | 3.59 | $47,150 |
| 7 | Helpers--Electricians | 4.36 | 110 | 1.78 | $27,050 |
| 8 | Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary | 4.13 | 280 | 4.36 | $45,670 |
| 9 | Industrial Machinery Mechanics | 3.88 | 700 | 10.98 | $36,440 |
| 10 | Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 3.87 | 120 | 1.88 | $41,970 |
Occupation groups in Ponce, PR
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $72,870 | $85,580 | 2,020 | 31.81 | 0.44 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $61,110 | $64,750 | 790 | 12.52 | 0.74 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $51,860 | $52,420 | 5,410 | 85.28 | 1.46 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $45,150 | $56,330 | 550 | 8.70 | 0.92 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $41,560 | $48,720 | 2,410 | 38.03 | 0.56 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $37,850 | $48,280 | 4,530 | 71.32 | 1.13 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $35,750 | $45,220 | 400 | 6.27 | 0.19 |
| Community and Social Service | $31,550 | $39,160 | 880 | 13.84 | 0.81 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $28,470 | $33,370 | 2,960 | 46.68 | 1.19 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $27,190 | $66,580 | 190 | 2.97 | 0.23 |
| Construction and Extraction | $27,130 | $30,260 | 2,450 | 38.51 | 0.93 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $26,210 | $29,860 | 9,350 | 147.27 | 1.29 |
| Production | $26,150 | $29,130 | 5,120 | 80.71 | 1.47 |
| Protective Service | $24,040 | $30,060 | 1,220 | 19.19 | 0.79 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $23,970 | $27,060 | 4,490 | 70.78 | 0.80 |
| Healthcare Support | $22,480 | $30,550 | 1,590 | 24.99 | 0.49 |
| Sales and Related | $22,340 | $26,980 | 7,970 | 125.46 | 1.45 |
| Personal Care and Service | $22,040 | $24,990 | 730 | 11.56 | 0.55 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $21,990 | $24,890 | 6,050 | 95.21 | 1.08 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $21,840 | $23,490 | 4,160 | 65.49 | 2.24 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $21,840 | $25,980 | 110 | 1.81 | 0.65 |
| Legal | * | * | 100 | 1.60 | 0.19 |
All 220 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 Ponce, PR estimates (area 38660).
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment 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 Ponce, PR 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.