Salaries in Michigan.
2 metro areas. 3445 roles.
Average cost-of-living index: 0.96x national average. Last updated April 2026.
2 cities tracked3445 roles
Highest Paying
$368,000
Principal Quantitative Researcher
Median Role
$319,000
Staff Quantitative Researcher
Entry Level
$307,000
Senior VP of Design
Salary data sourced from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, H-1B Labor Condition Applications (DOL), state pay-transparency job postings, and community submissions. Ranges reflect 25th to 75th percentile for full-time positions. Cost-of-living adjustments use Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2025 index). Last updated June 2026.
Michigan has 2 major metro areas tracked in our salary database, with an average cost-of-living index of 0.96x the national average. The highest-paying role across the state is Principal Quantitative Researcher at $368,000 in Ann Arbor. The median role pays $319,000.
Top 30 salaries in Michigan
| # | Role | Median | Top City | Range |
|---|
| 1 | Principal Quantitative Researcher | $368,000 | Ann Arbor | $287,000 to $478,000 |
| 2 | Technical Fellow | $350,000 | Ann Arbor | $273,000 to $455,000 |
| 3 | Principal AI Research Scientist | $346,000 | Ann Arbor | $270,000 to $450,000 |
| 4 | Senior VP of Security | $343,000 | Ann Arbor | $268,000 to $446,000 |
| 5 | Principal AI Safety Engineer | $340,000 | Ann Arbor | $266,000 to $442,000 |
| 6 | Principal AI Agent Architect | $337,000 | Ann Arbor | $263,000 to $438,000 |
| 7 | Principal Quantitative Developer | $334,000 | Ann Arbor | $261,000 to $435,000 |
| 8 | SVP of Technology | $334,000 | Ann Arbor | $261,000 to $435,000 |
| 9 | Senior VP of Product | $333,000 | Ann Arbor | $260,000 to $433,000 |
| 10 | Chief Security Officer | $333,000 | Ann Arbor | $260,000 to $433,000 |
| 11 | Principal Deep Learning Engineer | $331,000 | Ann Arbor | $258,000 to $431,000 |
| 12 | Distinguished Engineer | $330,000 | Ann Arbor | $250,000 to $420,000 |
| 13 | Chief Science Officer | $323,000 | Ann Arbor | $252,000 to $419,000 |
| 14 | Principal AI Agent Engineer | $321,000 | Ann Arbor | $251,000 to $418,000 |
| 15 | Principal AI Compiler Engineer | $321,000 | Ann Arbor | $251,000 to $418,000 |
| 16 | Staff Quantitative Researcher | $319,000 | Ann Arbor | $249,000 to $415,000 |
| 17 | Chief Machine Learning Officer | $318,000 | Ann Arbor | $248,000 to $414,000 |
| 18 | SVP of Strategy | $315,000 | Ann Arbor | $246,000 to $410,000 |
| 19 | Chief AI Officer | $313,000 | Ann Arbor | $232,000 to $404,000 |
| 20 | Staff AI Research Scientist | $313,000 | Ann Arbor | $244,000 to $407,000 |
| 21 | SVP of Engineering | $313,000 | Ann Arbor | $244,000 to $407,000 |
| 22 | Chief Design Officer | $313,000 | Ann Arbor | $244,000 to $407,000 |
| 23 | Chief Strategy Officer | $313,000 | Ann Arbor | $244,000 to $407,000 |
| 24 | SVP of Data | $313,000 | Ann Arbor | $244,000 to $407,000 |
| 25 | L7 Software Engineer | $313,000 | Ann Arbor | $244,000 to $407,000 |
| 26 | Principal Applied Scientist | $309,000 | Ann Arbor | $241,000 to $402,000 |
| 27 | Principal Computer Vision Engineer | $307,000 | Ann Arbor | $239,000 to $399,000 |
| 28 | Principal Compiler Engineer | $307,000 | Ann Arbor | $239,000 to $398,000 |
| 29 | Senior Head of Security | $307,000 | Ann Arbor | $240,000 to $399,000 |
| 30 | Senior VP of Design | $307,000 | Ann Arbor | $240,000 to $399,000 |
Tax considerations in Michigan
Michigan has a flat 4.25% state income tax. Detroit adds a city income tax of 2.4% for residents. Factor the city tax into your calculations if living within city limits.
Michigan has a flat 4.25% income tax. Ann Arbor has a city income tax of 1% for residents. The moderate combined rate is offset by the strong employer base and research ecosystem.
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