Traverse City, MI
Across all occupations in the Traverse City, MI metropolitan area, the median wage is $47,470 a year ($22.82 an hour) and the mean $58,850, May 2025. That median is −7% against the US median of $50,980 and −4% against Michigan's $49,270. BLS counts 68,440 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is physicians, all other; the largest is retail salespersons.
All occupations: Traverse City, MI vs Michigan and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Traverse City, MI | Hourly | $14.40 | $17.70 | $22.82 | $31.90 | $46.58 | $28.29 | 68,440 |
| Annual | $29,950 | $36,820 | $47,470 | $66,350 | $96,880 | $58,850 | ||
| 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 | ||
293 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 Traverse City, MI
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicians, All Other | $280,490 | $134.85 | 110 |
| 2 | Chief Executives | $248,510 | $119.47 | 60 |
| 3 | Dentists, General | $171,740 | $82.57 | 80 |
| 4 | Family Medicine Physicians | $168,080 | $80.81 | 60 |
| 5 | Pharmacists | $143,050 | $68.77 | 150 |
| 6 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Michigan | $141,450 | $68.01 | 100 |
| 7 | Marketing Managers | $137,590 | $66.15 | 60 |
| 8 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $136,170 | $65.47 | 70 |
| 9 | Physician Assistants | $134,180 | $64.51 | 170 |
| 10 | Veterinarians | $124,330 | $59.78 | 30 |
| 11 | Nurse Practitioners | $123,910 | $59.57 | 120 |
| 12 | Financial Managers in Michigan | $119,810 | $57.60 | 310 |
| 13 | Optometrists | $118,030 | $56.75 | 40 |
| 14 | Managers, All Other in Michigan | $110,070 | $52.92 | 80 |
| 15 | Human Resources Managers | $109,140 | $52.47 | 70 |
| 16 | Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $108,970 | $52.39 | 60 |
| 17 | Lawyers in Michigan | $107,460 | $51.67 | 190 |
| 18 | Medical and Health Services Managers | $104,610 | $50.29 | 260 |
| 19 | Industrial Production Managers | $104,390 | $50.19 | 150 |
| 20 | Sales Managers in Michigan | $104,090 | $50.04 | 240 |
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 Traverse City, MI
Most concentrated occupations in Traverse 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 | Roustabouts, Oil and Gas | 4.81 | 100 | 1.39 | $51,720 |
| 2 | Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 4.66 | 120 | 1.80 | $46,870 |
| 3 | Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors | 4.02 | 260 | 3.80 | $49,450 |
| 4 | Food Batchmakers | 3.09 | 240 | 3.47 | $45,610 |
| 5 | Sewing Machine Operators | 2.90 | 130 | 1.96 | $37,900 |
| 6 | Physical Therapist Assistants | 2.65 | 130 | 1.91 | $61,290 |
| 7 | Bakers | 2.64 | 270 | 4.01 | $36,090 |
| 8 | Highway Maintenance Workers | 2.62 | 180 | 2.61 | $59,220 |
| 9 | Physician Assistants | 2.31 | 170 | 2.41 | $134,180 |
| 10 | Billing and Posting Clerks | 2.27 | 400 | 5.91 | $45,790 |
Occupation groups in Traverse City, MI
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $96,600 | $111,870 | 4,340 | 63.37 | 0.89 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $83,690 | $102,250 | 5,580 | 81.48 | 1.29 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $81,740 | $87,040 | 830 | 12.10 | 0.72 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $78,630 | $82,480 | 860 | 12.63 | 0.37 |
| Legal | $78,310 | $103,510 | 370 | 5.45 | 0.65 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $71,150 | $75,650 | 430 | 6.26 | 0.66 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $66,570 | $75,570 | 3,290 | 48.08 | 0.71 |
| Construction and Extraction | $59,030 | $59,770 | 3,970 | 58.03 | 1.40 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $56,960 | $59,110 | 2,740 | 40.10 | 1.02 |
| Community and Social Service | $55,260 | $58,250 | 1,070 | 15.57 | 0.91 |
| Protective Service | $51,460 | $55,360 | 1,310 | 19.09 | 0.79 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $50,320 | $56,770 | 2,880 | 42.14 | 0.72 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $50,210 | $58,090 | 700 | 10.17 | 0.77 |
| Production | $45,610 | $48,420 | 3,860 | 56.45 | 1.02 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $44,780 | $47,320 | 9,000 | 131.57 | 1.15 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $43,760 | $46,490 | 5,280 | 77.08 | 0.88 |
| Healthcare Support | $41,900 | $42,530 | 3,090 | 45.12 | 0.89 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $38,270 | $42,240 | 230 | 3.36 | 1.20 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $38,220 | $40,340 | 2,470 | 36.10 | 1.23 |
| Sales and Related | $36,380 | $46,050 | 6,890 | 100.72 | 1.17 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $35,360 | $38,270 | 7,850 | 114.70 | 1.30 |
| Personal Care and Service | $35,040 | $38,560 | 1,400 | 20.42 | 0.98 |
Every occupation in Michigan, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 293 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 Traverse City, MI estimates (area 45900).
*- 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 Traverse 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.