Average Salaries in Traverse City, MI
Explore salaries across 296 occupations in Traverse City, MI. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $61.4K, -6.6% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 296 occupations and 62,250 total jobs in Traverse City, MI.
How the metro compares
Traverse City, MI pays modestly below the national average. That can be partly offset by a lower cost of living compared with higher-paying markets.
Traverse City, MI is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Physicians, All Other. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Traverse City, MI
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Traverse City, MI
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | $280.5K | 110 |
| Chief Executives | $248.5K | 60 |
| Dentists, General | $171.7K | 80 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $168.1K | 60 |
| Pharmacists | $143.1K | 150 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $141.5K | 100 |
| Marketing Managers | $137.6K | 60 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $136.2K | 70 |
| Physician Assistants | $134.2K | 170 |
| Veterinarians | $124.3K | 30 |
Largest occupations in Traverse City, MI
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 2,390 | $34.5K |
| Registered Nurses | 2,020 | $83.7K |
| Cashiers | 1,850 | $30.9K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 1,730 | $28.6K |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,650 | $44.5K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 1,610 | $41.4K |
| General And Operations Managers | 1,580 | $84.3K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,260 | $35.5K |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 1,060 | $37.3K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 1,050 | $36.5K |
What Traverse City, MI specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Traverse City, MI than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Traverse City, MI
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Captains, Mates, And Pilots Of Water Vessels | 5.86 | $79.4K |
| Health Information Technologists And Medical Registrars | 5.11 | $67.9K |
| Cleaning, Washing, And Metal Pickling Equipment Operators And Tenders | 4.97 | $53.6K |
| Roustabouts, Oil And Gas | 4.81 | $51.7K |
| Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, And Still Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 4.66 | $46.9K |
| Bailiffs | 4.29 | $26K |
| Entertainment And Recreation Managers, Except Gambling | 4.08 | $67.8K |
| Refuse And Recyclable Material Collectors | 4.02 | $49.5K |
| Motorboat Mechanics And Service Technicians | 3.76 | $48.4K |
| Lodging Managers | 3.29 | $60.2K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Traverse City, MI
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.