Quick answer: The Grand Rapids metro employs about 10,880 general and operations managers (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state contractor licensing board if you intend to contract.
Compare business and management programs enrolling now:
Licensing
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Management is not a licensed occupation and no board issues a permit to run a business. What is licensed is the trade underneath a contracting firm, and those rules differ substantially between states. On the academic side the recognized programmatic accreditors are AACSB, ACBSP and IACBE.
See the Michigan licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state contractor licensing board if you intend to contract.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools
within 47 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
10 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
What General and Operations Managers Earn in Grand Rapids
General and Operations Managers in the Grand Rapids area earn a median $101,720 per year, below the national median of $105,770 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Business and Management Pay in Grand Rapids, MI
Metric
Grand Rapids metro
Michigan
National
Median annual wage
$101,720
$99,530
$105,770
10th percentile
$51,640
$49,380
$50,090
25th percentile
$67,530
$65,000
$72,320
75th percentile
$156,310
$155,330
$167,280
90th percentile
$219,060
$222,810
$253,390
Employment
10,880
85,860
3,503,020
Location quotient
0.81
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Grand Rapids median of $101,720 is below the national median of $105,770, and above the Michigan statewide median of $99,530 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 0.81 means general and operations managers are less concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Management roles follow the local employer base rather than any one industry, which is why this occupation has a published wage in almost every metro in the country.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do general and operations managers make in Grand Rapids?
The median annual wage for general and operations managers in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area is $101,720, below the national median of $105,770 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many general and operations managers work in the Grand Rapids area?
The Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area employs about 10,880 general and operations managers (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do general and operations managers in Grand Rapids need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Management is not a licensed occupation and no board issues a permit to run a business. What is licensed is the trade underneath a contracting firm, and those rules differ substantially between states. On the academic side the recognized programmatic accreditors are AACSB, ACBSP and IACBE. Confirm current requirements with your state contractor licensing board if you intend to contract.
Can I study business and management online from Grand Rapids?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state contractor licensing board if you intend to contract.
Is Grand Rapids a better market than the rest of Michigan?
The Grand Rapids metro median is $101,720 against a statewide median of $99,530 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - General and Operations Managers (SOC 11-1021), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
