See our other posts on the top jobs in various states.
In this post we want to explore the top jobs in Michigan for 2012 — the highest-paying, fastest-growing, most concentrated jobs since 2009. Using Analyst (EMSI’s web-based labor market analysis tool), we’ll study labor market data from EMSI’s 2012.1 Covered Employment release, which is drawn from 80+ state and federal data sources.
OVERVIEW
Michigan currently has about 3.9 million jobs, and the latest estimate puts unemployment around 435,000. Average earnings for Michigan employees are $45K.
Since 2009, jobs have grown by 0.6%, an increase of about 23,000 jobs. This is actually far more impressive than it looks, considering the giant smack Michigan’s economy received during the recession. As USA Today notes, Michigan’s rebound is led by the auto industry:
Ever since General Motors and Chrysler Group emerged from managed bankruptcies in 2009, automakers [have] been coming back in a way that has allowed Michigan to add 151,000 jobs.
On top of that, the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, using Current Employment Statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, has observed that Michigan is one of the top five states in terms of job growth during the post-recessionary expansion period.
HIGHEST-PAYING
Most of the jobs that top $60/hour are related to healthcare (SOC code 29). Surgeons ($92.11 median hourly wage), oral & maxillofacial surgeons ($91.42), and obstetricians & gynecologists ($86.16) pay the highest. Curiously, two healthcare occupations are in significant decline: oral & maxillofacial surgeons (-26%) and orthodontists (-35%). We don’t see this that often with healthcare jobs. (Compare with the growing healthcare occupations in California and Texas.)
SOC Code Description 2009 Jobs 2012 Jobs Change % Change 2009 National Location Quotient 2012 National Location Quotient 2011 Median Hourly Wage 2011 Avg Hourly Wage Education Level
Source: EMSI Covered Employment - 2012.1
29-1067 Surgeons 757 790 33 4% 0.61 0.59 $92.11 $107.27 First professional degree
29-1022 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons 57 42 (15) (26%) 0.38 0.15 $91.42 $108.72 First professional degree
29-1064 Obstetricians and Gynecologists 571 609 38 7% 1.00 0.96 $86.16 $100.60 First professional degree
29-1023 Orthodontists 156 101 (55) (35%) 1.03 0.63 $83.60 $94.85 First professional degree
29-1062 Family and General Practitioners 3,713 4,192 479 13% 1.33 1.33 $81.85 $85.47 First professional degree
29-1066 Psychiatrists 369 387 18 5% 0.59 0.58 $80.28 $82.69 First professional degree
29-1069 Physicians and Surgeons, All Other 10,505 11,055 550 5% 1.36 1.34 $79.63 $82.38 First professional degree
29-1081 Podiatrists 299 315 16 5% 1.10 1.14 $78.68 $84.17 First professional degree
29-1061 Anesthesiologists 1,464 1,554 90 6% 1.40 1.37 $78.35 $90.47 First professional degree
29-1063 Internists, General 1,590 1,715 125 8% 1.17 1.18 $73.59 $75.08 First professional degree
11-1011 Chief Executives 11,054 10,613 (441) (4%) 1.30 1.31 $71.93 $76.23 Bachelor's or higher degree, plus work experience
29-1029 Dentists, All Other Specialists 190 193 3 2% 1.21 1.12 $69.92 $65.29 First professional degree
29-1021 Dentists, General 3,460 3,677 217 6% 1.42 1.44 $69.30 $75.45 First professional degree
29-1065 Pediatricians, General 430 454 24 6% 0.52 0.51 $68.07 $74.38 First professional degree
FASTEST-GROWING
We’ll look at job growth from a couple different angles. One is how many jobs have been added to an occupation since 2009, and the other is how much an occupation has grown proportionately. For this analysis, we’ll filter for occupations that pay above $25/hour and employ 1,000+ workers. (If we didn’t, it’d be funeral attendants with 95% growth that would top our charts, but their $11/hour wage isn’t exactly what we’re looking for). We’re also excluding educational jobs.
So let’s start with the occupations that have added the most jobs since 2009.
Registered nurses has added over 6,000 new jobs — almost 10 times that of any other occupation on the chart. And again, we see a number of healthcare jobs, including dental hygienists (+627 new jobs), physicians & surgeons, all other (+550), and family & general practitioners (+479).
Mechanical engineers shows the second highest growth with almost 2,000 new jobs since 2009, followed by management analysts (+796). We should also pay attention to network systems & data communications analysts (+676). As we note in a recent blog post, this occupation has had rapid national growth over the past 10 years — 64% since 2002. We’re not surprised to see some solid growth in Michigan.
