State salary profile · Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Salaries

Largest Puerto Rico OEWS employment footprints with published wages, from BLS May 2025. Published local OEWS areas include Aguadilla, PR, Arecibo, PR, Guayama, PR, Mayaguez, PR, Ponce, PR, Puerto Rico nonmetropolitan area, then San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR.

$99,380
Mean of top 50 medians
553
Occupations
7
Local wage areas
34,760
Estimated jobs (top tier)

The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians in Puerto Rico is $99,380.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, The May 2025 release has a published median for 553 occupations in Puerto Rico; percentile boundaries and local-area rows are available only where BLS publishes them. The highest-paying reported occupation, Physicians, All Other, earns $172,230, versus $21,840 for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors at the bottom of the range. Detail is available for 6 metro areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area. Published local OEWS areas include Aguadilla, PR, Arecibo, PR, Guayama, PR, Mayaguez, PR, Ponce, PR, Puerto Rico nonmetropolitan area, then San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR.

Puerto Rico · employment ≠ wage

In Puerto Rico, Retail Salespersons lead by published employment (41,230 jobs, #1 of 524) but rank #476 of 524 on median wage ($22,560), while Physicians, All Other top the wage list at $172,230 (#1 of 524) with 930 jobs (#177 of 524). The largest payroll is not the highest published median.

41,230
Retail Salespersons employment #1
$172,230
Physicians wage #1
#177
Employment rank of wage leader
#476
Wage rank of employment leader

Employment is OEWS tot_emp inside this state; pay is the occupation median. Same detailed-occupation pool, two rankings.

Employment of Puerto Rico's #1 occupations by headcount vs median wage

Same unit (published jobs) for both named leaders. BLS OEWS May 2025.

jobs

What this shows Retail Salespersons lead Puerto Rico by employment; Physicians, All Other lead on median wage at $172,230.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

Puerto Rico, the picture in one line

Puerto Rico ranks #54 of 54 states and territories by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage; its highest published occupation median is Physicians, All Other at $172,230. Published local OEWS areas include Aguadilla, PR, Arecibo, PR, Guayama, PR, Mayaguez, PR, Ponce, PR, Puerto Rico nonmetropolitan area, then San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR.

#54
of 54 states by published mean wage
$172,230
top-paying: Physicians, All Other
0th
percentile among all states
Aguadilla, PR
local OEWS: Aguadilla, PR and Arecibo, PR

The state rank uses BLS's All Occupations mean. Occupation rows below use occupation-specific medians; the two statistics are not interchangeable. Start local checks in Aguadilla, PR.

Largest published OEWS footprints in Puerto Rico

Managers, All Other and Financial Managers lead Puerto Rico's published employment inside this top-pay sample, order follows OEWS job counts, not median wage.

  1. 1. Managers, All Other 5,550 jobs · $82,250
  2. 2. Financial Managers 3,800 jobs · $90,660
  3. 3. Industrial Engineers 2,750 jobs · $81,820
  4. 4. Chief Executives 2,690 jobs · $97,510
  5. 5. Pharmacists 2,220 jobs · $111,270
  6. 6. Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary 1,480 jobs · $85,320
  7. 7. Computer and Information Systems Managers 1,370 jobs · $99,780
  8. 8. Medical and Health Services Managers 1,180 jobs · $82,580
  9. 9. Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary 1,160 jobs · $80,130
  10. 10. Industrial Production Managers 1,050 jobs · $129,740
  11. 11. Family Medicine Physicians 1,050 jobs · $112,990
  12. 12. Pediatricians, General 1,020 jobs · $98,350
  13. 13. Physicians, All Other 930 jobs · $172,230
  14. 14. Education Administrators, Postsecondary 910 jobs · $80,410
  15. 15. Engineers, All Other 890 jobs · $81,370
  16. 16. Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers 820 jobs · $83,560
  17. 17. School Psychologists 810 jobs · $97,210
  18. 18. Architectural and Engineering Managers 770 jobs · $130,560
  19. 19. Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary 430 jobs · $83,150
  20. 20. Computer Hardware Engineers 370 jobs · $85,660

Local BLS wage areas inside Puerto Rico

Published local OEWS areas include Aguadilla, PR, Arecibo, PR, Guayama, PR, Mayaguez, PR, Ponce, PR, Puerto Rico nonmetropolitan area, then San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR.

