Ann Arbor, MI
Across all occupations in the Ann Arbor, MI metropolitan area, the median wage is $55,380 a year ($26.63 an hour) and the mean $73,520, May 2025. That median is +9% against the US median of $50,980 and +12% against Michigan's $49,270. BLS counts 219,730 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is physicians, all other; the largest is teaching assistants, postsecondary.
All occupations: Ann Arbor, MI vs Michigan and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Ann Arbor, MI | Hourly | $16.24 | $18.38 | $26.63 | $41.92 | $65.06 | $35.35 | 219,730 |
| Annual | $33,790 | $38,230 | $55,380 | $87,200 | $135,330 | $73,520 | ||
| 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 | ||
434 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 Ann Arbor, MI
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicians, All Other | $359,800 | $172.98 | ** |
| 2 | Chief Executives | $335,900 | $161.49 | 260 |
| 3 | Family Medicine Physicians | $214,100 | $102.94 | 160 |
| 4 | Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | $185,830 | * | 70 |
| 5 | Dentists, General | $174,870 | $84.07 | 190 |
| 6 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $171,950 | $82.67 | 670 |
| 7 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Michigan | $171,200 | $82.31 | 1,220 |
| 8 | Purchasing Managers | $168,670 | $81.09 | 130 |
| 9 | Pharmacists | $166,350 | $79.98 | 570 |
| 10 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $162,720 | $78.23 | 30 |
| 11 | Computer and Information Research Scientists | $151,110 | $72.65 | 50 |
| 12 | Sales Managers in Michigan | $148,630 | $71.46 | 650 |
| 13 | Managers, All Other in Michigan | $147,220 | $70.78 | 420 |
| 14 | Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $144,340 | $69.39 | 790 |
| 15 | Natural Sciences Managers | $144,200 | $69.33 | 210 |
| 16 | Human Resources Managers | $143,670 | $69.07 | 240 |
| 17 | Nurse Practitioners | $143,580 | $69.03 | 870 |
| 18 | Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary | $142,840 | * | 140 |
| 19 | Fundraising Managers | $141,800 | $68.17 | 180 |
| 20 | Physics Teachers, Postsecondary | $141,400 | * | 80 |
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 Ann Arbor, MI
Most concentrated occupations in Ann Arbor, 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 | Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary | 55.45 | 12,860 | 58.51 | $38,990 |
| 2 | Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 14.97 | 240 | 1.09 | $106,140 |
| 3 | Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | 12.45 | 710 | 3.22 | $140,450 |
| 4 | Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary | 8.65 | 150 | 0.70 | $87,920 |
| 5 | Commercial Pilots | 7.83 | 530 | 2.40 | $126,400 |
| 6 | Tutors | 7.38 | 1,820 | 8.30 | $37,380 |
| 7 | Library Assistants, Clerical | 6.93 | 840 | 3.81 | $34,510 |
| 8 | Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | 6.82 | 190 | 0.87 | $84,000 |
| 9 | Recreation Workers | 6.80 | 3,190 | 14.50 | $35,090 |
| 10 | Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 6.04 | 140 | 0.66 | $137,430 |
Occupation groups in Ann Arbor, MI
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $130,570 | $144,340 | 13,900 | 63.25 | 0.88 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $103,280 | $109,470 | 6,320 | 28.76 | 1.71 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $101,740 | $102,210 | 8,410 | 38.26 | 1.13 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $98,770 | $117,720 | 26,920 | 122.52 | 1.94 |
| Legal | $85,040 | $112,910 | 1,270 | 5.79 | 0.69 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $81,830 | $90,060 | 12,740 | 57.97 | 0.86 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $75,330 | $86,690 | 3,260 | 14.84 | 1.57 |
| Construction and Extraction | $63,870 | $69,370 | 4,060 | 18.46 | 0.45 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $61,580 | $64,370 | 5,980 | 27.22 | 0.70 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $60,220 | $70,180 | 3,220 | 14.66 | 1.11 |
| Protective Service | $54,200 | $59,170 | 2,460 | 11.21 | 0.46 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $51,100 | $70,270 | 29,320 | 133.43 | 2.28 |
| Community and Social Service | $49,200 | $56,080 | 5,380 | 24.48 | 1.43 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $46,160 | $48,920 | 24,210 | 110.20 | 0.97 |
| Production | $45,860 | $50,890 | 8,580 | 39.03 | 0.71 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $43,820 | $49,800 | 10,190 | 46.37 | 0.53 |
| Healthcare Support | $40,350 | $42,590 | 11,280 | 51.34 | 1.01 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $38,570 | $42,910 | 200 | 0.93 | 0.33 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $38,280 | $40,980 | 5,120 | 23.29 | 0.80 |
| Sales and Related | $36,850 | $52,050 | 14,670 | 66.75 | 0.77 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $35,490 | $38,870 | 15,070 | 68.59 | 0.78 |
| Personal Care and Service | $35,090 | $38,860 | 7,180 | 32.67 | 1.56 |
Every occupation in Michigan, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 434 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 Ann Arbor, MI estimates (area 11460).
*- 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 Ann Arbor, 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.