SOC Code Description 2009 Jobs 2012 Jobs Change % Change 2009 National Location Quotient 2012 National Location Quotient 2011 Median Hourly Wage 2011 Avg Hourly Wage Education Level
Source: EMSI Covered Employment - 2012.1
29-1111 Registered Nurses 80,512 86,519 6,007 7% 1.10 1.12 $30.54 $30.84 Associate's degree
17-2141 Mechanical Engineers 28,354 30,134 1,780 6% 4.29 4.50 $40.02 $40.39 Bachelor's degree
13-1111 Management Analysts 9,018 9,814 796 9% 0.57 0.59 $35.45 $38.70 Bachelor's or higher degree, plus work experience
15-1031 Computer Software Engineers, Applications 9,676 10,391 715 7% 0.68 0.69 $36.38 $37.20 Bachelor's degree
17-2112 Industrial Engineers 18,840 19,528 688 4% 3.20 3.22 $38.17 $38.00 Bachelor's degree
15-1081 Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts 5,268 5,944 676 13% 0.82 0.82 $33.41 $34.87 Bachelor's degree
29-2021 Dental Hygienists 8,467 9,094 627 7% 1.73 1.74 $28.70 $28.64 Associate's degree
15-1032 Computer Software Engineers, Systems Software 6,469 7,061 592 9% 0.59 0.60 $39.48 $39.74 Bachelor's degree
29-1069 Physicians and Surgeons, All Other 10,505 11,055 550 5% 1.36 1.34 $79.63 $82.38 First professional degree
19-3021 Market Research Analysts 5,688 6,174 486 9% 0.88 0.91 $30.23 $32.15 Bachelor's degree
29-1062 Family and General Practitioners 3,713 4,192 479 13% 1.33 1.33 $81.85 $85.47 First professional degree
29-1123 Physical Therapists 6,201 6,637 436 7% 1.26 1.25 $35.36 $35.79 Master's degree
13-1041 Compliance Officers, Except Agriculture, Construction, Health and Safety, and Transportation 4,901 5,291 390 8% 0.70 0.69 $25.01 $26.82 Long-term on-the-job training
29-1071 Physician Assistants 3,001 3,378 377 13% 1.38 1.40 $41.18 $42.03 Master's degree
15-1099 Computer Specialists, All Other 7,624 7,979 355 5% 1.35 1.36 $30.97 $32.10 Associate's degree
15-1071 Network and Computer Systems Administrators 7,901 8,255 354 4% 0.82 0.83 $31.35 $32.48 Bachelor's degree
11-9111 Medical and Health Services Managers 9,096 9,450 354 4% 1.19 1.19 $37.61 $41.11 Bachelor's or higher degree, plus work experience
17-2051 Civil Engineers 5,451 5,798 347 6% 0.74 0.78 $33.34 $34.68 Bachelor's degree
17-3029 Engineering Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other 3,797 4,142 345 9% 1.93 2.04 $27.35 $26.85 Associate's degree
11-9041 Engineering Managers 8,136 8,458 322 4% 1.61 1.69 $53.40 $54.92 Bachelor's or higher degree, plus work experience
Now here we might all go “huh?” The occupation with the greatest proportionate growth is gaming supervisors, of all things (30%). What exactly do gaming supervisors do? According to the BLS, they supervise gaming operations and personnel, circle the tables, explain the rules of the game — basically, make sure that the workers are doing their jobs and that the casino guests are happy. (Side note: the casino hotel industry has shot up from 36 jobs in 2009 to nearly 5,000 in 2012, a herculean 13,000%.)
Other growing occupations include family & general practitioners (13%), network systems & data communications analysts (13%), and physician assistants (13%).
SOC Code Description 2009 Jobs 2012 Jobs Change % Change 2009 National Location Quotient 2012 National Location Quotient 2011 Median Hourly Wage 2011 Avg Hourly Wage Education Level
Source: EMSI Covered Employment - 2012.1
39-1011 Gaming Supervisors 799 1,039 240 30% 1.14 1.51 $30.76 $29.28 Work experience in a related occupation
29-1062 Family and General Practitioners 3,713 4,192 479 13% 1.33 1.33 $81.85 $85.47 First professional degree
15-1081 Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts 5,268 5,944 676 13% 0.82 0.82 $33.41 $34.87 Bachelor's degree
29-1071 Physician Assistants 3,001 3,378 377 13% 1.38 1.40 $41.18 $42.03 Master's degree
19-2041 Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health 1,404 1,558 154 11% 0.59 0.64 $30.82 $33.06 Master's degree
17-2061 Computer Hardware Engineers 992 1,095 103 10% 0.54 0.58 $41.72 $45.60 Bachelor's degree
29-2032 Diagnostic Medical Sonographers 1,655 1,820 165 10% 1.14 1.18 $27.83 $27.47 Associate's degree
15-1032 Computer Software Engineers, Systems Software 6,469 7,061 592 9% 0.59 0.60 $39.48 $39.74 Bachelor's degree
17-3029 Engineering Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other 3,797 4,142 345 9% 1.93 2.04 $27.35 $26.85 Associate's degree
13-1111 Management Analysts 9,018 9,814 796 9% 0.57 0.59 $35.45 $38.70 Bachelor's or higher degree, plus work experience
19-3021 Market Research Analysts 5,688 6,174 486 9% 0.88 0.91 $30.23 $32.15 Bachelor's degree
29-1011 Chiropractors 982 1,062 80 8% 1.31 1.32 $28.17 $29.75 First professional degree
13-1041 Compliance Officers, Except Agriculture, Construction, Health and Safety, and Transportation 4,901 5,291 390 8% 0.70 0.69 $25.01 $26.82 Long-term on-the-job training
51-8013 Power Plant Operators 1,735 1,873 138 8% 1.67 1.70 $28.64 $27.82 Long-term on-the-job training
29-1063 Internists, General 1,590 1,715 125 8% 1.17 1.18 $73.59 $75.08 First professional degree
29-1111 Registered Nurses 80,512 86,519 6,007 7% 1.10 1.12 $30.54 $30.84 Associate's degree
CONCENTRATION
Now to explore the most concentrated jobs in Michigan. We measure concentration or specialization in terms of location quotient (LQ). The national average is 1.0, so anything above 1.0 signifies uniqueness for that particular job in its region. The higher the LQ, the more compelling that job is for the state. (Click here for the full scoop on LQ.) Again, we’re keeping ourselves to jobs that employ 1,000+, and we’re not counting education jobs.
Model makers, metal & plastic (6.87 LQ), tool & die makers (5.52), commercial & industrial designers (5.14), and forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal & plastic (4.98) are the most concentrated in the state. Note that over half the jobs in this table are related to either production (SOC code 51) or architecture & engineering (SOC code 17).
SOC Code Description 2009 Jobs 2012 Jobs Change % Change 2009 National Location Quotient 2012 National Location Quotient 2011 Median Hourly Wage 2011 Avg Hourly Wage Education Level
Source: EMSI Covered Employment - 2012.1
51-4061 Model Makers, Metal and Plastic 1,382 1,481 99 7% 6.42 6.87 $24.60 $25.60 Long-term on-the-job training
51-4111 Tool and Die Makers 10,879 11,093 214 2% 5.28 5.52 $25.92 $26.07 Long-term on-the-job training
27-1021 Commercial and Industrial Designers 4,218 4,415 197 5% 5.01 5.14 $35.63 $34.94 Bachelor's degree
51-4022 Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 3,310 3,357 47 1% 4.80 4.98 $14.09 $14.64 Moderate-term on-the-job training
17-2141 Mechanical Engineers 28,354 30,134 1,780 6% 4.29 4.50 $40.02 $40.39 Bachelor's degree
17-3027 Mechanical Engineering Technicians 4,246 4,557 311 7% 3.44 3.79 $24.75 $24.91 Associate's degree
51-4052 Pourers and Casters, Metal 1,170 1,328 158 14% 3.19 3.57 $17.91 $17.81 Moderate-term on-the-job training
51-9199 Production Workers, All Other 23,763 24,095 332 1% 3.43 3.51 $18.09 $18.21 Moderate-term on-the-job training
51-2099 Assemblers and Fabricators, All Other 26,046 25,160 (886) (3%) 3.45 3.38 $22.77 $21.32 Moderate-term on-the-job training
17-2112 Industrial Engineers 18,840 19,528 688 4% 3.20 3.22 $38.17 $38.00 Bachelor's degree
17-3026 Industrial Engineering Technicians 5,427 5,843 416 8% 2.93 3.13 $21.97 $22.86 Associate's degree
51-4122 Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 3,296 3,361 65 2% 2.81 2.92 $18.45 $19.33 Postsecondary vocational award
49-9044 Millwrights 3,456 3,397 (59) (2%) 2.90 2.90 $31.66 $30.77 Long-term on-the-job training
19-4061 Social Science Research Assistants 1,610 1,774 164 10% 2.61 2.82 $15.38 $16.19 Associate's degree
41-2012 Gaming Change Persons and Booth Cashiers 1,298 1,615 317 24% 2.14 2.72 $13.87 $14.13 Short-term on-the-job training
21-2021 Directors, Religious Activities and Education 1,142 1,176 34 3% 2.70 2.70 $17.47 $17.70 Bachelor's degree
51-4194 Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners 924 1,001 77 8% 2.42 2.67 $20.04 $20.43 Moderate-term on-the-job training
ALTOGETHER NOW
So what are the top jobs in Michigan when we consider pay, growth, and concentration? Registered nurses definitely stands out for growth. Family & general practitioners boasts high wages, good growth, and decent concentration, and the same goes for physician assistants, although it isn’t quite as flashy on the dollar side. Other jobs to watch are mechanical engineers and network systems & data communications analysts. Okay, and gaming supervisors might also be worth a peek if you’re into watching people work those one-armed bandits.
If you would like to learn more, please contact us. Find out more about EMSI and our data here. You can reach us via Twitter @DesktopEcon or by emailing Rob Sentz (rob@economicmodeling.com).
