Tire Repairers and Changers Salary
In Traverse City, MI, tire repairers and changers earn $42,120 at the median, or about $20.25 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.37), which stretches that salary to about $45,111 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,224/month, about 42.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $42K 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 tire repairers and changers
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What this looks like in Traverse City
Traverse City sits well above the national pay line for tire repairers and changers, local pay runs about 12% higher than the U.S. median of $38K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,224/month, which is 43.1% 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. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tire repairers and changers in metros near Traverse City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $38K | $37K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $37K | $39K |
| Lansing-East Lansing | $38K | $40K |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores | $36K | $39K |
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 tire repairers and changers (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $12K spread from bottom to top.
Tire Repairers and Changers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Tire Repairers and Changers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $48K | +26% | 2,260 |
| Delaware | $47K | +24% | 230 |
| Montana | $46K | +23% | 740 |
| Rhode Island | $46K | +23% | 190 |
| Hawaii | $46K | +21% | 220 |
| Colorado | $45K | +20% | 2,750 |
| Washington | $45K | +18% | 2,960 |
| Vermont | $44K | +18% | 120 |
| New Jersey | $44K | +18% | 2,290 |
| Maryland | $44K | +18% | 880 |
| Minnesota | $44K | +16% | 1,310 |
| New York | $44K | +16% | 1,750 |
| Alaska | $43K | +15% | 450 |
| Virginia | $42K | +12% | 2,430 |
| Ohio | $42K | +11% | 3,530 |
| California | $40K | +5% | 11,620 |
| Wisconsin | $40K | +5% | 1,350 |
| Nevada | $39K | +4% | 930 |
| Missouri | $39K | +3% | 2,110 |
| Maine | $39K | +3% | 490 |
| South Dakota | $39K | +3% | 360 |
| Illinois | $38K | +2% | 3,540 |
| Arizona | $38K | +2% | 3,160 |
| North Dakota | $38K | +1% | 560 |
| Iowa | $38K | +1% | 990 |
| Kansas | $38K | +0% | 930 |
| New Hampshire | $38K | +0% | 340 |
| Pennsylvania | $38K | +0% | 3,170 |
| Idaho | $38K | -0% | 1,070 |
| Michigan | $37K | -2% | 4,470 |
| Utah | $37K | -2% | 1,910 |
| Massachusetts | $37K | -2% | 1,240 |
| Tennessee | $37K | -3% | 2,770 |
| Nebraska | $37K | -3% | 910 |
| Wyoming | $36K | -4% | 250 |
| Kentucky | $36K | -4% | 1,270 |
| Texas | $36K | -4% | 14,170 |
| Indiana | $36K | -5% | 2,450 |
| Connecticut | $36K | -5% | 740 |
| North Carolina | $35K | -7% | 3,690 |
| South Carolina | $35K | -7% | 1,920 |
| Alabama | $35K | -7% | 2,240 |
| Oklahoma | $35K | -7% | 1,460 |
| Georgia | $35K | -8% | 3,980 |
| Arkansas | $34K | -9% | 1,240 |
| Mississippi | $34K | -9% | 1,040 |
| Florida | $34K | -10% | 6,960 |
| Louisiana | $34K | -10% | 1,120 |
| New Mexico | $32K | -16% | 1,190 |
| West Virginia | $30K | -21% | 640 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track tire repairers and changers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Traverse City numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tire repairers and changer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Traverse City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 43.1% 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 $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tire repairers and changers in Traverse City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tire repairers and changers typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,153/month. At HUD’s $1,224/month FMR, rent would take 57% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is tire repairers and changer a high-paying job in Traverse City?
Local pay is 12% above the national median — $42K here vs. $38K nationally.
How does Traverse City compare to the national average for tire repairers and changers?
Traverse City pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s +12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.37), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tire repairers and changers make in Traverse City, MI?
The median is $42,120 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,890, and experienced tire repairers and changers can clear $48,190. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in Traverse City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,841/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,224/month, which eats 43.1% 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 tire repairers and changers 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 tire repairers and changers salary is worth about $45,111 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do tire repairers and changers 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.