Among the 15 metropolitan areas located entirely or partially in Michigan, 13 areas had annual wages that were significantly below the national average for civil engineers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Twelve areas had below-average wages for electrical engineers and eight areas had wages that were below the national average for both mechanical engineers and industrial engineers. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that one metropolitan area, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, had annual wages that were significantly higher than the national average for both mechanical engineers and industrial engineers. Nationwide, the average (mean) wage for mechanical engineers was $88,190; for industrial engineers, $86,990; for electrical engineers, $97,340; and for civil engineers, $87,940. (See table A. For comprehensive definitions of metropolitan areas in Michigan, please see the Technical Note.)

Table A. Average (mean) annual wages for selected engineering occupations in the United States, Michigan, and metropolitan areas in Michigan, May 2015

Area	Mechanical Engineers	Industrial Engineers	Electrical Engineers	Civil Engineers
United States	$88,190	$86,990	$97,340	$87,940
Michigan	89,160	86,700	87,640*	74,050*
Ann Arbor	93,870	79,210*	95,740	80,070*
Battle Creek	95,270	74,170*	68,170*	78,040*
Bay City	86,710	73,930*	80,360*	82,270
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn	92,170*	92,560*	90,270*	74,080*
Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia	94,050*	91,820*	95,220	75,110*
Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills	90,890	92,940*	87,080*	73,500*
Flint	75,710*	87,440	(1)	74,090*
Grand Rapids-Wyoming	71,280*	78,140*	78,040*	71,330*
Jackson	86,640	79,710	80,290*	89,500
Kalamazoo-Portage	79,220*	76,800*	83,970*	70,980*
Lansing-East Lansing	69,520*	75,730*	75,260*	73,550*
Midland	56,420*	91,770	72,760*	77,280*
Monroe	78,930*	81,800	97,540	62,430*
Muskegon	76,560*	66,120*	88,720*	73,520*
Niles-Benton Harbor	94,370*	85,660	91,790*	80,790*
Saginaw	78,210*	71,720*	74,450*	70,210*
South Bend-Mishawaka	83,450	85,510	72,670*	64,730*
Footnotes: (1) Data not available.
Note: An asterisk indicates that the mean annual wage for this area is significantly different from the national average of all areas at the 90-percent confidence level.

Combined employment for the four selected engineering occupations in Michigan’s 15 metropolitan areas was 77,100. Seventy-three percent (56,130) of the combined employment was located in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metropolitan area (the Detroit MSA). In the Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills division (the Warren MD), one of the two metropolitan divisions in the Detroit MSA, combined employment for the selected occupations was 34,700. The Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia division (the Detroit MD), the other metropolitan division in the Detroit MSA, had a combined employment of 21,430 for the four occupations. The Grand Rapids-Wyoming and Ann Arbor areas had a combined employment of 7,200 and 2,920, respectively, for the four occupations. Combined employment was less than 2,000 in each of the remaining areas for which data are available. (See table B.)

Table B. Employment of selected engineering occupations in the United States, Michigan, and metropolitan areas in Michigan, May 2015

Area	Mechanical Engineers	Industrial Engineers	Electrical Engineers	Civil Engineers
United States	278,340	247,570	178,580	275,210
Michigan	40,490	24,810	9,410	6,020
Ann Arbor	1,560	980	280	100
Battle Creek	270	270	90	50
Bay City	70	110	30	60
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn	30,390	15,860	6,690	3,190
Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia	12,270	5,380	2,630	1,150
Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills	18,120	10,470	4,070	2,040
Flint	220	300	(1)	60
Grand Rapids-Wyoming	2,400	3,150	880	770
Jackson	1,040	350	190	320
Kalamazoo-Portage	630	300	70	120
Lansing-East Lansing	410	490	130	540
Midland	130	150	50	(1)
Monroe	180	110	220	(1)
Muskegon	240	250	40	70
Niles-Benton Harbor	940	100	230	40
Saginaw	610	390	180	60
South Bend-Mishawaka	280	330	30	100
Footnotes: (1) Data not available.

Location quotients (LQs) allow us to explore the occupational make-up of a metropolitan area by comparing the composition of jobs in an area relative to the national average. For example, a location quotient of 2.0 indicates that an occupation accounts for twice the share of employment in the area than it does nationally.

Several of Michigan’s areas had some of the highest LQs in the country for mechanical engineers and industrial engineers. For mechanical engineers, the Jackson area and the Detroit MSA had LQs of 8.6 and 7.9, respectively, meaning mechanical engineers were employed in these areas at 8.6 and 7.9 times the national rate. In the Detroit MSA, the Detroit MD and the Warren MD had LQs of 8.4 and 7.7, respectively, for mechanical engineers. Niles-Benton Harbor (7.8), Ann Arbor (3.7), and Saginaw (3.6) also had high LQs for mechanical engineers. Areas with high LQs for industrial engineers included the Detroit MSA (4.7) and Grand Rapids (3.4). The Warren MD (5.0) and the Detroit MD (4.1) also had high LQs for industrial engineers. (See table C.)

Table C. Location quotients of selected engineering occupations in the United States, Michigan, and metropolitan areas in Michigan, May 2015

Area	Mechanical Engineers	Industrial Engineers	Electrical Engineers	Civil Engineers
United States	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Michigan	4.8	3.3	1.8	0.7
Ann Arbor	3.7	2.6	1.0	0.2
Battle Creek	2.5	2.7	1.3	0.4
Bay City	1.0	1.7	0.7	0.8
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn	7.9	4.7	2.7	0.8
Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia	8.4	4.1	2.8	0.8
Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills	7.7	5.0	2.7	0.9
Flint	0.8	1.2	(1)	0.2
Grand Rapids-Wyoming	2.3	3.4	1.3	0.7
Jackson	8.6	3.3	2.4	2.7
Kalamazoo-Portage	2.3	1.2	0.4	0.4
Lansing-East Lansing	1.0	1.3	0.5	1.3
Midland	1.9	2.4	1.1	(1)
Monroe	2.3	1.6	4.4	(1)
Muskegon	1.9	2.3	0.5	0.5
Niles-Benton Harbor	7.8	0.9	3.0	0.3
Saginaw	3.6	2.6	1.7	0.3
South Bend-Mishawaka	1.1	1.4	0.2	0.4
Footnotes: (1) Data not available.

Wages for civil engineers in Michigan’s metropolitan areas

Thirteen of the 15 metropolitan areas in the state had annual wages for civil engineers that were significantly below the national average of $87,940. Wages in these areas ranged from $80,790 in Niles-Benton Harbor to $62,430 in Monroe. Civil engineers in the Bay City and Jackson areas earned wages that were not significantly different from the national average for this occupation.

Wages for electrical engineers in Michigan’s metropolitan areas

Electrical engineers in 12 metropolitan areas for which data were available had annual wages that were significantly lower than the U.S. average of $97,340. Wages in these 12 areas ranged from $91,790 in Niles-Benton Harbor to $68,170 in Battle Creek. Wages were not measurably different from the national average in Ann Arbor and Monroe.

Wages for industrial engineers in Michigan’s metropolitan areas

Industrial engineers in the Detroit MSA earned an average wage of $92,560 per year, making this the only area in the state with wages significantly above the U.S. average of $86,990 for this occupation. Eight metropolitan areas had average wages for industrial engineers that were significantly lower than the U.S. average, ranging from $79,210 in Ann Arbor to $66,120 in Muskegon. Wages for industrial engineers were not significantly different from the national average in the remaining six areas.

Wages for mechanical engineers in Michigan’s metropolitan areas

Mechanical engineers in Niles-Benton Harbor and in the Detroit MSA earned an average wage of $94,370 and $92,170, respectively. These were the only areas in the state with wages that were significantly above the U.S. average of $88,190 for this occupation. Eight metropolitan areas had wages that were significantly lower than the national average, ranging from $79,220 in Kalamazoo-Portage to $56,420 in Midland. Mechanical engineers in the remaining five areas earned wages that were not measurably different from the national average.

These statistics are from the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey, a federal-state cooperative program between BLS and State Workforce Agencies, in this case, the Michigan State Department of Technology, Management and Budget, and the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

Technical Note

The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey is a semiannual mail survey measuring occupational employment and wage rates for wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments in the United States. The OES program produces employment and wage estimates for over 800 occupations for all industries combined in the nation; the 50 states and the District of Columbia; 432 metropolitan areas and divisions; 167 nonmetropolitan areas; and Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. National estimates are also available by industry for NAICS sectors, 3-, 4-, and selected 5- and 6-digit industries, and by ownership across all industries and for schools and hospitals. OES data are available at www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm.

OES estimates are constructed from a sample of about 1.2 million establishments. Forms are mailed to approximately 200,000 sampled establishments in May and November each year. May 2015 estimates are based on responses from six semiannual panels collected over a 3-year period: May 2015, November 2014, May 2014, November 2013, May 2013, and November 2012. The overall national response rate for the six panels is 73.5 percent based on establishments and 69.6 percent based on weighted sampled employment. (Response rates are slightly lower for these estimates due to the federal shutdown in October 2013.) The unweighted employment of sampled establishments across all six semiannual panels represents approximately 57.9 percent of total national employment. For more information about OES concepts and methodology, go to www.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.

The May 2015 OES estimates are based on the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system and the 2012 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Information about the 2010 SOC is available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/soc and information about the 2012 NAICS is available at www.bls.gov/bls/naics.htm.

Metropolitan area definitions

The substate area data published in this release reflect the standards and definitions established by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

• Ann Arbor, Mich. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes Washtenaw County in Michigan.
• Battle Creek, Mich. MSA includes Calhoun County in Michigan.
• Bay City, Mich. MSA includes Bay County in Michigan.
• Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Mich. MSA includes the following:
  • Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia, Mich. Metropolitan Division (MD) includes Wayne County in Michigan.
  • Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, Mich. MD includes Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland and St. Clair Counties in Michigan.
• Flint, Mich. MSA includes Genesee County in Michigan.
• Grand Rapids-Wyoming, Mich. MSA includes Barry, Kent, Montcalm, and Ottawa Counties in Michigan.
• Jackson, Mich. MSA includes Jackson County in Michigan.
• Kalamazoo-Portage, Mich. MSA includes Kalamazoo and Van Buren Counties in Michigan.
• Lansing-East Lansing, Mich. MSA includes Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties in Michigan.
• Midland, Mich. MSA includes Midland County in Michigan.
• Monroe, Mich. MSA includes Monroe County in Michigan.
• Muskegon, Mich. MSA includes Muskegon County in Michigan.
• Niles-Benton Harbor, Mich. MSA includes Berrien County in Michigan.
• Saginaw, Mich. MSA includes Saginaw County in Michigan.
• South Bend-Mishawaka, Ind.-Mich. MSA includes Cass County in Michigan and St. Joseph County in Indiana.

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