Aguadilla, PR Arecibo, PR Guayama, PR Mayaguez, PR Ponce, PR Puerto Rico nonmetropolitan area San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR

Observed statewide pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2024–2025

May 2024 → May 2025
  • BLS's published All Occupations median in Puerto Rico moved from $27,030 in May 2024 to $28,680 in May 2025 (+6.1%).
  • Across the 54 states and territories priced in both releases, the median place changed +2.7%.
  • Puerto Rico sits +3.4 pp ahead of that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Registered Nurses shows the widest statewide vs national median gap in Puerto Rico

Registered Nurses publishes $39,880 here versus $97,550 nationally (-59.1%; 21,270statewide jobs). Next is Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers at $25,510 locally versus $58,640 nationally (-56.5%).

  1. Registered Nurses$39,880 in Puerto Rico sits 59.1% below the national Registered Nurses median of $97,550 (21,270 published local jobs).
  2. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers$25,510 in Puerto Rico sits 56.5% below the national Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers median of $58,640 (10,480 published local jobs).
  3. Maintenance and Repair Workers, General$23,220 in Puerto Rico sits 53.2% below the national Maintenance and Repair Workers, General median of $49,590 (12,560 published local jobs).
  4. First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers$37,860 in Puerto Rico sits 52.6% below the national First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers median of $79,920 (5,100 published local jobs).

Registered Nurses and the other occupations above are descriptive OEWS endpoints for Puerto Rico; they are not findings about taxes, employers, or worker experience.

· Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

The Puerto Rico OEWS table has a published median for 553 occupations. The displayed top 50 rows have summed published employment of approximately 34,760; that sum does not include the bottom table or rows whose employment is suppressed. BLS publishes means and percentile boundaries only where the corresponding estimate meets its publication standards. Averaging the medians of the top 50 highest-paying occupations gives $99,380 per year. That is only a mean of the displayed upper-tier occupation medians; it is not the BLS All Occupations mean or median and does not describe a typical worker. Published local OEWS areas include Aguadilla, PR, Arecibo, PR, Guayama, PR, Mayaguez, PR, Ponce, PR, Puerto Rico nonmetropolitan area, then San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR. Local OEWS areas in this extract include Aguadilla, PR, Arecibo, PR, Guayama, PR, Mayaguez, PR, Ponce, PR, Puerto Rico nonmetropolitan area, San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR.

At the top of the ranking, Physicians, All Other pays a Puerto Rico median of $172,230, the highest-paying reported occupation in the state. The number-two spot goes to Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers at $167,050, followed by General Internal Medicine Physicians at $133,120. At the bottom of the published range, Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors has a median of $21,840, making the displayed endpoint ratio 7.9×. The endpoints do not establish a cause or career stage. WageDex has BLS occupation rows for 6 metro areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area assigned to Puerto Rico, allowing comparisons below the statewide estimate without treating nonmetropolitan areas as MSAs.

The employment-ordered lead of Managers, All Other / Financial Managers is the Puerto Rico mix signal in this sample; the salary-ordered top of Physicians, All Other answers a different question. Neither row identifies why pay differs, open the occupation page for percentiles and local-area cells BLS actually releases.

Top-Tier Sample

75

occupations shown below

Avg. Median Salary

$99,380

top 50 occupations

Top Salary

$172,230

Physicians, All Other

Where Puerto Rico ranks by published mean wage

BLS All Occupations annual mean vs. 54 states & territories; local OEWS includes Aguadilla, PR and Arecibo, PR, Guayama, PR

$38,840 Bottom 1% higher than 0% of 54 states & territories

$0–$5,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1 states & territories (2%). This entry sits in this band. $40,000–$45,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Above this entry. $55,000–$60,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $60,000–$65,000: 16 states & territories (30%). Above this entry. $65,000–$70,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Above this entry. $75,000–$80,000: 4 states & territories (7%). Above this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Above this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. $90,000–$95,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. This state $0 $115,000 every state & territory, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$5,000 0 states & territories 0%
$5,000–$10,000 0 states & territories 0%
$10,000–$15,000 0 states & territories 0%
$15,000–$20,000 0 states & territories 0%
$20,000–$25,000 0 states & territories 0%
$25,000–$30,000 0 states & territories 0%
$30,000–$35,000 0 states & territories 0%
$35,000–$40,000 (this entry) 1 states & territories 2%
$40,000–$45,000 0 states & territories 0%
$45,000–$50,000 1 states & territories 2%
$50,000–$55,000 3 states & territories 6%
$55,000–$60,000 8 states & territories 15%
$60,000–$65,000 16 states & territories 30%
$65,000–$70,000 8 states & territories 15%
$70,000–$75,000 8 states & territories 15%
$75,000–$80,000 4 states & territories 7%
$80,000–$85,000 3 states & territories 6%
$85,000–$90,000 1 states & territories 2%
$90,000–$95,000 0 states & territories 0%
$95,000–$100,000 0 states & territories 0%
$100,000–$105,000 0 states & territories 0%
$105,000–$110,000 0 states & territories 0%
$110,000–$115,000 1 states & territories 2%

$38,840 · 0th percentile of 54 states & territories

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Puerto Rico ranks #54 of 54 by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage ($38,840). It is not the median wage or a prediction for a particular worker.

