Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
Across all occupations in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metropolitan area, the median wage is $52,080 a year ($25.04 an hour) and the mean $69,210, May 2025. That median is +2% against the US median of $50,980 and +6% against Michigan's $49,270. BLS counts 1,904,530 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is surgeons, all other; the largest is miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators.
All occupations: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI vs Michigan and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | Hourly | $14.90 | $18.21 | $25.04 | $39.28 | $61.28 | $33.27 | 1,904,530 |
| Annual | $30,990 | $37,880 | $52,080 | $81,700 | $127,470 | $69,210 | ||
| 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 | ||
670 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Surgeons, All Other | $561,070 | $269.75 | 160 |
| 2 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $447,750 | $215.27 | 520 |
| 3 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $428,570 | * | ** |
| 4 | Psychiatrists | $339,340 | $163.15 | 160 |
| 5 | Chief Executives | $304,110 | $146.21 | 2,070 |
| 6 | Dermatologists | $269,110 | $129.38 | ** |
| 7 | Nurse Anesthetists | $243,130 | $116.89 | 1,170 |
| 8 | Pediatricians, General | $218,000 | $104.81 | 730 |
| 9 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $209,550 | $100.75 | 550 |
| 10 | Physicists | $199,170 | $95.76 | 140 |
| 11 | Family Medicine Physicians | $181,990 | $87.50 | 1,940 |
| 12 | Air Traffic Controllers | $178,310 | $85.73 | 180 |
| 13 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Michigan | $170,040 | $81.75 | 7,980 |
| 14 | Podiatrists | $168,940 | $81.22 | 220 |
| 15 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $168,550 | $81.03 | 9,260 |
| 16 | Dentists, General | $167,860 | $80.70 | 1,700 |
| 17 | Purchasing Managers | $163,660 | $78.68 | 1,490 |
| 18 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $162,490 | $78.12 | 330 |
| 19 | Financial Managers in Michigan | $160,240 | $77.04 | 11,670 |
| 20 | Sales Managers in Michigan | $155,560 | $74.79 | 8,760 |
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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
Most concentrated occupations in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, 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 | Model Makers, Metal and Plastic | 15.17 | 490 | 0.26 | $81,110 |
| 2 | Engine and Other Machine Assemblers | 7.99 | 3,330 | 1.75 | $64,820 |
| 3 | Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 7.09 | 3,140 | 1.65 | $69,490 |
| 4 | Tool and Die Makers | 7.03 | 4,900 | 2.58 | $73,120 |
| 5 | Mechanical Engineers | 6.19 | 22,500 | 11.81 | $109,470 |
| 6 | Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 5.56 | 11,650 | 6.12 | $50,460 |
| 7 | Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic | 5.42 | 100 | 0.05 | $48,790 |
| 8 | Commercial and Industrial Designers | 4.29 | 1,760 | 0.92 | $108,180 |
| 9 | Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 4.07 | 1,620 | 0.85 | $37,820 |
| 10 | Industrial Engineers | 3.87 | 17,350 | 9.11 | $104,110 |
Occupation groups in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $127,690 | $140,750 | 135,860 | 71.34 | 1.00 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $104,070 | $109,470 | 63,520 | 33.35 | 0.99 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $103,080 | $106,430 | 75,860 | 39.83 | 2.37 |
| Legal | $102,180 | $120,100 | 16,930 | 8.89 | 1.06 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $84,090 | $102,150 | 126,920 | 66.64 | 1.05 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $81,610 | $87,420 | 10,620 | 5.58 | 0.59 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $81,540 | $91,040 | 127,330 | 66.85 | 0.99 |
| Construction and Extraction | $63,450 | $68,770 | 66,210 | 34.76 | 0.84 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $60,910 | $70,010 | 22,340 | 11.73 | 0.89 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $60,810 | $64,360 | 84,910 | 44.58 | 0.76 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $60,310 | $63,060 | 74,840 | 39.29 | 1.00 |
| Community and Social Service | $57,000 | $60,150 | 27,740 | 14.57 | 0.85 |
| Protective Service | $53,970 | $59,170 | 36,520 | 19.17 | 0.79 |
| Production | $48,490 | $55,180 | 167,920 | 88.17 | 1.60 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $47,280 | $50,920 | 208,230 | 109.33 | 0.96 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $44,200 | $51,200 | 164,950 | 86.61 | 0.98 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $38,680 | $41,860 | 1,730 | 0.91 | 0.33 |
| Sales and Related | $37,710 | $55,100 | 158,280 | 83.11 | 0.96 |
| Healthcare Support | $37,670 | $39,500 | 93,940 | 49.33 | 0.97 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $37,410 | $39,880 | 51,170 | 26.87 | 0.92 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $34,700 | $37,550 | 153,140 | 80.41 | 0.91 |
| Personal Care and Service | $34,090 | $39,380 | 35,580 | 18.68 | 0.89 |
Every occupation in Michigan, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 670 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI estimates (area 19820).
*- 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, 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.