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Michigan's median wage remains unchanged
April 04, 2019
April 4, 2019
2018 median wage ranked 24th nationally
Michigan’s median wage measured $18.08 per hour in 2018, according to data released today by the Department of Technology, Management and Budget. The state’s median wage ranked 24th nationally, unchanged from 2017, and remained below the national median ($18.58). Occupational employment in Michigan reached 4,317,800 in 2018 and ranked 10th nationally.
“These employment and wage estimates would not be possible without the help of the nearly 11,000 Michigan businesses that take the time to participate in the survey each year,” said Jason Palmer, director of the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic initiatives. “Thanks to our business partners, we have employment and wage data for nearly 800 detailed job titles, providing vital information to all Michigan residents.”
Among the 22 major occupational groups, Management occupations had the highest median wage at $48.90, more than two-and-one-half times the statewide median wage. Architecture and engineering occupations was the second highest paying major group with a median wage of $38.88. This major group had more employment concentration in Michigan than in any other state, led by Mechanical engineers and Industrial engineers. The lowest paying major group was food preparation and serving related occupations at $10.09, which remained the fourth largest group by employment in Michigan with 392,990 jobs.
Office and administrative support occupations was the largest major group in Michigan with 612,950 jobs. The second largest major group was Production occupations with 472,680 jobs, representing nearly 11 percent of statewide employment. Michigan ranked fourth among all states in employment concentration in Production occupations, reflecting the continued importance of these jobs in our labor market.
The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had the highest median wage among all Michigan regions at $19.90, overtaking the Detroit MSA ($19.52) which held the spot in 2017. The Bay City MSA ($15.49) had the lowest median wage among MSAs while the Northeast Lower Peninsula ($14.56) was the lowest among nonmetropolitan areas. Of the 18 areas in Michigan, six reported wages above the statewide median and 12 had wages below the median.
Each year, the Department of Technology, Management and Budget partners with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program. This federal-state cooperative program surveys approximately 400,000 nonfarm establishments nationwide, including 11,000 in Michigan to collect employment and wage information for over 800 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) job titles.