Largest OEWS footprints in Puerto Rico

Published employment among the top-pay sample, top 15 by jobs

jobs
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

BLS publishes wage data for 553 distinct occupations in Puerto Rico. The table below shows the top 50 by median annual wage, reordered by published employment for this reading. Drill into the full top-100 ranking or the fastest-growing list for deeper coverage.

Top-pay occupations in Puerto Rico, by employment

View all 100 →

Same top-pay sample as the salary ranking, sorted by published Puerto Rico jobs so the title sequence follows the local OEWS mix.

# Occupation Median Salary
1 Managers, All Other $82,250
2 Financial Managers $90,660
3 Industrial Engineers $81,820
4 Chief Executives $97,510
5 Pharmacists $111,270
6 Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary $85,320
7 Computer and Information Systems Managers $99,780
8 Medical and Health Services Managers $82,580
9 Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary $80,130
10 Industrial Production Managers $129,740
11 Family Medicine Physicians $112,990
12 Pediatricians, General $98,350
13 Physicians, All Other $172,230
14 Education Administrators, Postsecondary $80,410
15 Engineers, All Other $81,370
16 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $83,560
17 School Psychologists $97,210
18 Architectural and Engineering Managers $130,560
19 Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary $83,150
20 Computer Hardware Engineers $85,660
21 Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary $84,590
22 Optometrists $132,790
23 Purchasing Managers $89,600
24 Education Administrators, All Other $105,580
25 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $167,050
26 Veterinarians $89,810
27 Electronics Engineers, Except Computer $81,790
28 Dentists, General $107,560
29 Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary $81,050
30 Training and Development Managers $94,310
31 Air Traffic Controllers $125,780
32 Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other $83,350
33 Data Scientists $80,350
34 Natural Sciences Managers $119,430
35 Postmasters and Mail Superintendents $101,580
36 Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary $85,850
37 Physics Teachers, Postsecondary $83,830
38 Obstetricians and Gynecologists $131,890
39 Physical Scientists, All Other $97,150
40 Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary $84,090
41 Commercial Pilots $81,070
42 Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other $108,890
43 Database Architects $95,620
44 Communications Teachers, Postsecondary $82,880
45 Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers $80,210
46 General Internal Medicine Physicians $133,120
47 Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers $88,530
48 Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary $80,500
49 Compensation and Benefits Managers $97,500
50 Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary $126,700

Lowest Paying Jobs in Puerto Rico

Occupation Median Salary
Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors $21,840
Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators $21,840
Packers and Packagers, Hand $21,840
Parking Attendants $21,840
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing $21,840
Sewers, Hand $21,840
Sewing Machine Operators $21,840
Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other $21,840
Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers $21,840
Highway Maintenance Workers $21,840
Communications Equipment Operators, All Other $21,840
Personal Care and Service Workers, All Other $21,840
Baggage Porters and Bellhops $21,840
Funeral Attendants $21,840
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers $21,840
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant $21,840
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers $21,840
Security Guards $21,840
Home Health and Personal Care Aides $21,840
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment $21,890
Hoist and Winch Operators $21,890
Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs $21,890
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $21,890
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers $21,910
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse $21,960

Fastest Growing Jobs

View all 50 →

See national growth projections alongside the published OEWS state employment estimates for each occupation in Puerto Rico. Based on BLS employment projections 2024-2034.

Metro and Nonmetropolitan Wage Areas in Puerto Rico

Aguadilla, PR Arecibo, PR Guayama, PR Mayaguez, PR Ponce, PR Puerto Rico nonmetropolitan area San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR

Salary Guides

Best States for Salaries

Which states pay the most and why

Salary vs. Cost of Living

Compare local wage and price-level benchmarks

Fastest Growing Occupations

Where the job growth is heading

Nationwide states with similar All Occupations pay or employment scale

Two BLS OEWS peer sets outside Puerto Rico. Local metro cards below stay inside this state; these neighborhoods are cross-state nearest neighbors on published All Occupations mean wage ($38,840 here) and reported employment (938,710 jobs here).

