June 09, 2025
The release of the 2024 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) data marked the second year this program measured total occupational employment levels in Michigan above 2019 pre-pandemic levels. However, this recovery was not equally distributed among all occupational groups.
Of the 22 major occupational groups in which jobs are classified, 15 recorded an increase in employment over the past five years. Eleven of these had median wages greater than the 2024 statewide median wage for all occupations ($23.22/hour). Major groups with the largest absolute job growth included Management occupations (+75,100); Business and financial operations occupations (+46,000); Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations (+13,800); Community and social service occupations (+13,700); and Computer and mathematical occupations (+13,600).
In 2024, seven occupational groups had not yet returned to pre-pandemic employment levels. These were primarily lower-paying occupational groups, including five that had median wages below the statewide median. From 2019 to 2024, job losses were largest in Sales and related occupations (-45,000); Office and administrative support occupations (-38,200); Production occupations (-31,000); Food preparation and serving related occupations (-27,800); and Architecture and engineering occupations (-11,400).
Higher-wage occupational groups – with 2024 median wages above the statewide level – typically had greater employment growth post-pandemic relative to lower-wage groups. From 2019 to 2024, total employment in higher-wage occupational groups rose by 180,000, while employment in lower-wage groups fell by 133,000.
However, it’s notable to mention that the pay growth of higher-wage groups still trailed that of lower-wage groups, as occurred prior to the pandemic. This is possibly due to the disproportionate impact of changes in minimum wage laws on lower-wage occupations, as well as post-pandemic labor shortages concentrated in lower-wage industries. From 2019 to 2024, the median wage growth of higher-wage occupational groups was just 18.3 percent, versus 27.2 percent for lower-wage groups.
Source: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
The composition of Michigan’s occupations generally mirrors that of the rest of the U.S. When comparing the share of total jobs of each major occupational group in Michigan to the nation, most were within one percentage point. Production occupations and Architecture and engineering occupations were the only groups to deviate from this trend, representing an outsized share of Michigan’s employment. Both are prevalent in the state’s auto manufacturing industry. Though the share of Management occupations in Michigan was consistent with that of the nation, this group exhibited exceptionally strong job growth in the state and contained the highest wages in 2024.
Production occupations in the state comprised 10.1 percent of Michigan’s jobs, exceeding the national employment share (5.7 percent) by more than four percentage points. When looking at its location quotient – the ratio of an occupation’s share of employment in Michigan to that occupation’s share of employment in the U.S. – it was 1.79, ranking fourth among all states nationally (only behind Indiana, Wisconsin, and Alabama). This indicates a high degree of employment concentration of Production occupations in Michigan compared to the nation.
Despite its relative job density, employment in Production occupations declined in Michigan by 31,000 (-6.5 percent) from 2019 to 2024, as its share of total statewide jobs fell by nearly one percentage point. In 2024, the median hourly wage for the group stood at $21.86 (below the median of $23.22 for all occupations statewide), while the group’s entry-level hourly wage - defined as the wage level where 90 percent of workers in an occupational group earn more - stood at $16.63 (compared to $14.22 statewide). Interestingly, Production occupations experienced the strongest growth in entry-level wages over this period (47.3 percent) out of all the major occupational groups.
Top Production occupations ranked by location quotient in 2024 included Model makers, metal and plastic; Tool and die makers; and Engine and other machine assemblers. These occupations strongly reflect the unique presence of the state’s auto industry. All three have median wages above the typical occupation statewide.
Location Quotient of Major Occupational Groups, 2024
Source: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Architecture and engineering occupations encompassed 2.9 percent of all Michigan jobs, versus 1.7 percent for the nation, a difference of just 1.2 percentage points. However, with a location quotient of 1.76, it ranked highest in the U.S., indicating relatively heavy employment density compared to other states.
Like Production occupations, Architecture and engineering occupations also saw statewide employment reductions from 2019 to 2024, with job counts retreating by 11,400 (-8.1 percent). In 2024, this major group contained the second-highest median wage ($46.24/hour) and entry-level wage ($26.70/hour) of all occupational groups in the state (behind Management). However, the wage growth for Architecture and engineering occupations was well below those for all occupations statewide. From 2019 to 2024, the group’s median wage grew by 15.8 percent (compared to 24.8 percent statewide), while its entry level wage advanced by just 13.9 percent (38.1 percent statewide).
Top Architecture and engineering occupations based on location quotient in 2024 included Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians; Agricultural engineers; and Mechanical engineers. All three of these detailed occupations had median wages well above the typical wage statewide.
| Major Occupational Group | Entry-level* wage growth, 2019-2024 | Entry-level* hourly wage, 2024 |
| Production Occupations | 47.3% | $16.63 |
| Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | 41.7% | $14.45 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations | 41.4% | $13.96 |
| Community and Social Service Occupations | 39.7% | $17.55 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations | 39.2% | $17.37 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations | 38.3% | $22.26 |
| All Occupations | 38.1% | $14.22 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations | 37.7% | $13.78 |
| Protective Service Occupations | 37.2% | $14.28 |
| Office and Administrative Support Occupations | 34.9% | $15.35 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations | 34.6% | $14.31 |
| Healthcare Support Occupations | 32.5% | $13.69 |
| Construction and Extraction Occupations | 32.3% | $18.65 |
| Educational Instruction and Library Occupations | 31.5% | $14.33 |
| Sales and Related Occupations | 31.2% | $12.94 |
| Business and Financial Operations Occupations | 20.5% | $21.96 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations | 19.8% | $19.86 |
| Legal Occupations | 19.5% | $22.23 |
| Computer and Mathematical Occupations | 18.8% | $23.03 |
| Personal Care and Service Occupations | 16.6% | $11.40 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations | 15.5% | $11.19 |
| Architecture and Engineering Occupations | 13.9% | $26.70 |
| Management Occupations | 12.3% | $26.97 |
*Note: Entry-level wages represent the level where 90 percent of workers in an occupational group earn more
Source: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Management occupations comprised just 6.5 percent of all Michigan employment, comparable to the nation (7.1 percent). Management occupations in Michigan had a location quotient of 0.92, ranking 28th in the U.S.
This major occupational group had the largest absolute employment growth from 2019 to 2024 (+75,100) and remained the group with the highest median ($52.41/hour) and entry-level ($26.97/hour) wages in the state. Interestingly, Management occupations logged the lowest growth in median and entry-level wages from 2019 to 2024, advancing by just 7.0 percent and 12.3 percent, respectively.
Michigan’s employment recovery since the pandemic has been extensive but not universal across occupational groups. Employment gains remain concentrated in higher-wage occupations, though wage growth among lower-wage occupations was generally higher. Despite being heavily concentrated in Michigan, Production occupations and Architecture and engineering occupations recorded job reductions post-pandemic, though each stood out for their entry-level wage growth and 2024 wage levels, respectively. Management occupations were notable for having the largest employment growth and slowest median and entry-level wage growth post-pandemic, but they had the highest median and entry-level wages of all groups in 2024.
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