SOC 51-8021 · Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators Salary in Detroit, MI

The average salary for stationary engineers and boiler operators in Detroit, Michigan is $83,300 a year ($40.05 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $87,700: half of the 220 people in this job in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($83,960).

$83,300average per year

$40.05 / hourMedian $87,700Take-home ≈ $62,278

  • $61K10th
  • $80K25th
  • $88KMedian
  • $92K75th
  • $93K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

220people in this job
-1%vs U.S. average
100cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators pay range in Detroit

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $61,060 a year or less, while the top 10% make $92,820 or more. The middle half of stationary engineers and boiler operators in Detroit earn between $79,660 and $92,230.

  • $61K10th
  • $80K25th
  • $88KMedian
  • $92K75th
  • $93K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$83,300$6,942$40.05
Median$87,700$7,308$42.16
Entry level (25th percentile)$79,660$6,638$38.30
Experienced (75th percentile)$92,230$7,686$44.34

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators pay in Detroit vs. Michigan and the U.S.

Stationary engineers and boiler operators in Detroit earn 7% more than the Michigan average ($77,930) and about the same as the U.S. average ($83,960). At the median the gap is +12% against the U.S. median of $78,620.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Detroit$83,300$87,700$61,060$92,820220
Michigan$77,930$82,800$54,510$92,630490
United States$83,960$78,620$50,590$125,39028,250

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators salary after taxes in Detroit

On the average salary of $83,300, a single filer in Detroit takes home about $62,278 a year, or $5,190 a month and $2,395 every two weeks. Taxes take 25% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Includes Detroit's local income tax (2.4%).

Michigan paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Detroit a good place for stationary engineers and boiler operators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Detroit area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 100.3), so the average $83,300 buys what about $83,053 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Detroit ($52,080). A typical home costs $269,080, or 3.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $83,300 is worth in another city

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators salary in nearby metro areas

Highest-paying cities for stationary engineers and boiler operators

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($118,680).

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators salary by city

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Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators salary in Detroit: questions

How much do stationary engineers and boiler operators make an hour in Detroit?

$40.05 an hour on average, and $42.17 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level stationary engineers and boiler operators salary in Detroit?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $61,060 a year and the 25th percentile is $79,660, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the stationary engineers and boiler operators take-home pay in Detroit?

About $62,278 a year ($5,190 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $83,300. Includes Detroit's local income tax (2.4%).

Do stationary engineers and boiler operators earn more in Detroit than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($83,960).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 51-8021; area Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI (19820). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.7%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Includes Detroit's local income tax (2.4%).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.63, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.63).

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