Auto industry recovery, growing tech scene, low cost of living. The complete 2026 Detroit pay reference for 100 occupations.
Sorted highest to lowest. Click any role for full detail.
| # | Job | Category | Median 2026 | 25th % | 75th % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CEO (Mid-Market) | Business & Management | $492,900 | $374,600 | $640,800 |
| 2 | Surgeon | Healthcare | $405,500 | $308,200 | $527,200 |
| 3 | Chief Financial Officer | Finance | $371,200 | $282,100 | $482,600 |
| 4 | Physician (MD/DO) | Healthcare | $261,500 | $198,700 | $339,900 |
| 5 | Corporate Lawyer | Legal | $222,900 | $169,400 | $289,800 |
| 6 | Investment Banker | Finance | $202,200 | $153,700 | $262,900 |
| 7 | Dentist | Healthcare | $192,100 | $146,000 | $249,700 |
| 8 | AI Engineer | Technology | $191,200 | $145,300 | $248,600 |
| 9 | Machine Learning Engineer | Technology | $174,900 | $132,900 | $227,400 |
| 10 | Senior Software Engineer | Technology | $170,900 | $129,900 | $222,100 |
| 11 | Site Reliability Engineer | Technology | $164,800 | $125,200 | $214,200 |
| 12 | IT Manager | Technology | $160,700 | $122,100 | $208,900 |
| 13 | Controller | Finance | $157,600 | $119,800 | $204,900 |
| 14 | Judge / Magistrate | Legal | $157,600 | $119,800 | $204,900 |
| 15 | Management Consultant | Business & Management | $156,100 | $118,600 | $202,900 |
| 16 | Product Manager | Technology | $154,600 | $117,500 | $201,000 |
| 17 | Lawyer / Attorney | Legal | $153,500 | $116,600 | $199,500 |
| 18 | Petroleum Engineer | Engineering | $152,000 | $115,500 | $197,600 |
| 19 | Sales Engineer | Sales | $152,000 | $115,500 | $197,600 |
| 20 | Data Scientist | Technology | $150,500 | $114,400 | $195,700 |
| 21 | Marketing Manager | Business & Management | $148,900 | $113,200 | $193,600 |
| 22 | Pharmacist | Healthcare | $147,300 | $111,900 | $191,500 |
| 23 | Account Executive (SaaS) | Sales | $145,800 | $110,800 | $189,600 |
| 24 | Data Engineer | Technology | $144,400 | $109,800 | $187,700 |
| 25 | Cloud Engineer (AWS/Azure) | Technology | $144,400 | $109,800 | $187,700 |
| 26 | Sales Manager | Business & Management | $141,700 | $107,700 | $184,200 |
| 27 | DevOps Engineer | Technology | $140,300 | $106,700 | $182,500 |
| 28 | Physician Assistant (PA) | Healthcare | $138,700 | $105,400 | $180,400 |
| 29 | Nurse Practitioner (NP) | Healthcare | $136,600 | $103,800 | $177,600 |
| 30 | HR Manager | Business & Management | $135,600 | $103,000 | $176,200 |
| 31 | Aerospace Engineer | Engineering | $135,600 | $103,000 | $176,200 |
| 32 | Software Engineer | Technology | $134,200 | $102,000 | $174,500 |
| 33 | Mobile Developer (iOS/Android) | Technology | $134,200 | $102,000 | $174,500 |
| 34 | Actuary | Finance | $132,700 | $100,900 | $172,500 |
| 35 | Backend Developer | Technology | $132,200 | $100,500 | $171,900 |
| 36 | Cybersecurity Analyst | Technology | $130,200 | $98,900 | $169,200 |
| 37 | Veterinarian | Healthcare | $130,200 | $99,000 | $169,300 |
| 38 | Full-Stack Developer | Technology | $127,100 | $96,600 | $165,300 |
| 39 | General Manager | Business & Management | $125,300 | $95,200 | $162,900 |
| 40 | Chemical Engineer | Engineering | $121,200 | $92,100 | $157,500 |
| 41 | Frontend Developer | Technology | $120,000 | $91,200 | $156,000 |
| 42 | Construction Manager | Skilled Trades | $115,300 | $87,600 | $149,800 |
| 43 | Electrical Engineer | Engineering | $115,000 | $87,400 | $149,500 |
| 44 | Database Administrator (DBA) | Technology | $113,900 | $86,600 | $148,100 |
| 45 | College Professor | Education | $113,100 | $85,900 | $147,000 |
| 46 | School Principal | Education | $113,100 | $85,900 | $147,000 |
| 47 | Operations Manager | Business & Management | $110,900 | $84,300 | $144,200 |
| 48 | Supply Chain Manager | Business & Management | $110,900 | $84,300 | $144,200 |