Similar mean wage

Nearest other states by BLS All Occupations annual mean wage.

Similar employment scale

Nearest headcount peers (floor 250,000 All Occupations jobs), distinct from the mean-wage column.

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS All Occupations mean annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude states already listed in the mean-wage column so the two link sets stay distinct.

Local OEWS areas and related Puerto Rico pages

Published local OEWS areas include Aguadilla, PR, Arecibo, PR, Guayama, PR, Mayaguez, PR, Ponce, PR, Puerto Rico nonmetropolitan area, then San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR.

Aguadilla, PR

Local OEWS wage area

Arecibo, PR

Local OEWS wage area

Guayama, PR

Local OEWS wage area

Mayaguez, PR

Local OEWS wage area

Ponce, PR

Local OEWS wage area

Puerto Rico nonmetropolitan area

Local OEWS wage area

Highest Paying in Puerto Rico

Top 100 by median salary

Fastest Growing in Puerto Rico

Projected 2024-2034 growth

Physicians, All Other

National occupation profile

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average of the top 50 occupation medians in Puerto Rico? ▼
The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians is $99,380/year (BLS OEWS May 2025). It is not the statewide mean or median and does not describe the wage of a typical worker.
What is the average salary in Puerto Rico? ▼
BLS publishes an All Occupations annual mean wage of $38,840/year for Puerto Rico in the May 2025 OEWS release, which ranks 54th among the 54 states and territories with a published mean. Published local OEWS areas include Aguadilla, PR, Arecibo, PR, Guayama, PR, Mayaguez, PR, Ponce, PR, Puerto Rico nonmetropolitan area, then San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR. This is an occupational wage estimate, not a household-income statistic or a prediction for one worker.
What is the highest paying job in Puerto Rico? ▼
The highest paying occupation in Puerto Rico is Physicians, All Other with a median salary of $172,230/year according to BLS data. The second highest is Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers at $167,050/year.
What jobs pay the least in Puerto Rico? ▼
The lowest published occupation median in this Puerto Rico ranking is Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors at $21,840/year. The table does not classify that occupation as entry-level or explain why its median is lowest.
How many local BLS wage areas are shown for Puerto Rico? ▼
WageDex has occupation-level wage rows for 6 metro areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area assigned to Puerto Rico. Published local OEWS areas include Aguadilla, PR, Arecibo, PR, Guayama, PR, Mayaguez, PR, Ponce, PR, Puerto Rico nonmetropolitan area, then San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR. Nonmetropolitan reporting areas are not MSAs. Compare the same occupation and statistic across areas; published coverage can differ by occupation and geography.
How many occupations are shown for Puerto Rico? ▼
BLS publishes wage data for 553 distinct occupations in Puerto Rico. The 50 occupations in the displayed upper tier have a combined OEWS employment estimate of approximately 34,760 jobs in covered establishments.

Federal sources behind Puerto Rico wages

BLS OEWS state wage tables → BLS QCEW state series → BLS LAUS unemployment → BEA personal income by state →

What to do with this data

How to use Puerto Rico wage data in a real decision

  • Managers, All Other anchors the largest published OEWS footprint in Puerto Rico, ahead of Financial Managers; hold that mix next to Aguadilla, PR and Arecibo, PR when the pay table alone does not describe the local mix. Managers, All Other
  • Inside Puerto Rico, re-check Physicians, All Other in Aguadilla, PR, Arecibo, PR, Guayama, PR, Mayaguez, PR or Ponce, PR before treating the statewide median as a metro offer. Aguadilla, PR
  • Open Physicians, All Other for percentile bands and local-area rows; Puerto Rico's statewide median of $172,230 uses a different geography than any single metro estimate. Physicians, All Other
  • The published Puerto Rico range runs from Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors at $21,840 to Physicians, All Other at $172,230; an offer still depends on the exact role and employer. Salary calculator

BLS OEWS estimates reflect the May 2025 reference period and exclude self-employed workers; some small occupation-area cells are suppressed.

Last updated: May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

State-level employment totals and local-area breakouts from BLS OEWS State and Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2025. Local areas can be metropolitan or nonmetropolitan.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. State wage figures are computed directly from BLS OEWS state-level data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Statewide figures are estimates and may not reflect pay in your specific local wage area or employer.