Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Highest Paying Trades in Detroit
Skilled-trade workers in Detroit, MI earn an average median wage of $67,215 across 41 tracked trades, per 2024 BLS OEWS data. With a cost-of-living index of 89, that translates to roughly $75,522 in U.S.-average purchasing power. The top-paying trade in the metro is Construction Manager at $108,560.
Cost of Living and Real Pay in Detroit
Detroit's cost-of-living index of 89 sits 11% below the U.S. average — one of the more affordable metros in the country. Trade wages here often deliver stronger real purchasing power than nominal figures suggest, especially relative to coastal cities where housing eats a larger share of income. Below-average rent, groceries, and services mean a journeyman wage tends to go further.
The single highest-paying trade in Detroit is Construction Manager, with a median wage of $108,560 per BLS OEWS data. Power Line Installer ranks second at $106,360 — a gap of $2,200 between #1 and #2. Wider gaps usually signal a specialty trade with steep certification or experience requirements; narrower gaps indicate broad-based wage strength across multiple skilled occupations in the metro.
Detroit's average Trade Pay Score across all tracked trades is 62, a middle-of-the-pack C grade. Some trades in the metro deliver strong real pay; others are dragged down by either weak nominal wages or cost-of-living offsets. Use the table below to identify the trades where Detroit compares favorably and the ones where workers may earn more elsewhere.
Trade Salaries in Detroit
| Trade | Category | Median | Range (10th-90th) | Grade | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Manager | Management | $108,560 | $69,960 – $167,200 | B | 3,050 |
| Power Line Installer | Electrical | $106,360 | $54,040 – $133,390 | B | 1,170 |
| Electrical Power-Line Tech | Electrical | $106,360 | $54,040 – $133,390 | B | 1,170 |
| Boilermaker | Industrial | $96,510 | $68,980 – $100,250 | C | 0 |
| Crane Operator | Heavy Equipment | $84,470 | $44,930 – $97,570 | C | 620 |
| Millwright | Industrial | $83,860 | $63,700 – $90,050 | B | 1,330 |
| Plumber | Plumbing | $81,480 | $46,350 – $103,930 | B | 5,590 |
| Pipefitter | Plumbing | $81,480 | $46,350 – $103,930 | B | 5,590 |
| Fire Sprinkler Fitter | Plumbing | $81,480 | $46,350 – $103,930 | B | 5,590 |
| Steamfitter | Plumbing | $81,480 | $46,350 – $103,930 | B | 5,590 |
| Electrician | Electrical | $80,330 | $44,640 – $102,850 | B | 11,840 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | Automotive | $74,490 | $56,270 – $130,610 | C | 1,370 |
| Building Inspector | Management | $72,460 | $48,750 – $93,740 | C | 1,540 |
| Tool and Die Maker | Metalwork | $72,300 | $47,180 – $91,290 | D | 4,540 |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | Heavy Equipment | $65,210 | $48,150 – $90,790 | C | 3,760 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanic | Industrial | $65,110 | $47,210 – $89,400 | B | 7,450 |
| Carpenter | Construction | $65,060 | $45,330 – $82,560 | C | 9,000 |
| Industrial Electrician | Electrical | $63,430 | $37,960 – $87,810 | B | 660 |
| Telecommunications Tech | Electrical | $62,870 | $45,970 – $97,080 | C | 2,500 |
| Concrete Finisher | Construction | $62,650 | $40,080 – $80,000 | C | 2,020 |
| Mason (Bricklayer) | Construction | $62,540 | $35,290 – $80,810 | D | 1,430 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | Metalwork | $61,750 | $41,950 – $95,090 | C | 1,900 |
| HVAC Technician | HVAC | $61,140 | $41,110 – $84,150 | C | 5,750 |
| Refrigeration Mechanic | HVAC | $61,140 | $41,110 – $84,150 | C | 5,750 |
| Roofer | Construction | $60,590 | $47,560 – $78,330 | C | 1,490 |
| Diesel Mechanic | Automotive | $60,550 | $46,230 – $81,720 | C | 3,610 |
| Locksmith | Specialty | $60,100 | $37,080 – $74,520 | C | 110 |
| Glazier | Construction | $59,240 | $43,750 – $89,630 | C | 780 |
| Machinist | Metalwork | $57,240 | $38,600 – $77,330 | D | 9,560 |
| Drywall Installer | Construction | $56,330 | $35,120 – $79,180 | D | 270 |
| Tile Setter | Construction | $56,210 | $41,600 – $72,800 | D | 470 |
| Painter (Construction) | Construction | $55,430 | $36,220 – $73,460 | D | 1,940 |
| Floor Layer | Construction | $51,540 | $36,580 – $78,040 | D | 270 |
| Auto Mechanic | Automotive | $50,700 | $31,770 – $84,080 | D | 8,710 |
