Automotive Body and Related Repairers Salary
The median pay for a automotive body and related repairers in Traverse City, MI is $48,450/year ($23.3/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.37), which stretches that salary to about $51,890 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,224/month, about 37% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $48K get you in Traverse City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Traverse City’s Regional Price Parity (93.37). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About automotive body and related repairers
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What this looks like in Traverse City
Pay for automotive body and related repairers in Traverse City runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $55K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,224/month, which is 37.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.37 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for automotive body and related repairerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for automotive body and related repairers in metros near Traverse City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $63K | $62K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $57K | $59K |
| Flint | $50K | $53K |
| Kalamazoo-Portage | $57K | $60K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Traverse City, MI
Entry-level automotive body and related repairers (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $43K spread from bottom to top.
Automotive Body and Related Repairers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Automotive Body and Related Repairers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $72K | +32% | 800 |
| California | $67K | +22% | 14,050 |
| District of Columbia | $63K | +14% | 30 |
| New Jersey | $62K | +14% | 3,720 |
| Alaska | $62K | +12% | 270 |
| Minnesota | $61K | +11% | 2,910 |
| Missouri | $61K | +10% | 4,350 |
| Hawaii | $61K | +10% | 450 |
| Nevada | $61K | +10% | 1,020 |
| Oregon | $60K | +9% | 1,660 |
| Colorado | $60K | +9% | 3,120 |
| Massachusetts | $59K | +8% | 3,060 |
| Washington | $58K | +6% | 2,330 |
| Connecticut | $58K | +6% | 1,850 |
| Virginia | $58K | +5% | 3,720 |
| Montana | $58K | +5% | 500 |
| Michigan | $57K | +4% | 5,010 |
| Wisconsin | $57K | +3% | 2,690 |
| Maryland | $56K | +2% | 2,930 |
| North Dakota | $55K | +0% | 680 |
| Arizona | $55K | -1% | 2,750 |
| Nebraska | $54K | -1% | 1,120 |
| Pennsylvania | $54K | -2% | 6,650 |
| South Carolina | $53K | -3% | 2,140 |
| New Hampshire | $53K | -4% | 750 |
| Alabama | $52K | -5% | 1,810 |
| Illinois | $52K | -5% | 5,750 |
| Texas | $52K | -6% | 14,070 |
| Georgia | $51K | -7% | 4,680 |
| Indiana | $51K | -7% | 3,780 |
| Vermont | $51K | -7% | 320 |
| North Carolina | $51K | -8% | 5,180 |
| Maine | $50K | -8% | 680 |
| Utah | $50K | -9% | 1,590 |
| Mississippi | $50K | -10% | 1,380 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -10% | 800 |
| Iowa | $49K | -10% | 1,830 |
| Arkansas | $49K | -10% | 1,140 |
| Wyoming | $49K | -10% | 200 |
| Idaho | $49K | -10% | 850 |
| Ohio | $49K | -11% | 5,950 |
| Kansas | $49K | -11% | 1,530 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | -11% | 2,330 |
| Delaware | $49K | -11% | 340 |
| Florida | $49K | -11% | 9,220 |
| New Mexico | $48K | -12% | 810 |
| New York | $48K | -13% | 8,530 |
| Tennessee | $47K | -14% | 3,970 |
| Louisiana | $47K | -14% | 1,660 |
| West Virginia | $47K | -14% | 670 |
| Kentucky | $46K | -16% | 1,680 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track automotive body and related repairers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a automotive body and related repairer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Traverse City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 37.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,224/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for automotive body and related repairers in Traverse City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new automotive body and related repairers typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,327/month. At HUD’s $1,224/month FMR, rent would take 53% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is automotive body and related repairer a high-paying job in Traverse City?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $48K here vs. $55K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Traverse City compare to the national average for automotive body and related repairers?
Traverse City pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.37), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do automotive body and related repairers make in Traverse City, MI?
The median is $48,450 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,780, and experienced automotive body and related repairers can clear $81,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Traverse City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,242/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,224/month, which eats 37.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a automotive body and related repairers salary go in Traverse City?
Traverse City has a Regional Price Parity of 93.37 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median automotive body and related repairers salary is worth about $51,890 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do automotive body and related repairers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.