Michigan’s Median Wage Ranks 26th Among States

The median wage serves as an important economic indicator that provides insight into how much money the typical or middle-income-earning worker makes per hour. In 2024, the median wage for all Michigan occupations was $23.22, an increase of 2.9 percent from the year prior ($22.57) and a 65-cent gain. Michigan ranked 26th overall in the United States, which was identical to its 2023 ranking and solidified the state’s position in the middle after seeing higher ranks in previous years.

Wages for Occupations in Five-Dollar Increments

Hourly earnings for workers can be categorized into five-dollar increments to show how many workers are in each range, making it easier to visualize which wage rates are most typically paid in Michigan. According to 2022-2024 wage range data, most occupations paid hourly earnings within the three lowest ranges: $15, $20-$25, and $25-$30. Over the past three years, segments such as $20-$25 per hour and $25-$30 per hour have shown moderate growth. This was in contrast to the decline in the under-$15-per-hour bracket. While the number of occupations paying under $15 per hour has declined for a number of years, the $20-$25 per hour segment showed a decline as well in 2024. There was marginal growth in the later brackets. Occupations paying $35-$40 per hour saw a decent bump in 2024 (+35,000), after remaining mostly stagnant the past few years, with similarly small gains in occupations paying $45-$50 and $50+ per hour.

Michigan occupational wages are on the rise as decreases in near minimum wage jobs are offset by high-wage job growth.

Number of Occupations in Five-Dollar Wage Ranges, 2022-2024

Source: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

To better understand the economic impact cities have on their surrounding areas, metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) are used to capture data from large cities and the suburbs that surround them. Michigan’s MSAs are ranked below based on median wage.

Ann Arbor was Michigan’s highest ranked MSA by median wage in 2024, and nationally it ranked as 47th highest among all 387 MSAs. Detroit, Midland, and Lansing were Michigan’s next MSAs with the greatest median wage and they were all within the top 100 of MSAs nationwide.

Ann Arbor leads Michigan MSAs with the highest median wage.

Source: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics