BLS metro-level wage data places Airfield Operations Specialists pay in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI at a median of $69,560 per year ($33.44/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $56,850, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn pays +22% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 250 airfield operations specialistss are employed across the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn MSA in SOC 53-2022.

The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn pay distribution spans from $41,220 at the 10th percentile to $78,920 at the 90th — a 1.9× 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 $57,550 and the 75th at $78,920, so half of Detroit-Warren-Dearborn-based airfield operations specialistss 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.