BLS metro-level wage data places Air Traffic Controllers pay in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI at a median of $178,310 per year ($85.73/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $148,080, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn pays +20% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 180 air traffic controllerss are employed across the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn MSA in SOC 53-2021.

The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn pay distribution spans from $100,210 at the 10th percentile to $214,340 at the 90th — a 2.1× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $119,240 and the 75th at $196,810, so half of Detroit-Warren-Dearborn-based air traffic controllerss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide MI data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.