| 49 | Art Director | Creative & Media | $109,800 | $83,500 | $142,800 |
| 50 | Physical Therapist | Healthcare | $108,900 | $82,700 | $141,500 |
| 51 | Financial Analyst | Finance | $108,900 | $82,700 | $141,500 |
| 52 | Project Manager (PMP) | Business & Management | $107,800 | $82,000 | $140,200 |
| 53 | Mechanical Engineer | Engineering | $107,800 | $81,900 | $140,100 |
| 54 | Biomedical Engineer | Engineering | $107,800 | $82,000 | $140,200 |
| 55 | UX / Product Designer | Technology | $106,800 | $81,200 | $138,800 |
| 56 | Civil Engineer | Engineering | $104,700 | $79,600 | $136,200 |
| 57 | Data Analyst | Technology | $103,700 | $78,800 | $134,900 |
| 58 | Industrial Engineer | Engineering | $103,600 | $78,700 | $134,600 |
| 59 | Occupational Therapist | Healthcare | $102,500 | $77,900 | $133,200 |
| 60 | Financial Advisor | Finance | $101,600 | $77,200 | $132,100 |
| 61 | QA / Test Engineer | Technology | $99,700 | $75,700 | $129,600 |
| 62 | Business Analyst | Business & Management | $97,600 | $74,100 | $126,800 |
| 63 | Dental Hygienist | Healthcare | $93,900 | $71,400 | $122,100 |
| 64 | Registered Nurse (RN) | Healthcare | $91,800 | $69,800 | $119,300 |
| 65 | Insurance Underwriter | Finance | $91,300 | $69,400 | $118,600 |
| 66 | Animator | Creative & Media | $89,500 | $68,000 | $116,300 |
| 67 | Tax Accountant | Finance | $89,200 | $67,800 | $115,900 |
| 68 | Credit Analyst | Finance | $87,100 | $66,200 | $113,200 |
| 69 | Accountant / CPA | Finance | $85,000 | $64,600 | $110,500 |
| 70 | Respiratory Therapist | Healthcare | $83,200 | $63,300 | $108,200 |
| 71 | Sales Representative | Sales | $80,100 | $60,900 | $104,100 |
| 72 | Police Officer | Public Service | $78,500 | $59,700 | $102,100 |
| 73 | Radiologic Technologist | Healthcare | $76,800 | $58,400 | $99,900 |
| 74 | Hotel Manager | Hospitality | $76,100 | $57,800 | $98,900 |
| 75 | Electrician | Skilled Trades | $72,600 | $55,200 | $94,300 |
| 76 | High School Teacher | Education | $71,200 | $54,100 | $92,600 |
| 77 | Special Education Teacher | Education | $71,200 | $54,100 | $92,600 |
| 78 | Plumber | Skilled Trades | $70,400 | $53,500 | $91,600 |
| 79 | Video Editor | Creative & Media | $69,200 | $52,600 | $89,900 |
| 80 | Social Media Manager | Creative & Media | $69,200 | $52,600 | $89,900 |
| 81 | Interior Designer | Creative & Media | $69,200 | $52,600 | $89,900 |
| 82 | Elementary Teacher | Education | $69,100 | $52,500 | $89,800 |
| 83 | Real Estate Agent | Real Estate | $67,100 | $51,000 | $87,300 |
| 84 | School Counselor | Education | $67,000 | $50,900 | $87,100 |
| 85 | Heavy Equipment Operator | Skilled Trades | $66,200 | $50,300 | $86,000 |
| 86 | Chef / Head Cook | Hospitality | $65,500 | $49,800 | $85,200 |
| 87 | Firefighter | Public Service | $64,900 | $49,300 | $84,400 |
| 88 | Paralegal | Legal | $64,300 | $48,900 | $83,600 |
| 89 | Medical Lab Technician | Healthcare | $64,000 | $48,700 | $83,200 |
| 90 | HVAC Technician | Skilled Trades | $64,000 | $48,700 | $83,200 |
| 91 | Graphic Designer | Creative & Media | $63,100 | $47,900 | $82,000 |
| 92 | Social Worker | Public Service | $62,800 | $47,700 | $81,700 |
| 93 | Carpenter | Skilled Trades | $61,900 | $47,000 | $80,500 |
| 94 | Content Writer / Copywriter | Creative & Media | $59,000 | $44,800 | $76,700 |
| 95 | Welder | Skilled Trades | $55,500 | $42,200 | $72,100 |
| 96 | Auto Mechanic | Skilled Trades | $55,500 | $42,200 | $72,100 |
| 97 | Photographer | Creative & Media | $48,800 | $37,100 | $63,500 |
| 98 | Administrative Assistant | Administrative | $47,700 | $36,300 | $62,000 |
| 99 | Medical Assistant | Healthcare | $47,000 | $35,700 | $61,000 |
| 100 | Customer Service Rep | Administrative | $41,500 | $31,500 | $53,900 |
Located in Michigan — see the full state salary guide.
Run the free salary audit to see your exact position relative to Detroit market pay.
Check my salary →