Ship Engineers Salary
The median pay for a ship engineers in Michigan is $79,170/year ($38.06/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $117K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.89), which stretches that salary to about $84,322 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,272/month, or 24.5% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Michigan. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $79K get you in Michigan?
About ship engineers
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What this looks like in Michigan
Pay for ship engineers in Michigan runs about 28% below the U.S. median of $110K. Rent runs $1,272/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Michigan
Entry-level ship engineers (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $79K. Top earners bring in $117K or more, a $83K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track ship engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Michigan numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a ship engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Michigan?
Yes — at the median salary of $79K, rent takes 25.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for ship engineers in Michigan?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new ship engineers typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,043/month. At HUD’s $1,272/month FMR, rent would take 62% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is ship engineer a high-paying job in Michigan?
Local pay runs 28% below the national median — $79K here vs. $110K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Michigan compare to the national average for ship engineers?
Michigan pays $79K median vs. the U.S. average of $110K — that’s -28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $84K — below the national median.
How much do ship engineers make in Michigan?
The median is $79,170 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,050, and experienced ship engineers can clear $116,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $79K enough to live in Michigan?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,060/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 25.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a ship engineers salary go in Michigan?
Michigan has a Regional Price Parity of 93.89 (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 ship engineers salary is worth about $84,322 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do ship engineers 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.