Bay City, MI
Across all occupations in the Bay City, MI metropolitan area, the median wage is $45,620 a year ($21.93 an hour) and the mean $57,190, May 2025. That median is −11% against the US median of $50,980 and −7% against Michigan's $49,270. BLS counts 33,810 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is chief executives; the largest is fast food and counter workers.
All occupations: Bay City, MI vs Michigan and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Bay City, MI | Hourly | $13.49 | $16.42 | $21.93 | $33.60 | $47.43 | $27.49 | 33,810 |
| Annual | $28,060 | $34,150 | $45,620 | $69,880 | $98,660 | $57,190 | ||
| 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 | ||
176 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 Bay City, MI
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chief Executives | $247,680 | $119.08 | 40 |
| 2 | Natural Sciences Managers | $204,120 | $98.13 | 50 |
| 3 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $160,560 | $77.19 | 60 |
| 4 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Michigan | $159,850 | $76.85 | 100 |
| 5 | Pharmacists | $135,330 | $65.06 | 60 |
| 6 | Chemists | $132,480 | $63.69 | 250 |
| 7 | Sales Managers in Michigan | $130,760 | $62.87 | 110 |
| 8 | Nurse Practitioners | $127,830 | $61.46 | 50 |
| 9 | Software Developers in Michigan | $124,420 | $59.82 | 90 |
| 10 | Financial Managers in Michigan | $124,130 | $59.68 | 120 |
| 11 | Managers, All Other in Michigan | $117,620 | $56.55 | 40 |
| 12 | Management Analysts in Michigan | $114,610 | $55.10 | 30 |
| 13 | Industrial Production Managers | $113,810 | $54.72 | 170 |
| 14 | Facilities Managers | $104,830 | $50.40 | 50 |
| 15 | Industrial Engineers | $102,590 | $49.32 | 160 |
| 16 | Occupational Health and Safety Specialists | $102,060 | $49.07 | 30 |
| 17 | Lawyers in Michigan | $101,540 | $48.82 | 60 |
| 18 | Electrical Engineers | $101,480 | $48.79 | 50 |
| 19 | Medical and Health Services Managers | $101,050 | $48.58 | 150 |
| 20 | Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | $100,820 | $48.47 | 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 Bay City, MI
Most concentrated occupations in Bay City, 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 | Chemists | 13.84 | 250 | 7.37 | $132,480 |
| 2 | Physical Therapist Assistants | 4.30 | 110 | 3.11 | $58,970 |
| 3 | Psychiatric Technicians | 3.82 | 130 | 3.86 | $47,780 |
| 4 | Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors | 3.24 | 350 | 10.26 | $37,620 |
| 5 | Machinists | 3.19 | 200 | 5.89 | $52,780 |
| 6 | Industrial Production Managers | 3.12 | 170 | 4.95 | $113,810 |
| 7 | Child, Family, and School Social Workers | 2.45 | 210 | 6.19 | $55,810 |
| 8 | Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 2.26 | 190 | 5.52 | $47,350 |
| 9 | Industrial Machinery Mechanics | 2.17 | 210 | 6.14 | $78,960 |
| 10 | Physical Therapists | 2.11 | 120 | 3.64 | $93,450 |
Occupation groups in Bay City, MI
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $99,850 | $116,080 | 2,140 | 63.24 | 0.88 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $97,440 | $106,250 | 570 | 16.83 | 1.78 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $82,200 | $87,770 | 2,280 | 67.40 | 1.07 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $78,920 | $87,950 | 390 | 11.42 | 0.34 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $78,710 | $92,860 | 740 | 21.99 | 1.31 |
| Legal | $77,080 | $90,530 | 130 | 3.97 | 0.47 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $66,390 | $75,000 | 1,220 | 36.05 | 0.53 |
| Construction and Extraction | $59,020 | $62,960 | 1,460 | 43.10 | 1.04 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $56,830 | $62,250 | 1,550 | 45.96 | 1.17 |
| Protective Service | $55,200 | $55,730 | 490 | 14.61 | 0.60 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $50,630 | $57,040 | 1,770 | 52.48 | 0.90 |
| Community and Social Service | $47,960 | $52,420 | 1,040 | 30.73 | 1.79 |
| Production | $47,240 | $53,920 | 2,620 | 77.51 | 1.41 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $43,030 | $45,910 | 3,660 | 108.21 | 0.95 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $42,520 | $60,490 | 320 | 9.52 | 0.72 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $37,730 | $42,370 | 2,770 | 82.01 | 0.93 |
| Healthcare Support | $36,820 | $38,100 | 2,090 | 61.69 | 1.21 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $35,780 | $38,620 | 70 | 2.17 | 0.78 |
| Sales and Related | $35,010 | $43,010 | 2,970 | 87.74 | 1.02 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $33,320 | $35,290 | 1,310 | 38.68 | 1.32 |
| Personal Care and Service | $29,630 | $35,150 | 580 | 17.27 | 0.82 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $29,070 | $34,120 | 3,630 | 107.46 | 1.22 |
Every occupation in Michigan, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 176 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 Bay City, MI estimates (area 13020).
*- 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 Bay City, 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.