SOC 33-2011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Firefighters — Traverse City
Traverse City, MI · 10 metro areas compared
The median wage for Firefighters in Traverse City, MI is $46,990 per year, 20.7% below the national median of $59,280.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +3.4%
- Openings per year
- 27,100
- Typical entry-level education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Traverse City, MI.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Firefighters in Traverse City, MI is $46,990 per year, 20.7% below the national median of $59,280. Half of workers earn between $37,910 and $58,150. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $36,090 and the ninetieth at $61,350.
The area has 140 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 2.0 of every thousand jobs. Within the state, Detroit records the highest median at $62,730. Of the 292 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 189th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $36,090 | −39.1% |
| 25th | $37,910 | −36.0% |
| Median (50th) | $46,990 | −20.7% |
| 75th | $58,150 | −1.9% |
| 90th | $61,350 | +3.5% |
| Mean | $49,320 | −16.8% |
Other metro areas in Michigan
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit | $62,730 | 3,520 | |
| 2 | Lansing | $57,540 | 410 | |
| 3 | Grand Rapids | $56,260 | 420 | |
| 4 | Midland | $52,800 | 60 | |
| 5 | Battle Creek | $52,200 | 120 | |
| 6 | Niles | $50,600 | 110 | |
| 7 | Ann Arbor | $48,460 | 160 | |
| 8 | Jackson | $47,690 | 100 | |
| 9 | Kalamazoo | $45,480 | 60 | |
| 10 | Monroe | $44,730 | 70 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Traverse City run 6.6% below the national average, so the median of $46,990 goes as far as $50,310 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 15.1% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$46,990as reported by BLSLocal price level
93.4US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$50,310US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $46,990 a year, 20.7% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $36,090 to $61,350 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 140 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Detroit, at $62,730.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Firefighters in Traverse City, MI?
The median annual wage is $46,990, or $22.59 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $59,280, so pay in Traverse City, MI is 20.7% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Traverse City, MI earns more than $61,350 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $36,090 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Detroit, at $62,730 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 140 jobs in this occupation in Traverse City, MI. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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