| Welder | Welding | $50,250 | $38,500 – $76,370 | C | 5,240 |
| Structural Welder | Welding | $50,250 | $38,500 – $76,370 | C | 5,240 |
| Underwater Welder | Welding | $50,250 | $38,500 – $76,370 | C | 5,240 |
| Septic Tank Servicer | Plumbing | $50,250 | $39,810 – $63,650 | D | 430 |
| Environmental Engineering Tech | Specialty | $48,500 | $37,840 – $76,350 | C | 0 |
| Maintenance Mechanic | Industrial | $48,290 | $35,220 – $70,430 | C | 16,240 |
| Insulation Worker | Construction | $47,560 | $38,420 – $78,330 | D | 280 |
How These Numbers Are Calculated
Every wage figure on this page comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, published annually at bls.gov/oes. BLS surveys hundreds of thousands of employers per release; the resulting percentile wages (10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th) are the gold standard for U.S. wage benchmarking. The Trade Pay Score combines raw median pay (30%), 5-year wage growth (25%), employment depth (25%), and cost-of-living-adjusted purchasing power (20%); read the full methodology.
Career outlook data — projected employment growth through 2032, typical entry-level requirements, on-the-job training expectations — comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at bls.gov/ooh. Apprenticeship programs in the Detroit area are listed on the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov registry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which trade pays the most in Detroit?
Construction Manager is the highest-paying skilled trade in Detroit, MI, with a median annual wage of $108,560. The 90th-percentile reading reaches $167,200, with apprentices and entry-level workers starting near $69,960. That spread reflects experience, certification, and union membership.
What is the average trade salary in Detroit?
The average median wage across all 41 skilled trades tracked in Detroit is $67,215. With a cost-of-living index of 89, that converts to $75,522 in U.S.-average purchasing power — an upward adjustment because the metro is less expensive than average.
Are skilled-trade jobs in Detroit growing?
Five-year wage growth across Detroit's tracked trades varies by occupation — energy and electrification trades have generally posted the strongest gains, while general construction labor has tracked closer to inflation. Detailed projected employment growth through 2032 for each trade is published in the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Where can I find apprenticeships in Detroit?
Registered apprenticeship programs are listed on the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov site at https://www.apprenticeship.gov/. You can filter by city, state, and occupation. Most skilled trades require 3-5 years of registered apprenticeship before reaching journeyman pay; the per-trade pages on TradeWages list typical year-by-year apprentice pay as a percentage of journeyman scale.
How does pay in Detroit compare to other metros?
Detroit's average Trade Pay Score is 62/100, a mid-tier grade. The score combines nominal pay, 5-year wage growth, employment depth, and cost-of-living-adjusted purchasing power, so it captures both how much you earn and how far that income goes locally. Compare Detroit against other metros on the best-cities-for-trades ranking page.
Skilled-trade workers in Detroit, MI earn an average median wage of $67,215 across 41 tracked trades, per 2024 BLS OEWS data. With a cost-of-living index of 89, that translates to roughly $75,522 in U.S.-average purchasing power. The top-paying trade in the metro is Construction Manager at $108,560.
The this entity record above pulls directly from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. What follows is the per-entity context — how this entity sits in the broader U.S. skilled-trade wage data distribution and which underlying factors drive the headline numbers.
Every number on this page links back to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
Practical use of this page is in combination with the comparison and ranking pages elsewhere on the site, which surface the same data for this entity’s peers within U.S. trades, cities, and states. A single-entity reading without peer context can be misleading when an entity is an outlier on one axis but typical on another.