High paying entry level jobs in Bay City, MI

These occupations in Bay City, MI ask for no prior experience in a related job and no on-the-job training period: you are expected to be productive on arrival. That is precisely why most of them want a specific qualification instead — the credential does the work the experience would have. Read the line under each title for what that qualification is; several here are doctorates. If you need something you can start without one, use the no-experience list.

Cost of living: prices in Bay City, MI run 8.1% below the national average (2024), so a Bay City, MI salary is worth about 1.09× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find high paying jobs in Bay City, MI

OccupationMedian, Bay City, MI · Employed

1Pharmacists$135,330
Doctoral or professional degree
$109,690 – $159,86060
2Chemists$132,480
Bachelor's degree
$97,440 – $161,920250
3Nurse Practitioners$127,830
Master's degree
$85,220 – $215,29050
4Software Developers$124,420
Bachelor's degree
$75,000 – $159,65090
5Industrial Engineers$102,590
Bachelor's degree
$79,720 – $155,590160
6Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$102,060
Bachelor's degree
$58,970 – $131,45030
7Lawyers$101,540
Doctoral or professional degree
$69,450 – $168,18060
8Electrical Engineers$101,480
Bachelor's degree
$78,030 – $138,23050
9Mechanical Engineers$96,000
Bachelor's degree
$65,110 – $132,65060
10Computer Systems Analysts$94,820
Bachelor's degree
$67,590 – $143,01040
11Project Management Specialists$94,170
Bachelor's degree
$49,310 – $142,63090
12Physical Therapists$93,450
Doctoral or professional degree
$77,250 – $119,450120
13Civil Engineers$85,690
Bachelor's degree
$68,790 – $174,29050
14Occupational Therapists$80,880
Master's degree
$61,160 – $96,29080
15Dental Hygienists$79,920
Associate's degree
$73,360 – $90,24090
16Network and Computer Systems Administrators$78,020
Bachelor's degree
$53,580 – $113,15040
17Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$77,440
Bachelor's degree
$59,490 – $110,83040
18Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$74,010
Bachelor's degree
$46,020 – $90,320350
19Accountants and Auditors$73,320
Bachelor's degree
$49,090 – $109,880260
20Business Operations Specialists, All Other$71,220
Bachelor's degree
$45,760 – $103,51080
21Human Resources Specialists$63,200
Bachelor's degree
$40,610 – $110,470120
22Public Relations Specialists$62,610
Bachelor's degree
$31,330 – $87,98040
23Librarians and Media Collections Specialists$62,190
Master's degree
$46,800 – $75,55030
24Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$61,380
Postsecondary nondegree award
$53,820 – $73,800150
25Physical Therapist Assistants$58,970
Associate's degree
$49,550 – $74,420110
26Logisticians$58,800
Bachelor's degree
$47,390 – $102,92070
27Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$58,690
Bachelor's degree
$45,620 – $92,900220
28Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors$56,690
Master's degree
$37,770 – $88,790100
29Child, Family, and School Social Workers$55,810
Bachelor's degree
$36,590 – $77,510210
30Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists$55,220
Bachelor's degree
$35,960 – $105,800110
31Paralegals and Legal Assistants$54,170
Associate's degree
$36,520 – $91,35040
32Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other$45,920
Bachelor's degree
$42,190 – $81,24060
33Dental Assistants$45,070
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,500 – $56,21090
34Rehabilitation Counselors$39,520
Master's degree
$28,820 – $77,46040
35Medical Assistants$38,540
Postsecondary nondegree award
$30,480 – $45,310210
36Nursing Assistants$38,260
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,730 – $44,510490
37Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$36,570
Associate's degree
$27,170 – $44,85070
38Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$31,510
Some college, no degree
$26,720 – $40,830300
39Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists$30,720
Postsecondary nondegree award
$26,770 – $93,78070

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianBay City, MI	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$135,330	$109,690 – $159,860	60
2	ChemistsBachelor's degree	$132,480	$97,440 – $161,920	250
3	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$127,830	$85,220 – $215,290	50
4	Software DevelopersBachelor's degree	$124,420	$75,000 – $159,650	90
5	Industrial EngineersBachelor's degree	$102,590	$79,720 – $155,590	160
6	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$102,060	$58,970 – $131,450	30
7	LawyersDoctoral or professional degree	$101,540	$69,450 – $168,180	60
8	Electrical EngineersBachelor's degree	$101,480	$78,030 – $138,230	50
9	Mechanical EngineersBachelor's degree	$96,000	$65,110 – $132,650	60
10	Computer Systems AnalystsBachelor's degree	$94,820	$67,590 – $143,010	40
11	Project Management SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$94,170	$49,310 – $142,630	90
12	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$93,450	$77,250 – $119,450	120
13	Civil EngineersBachelor's degree	$85,690	$68,790 – $174,290	50
14	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$80,880	$61,160 – $96,290	80
15	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$79,920	$73,360 – $90,240	90
16	Network and Computer Systems AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$78,020	$53,580 – $113,150	40
17	Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthBachelor's degree	$77,440	$59,490 – $110,830	40
18	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$74,010	$46,020 – $90,320	350
19	Accountants and AuditorsBachelor's degree	$73,320	$49,090 – $109,880	260
20	Business Operations Specialists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$71,220	$45,760 – $103,510	80
21	Human Resources SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$63,200	$40,610 – $110,470	120
22	Public Relations SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$62,610	$31,330 – $87,980	40
23	Librarians and Media Collections SpecialistsMaster's degree	$62,190	$46,800 – $75,550	30
24	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$61,380	$53,820 – $73,800	150
25	Physical Therapist AssistantsAssociate's degree	$58,970	$49,550 – $74,420	110
26	LogisticiansBachelor's degree	$58,800	$47,390 – $102,920	70
27	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$58,690	$45,620 – $92,900	220
28	Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and AdvisorsMaster's degree	$56,690	$37,770 – $88,790	100
29	Child, Family, and School Social WorkersBachelor's degree	$55,810	$36,590 – $77,510	210
30	Market Research Analysts and Marketing SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$55,220	$35,960 – $105,800	110
31	Paralegals and Legal AssistantsAssociate's degree	$54,170	$36,520 – $91,350	40
32	Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$45,920	$42,190 – $81,240	60
33	Dental AssistantsPostsecondary nondegree award	$45,070	$37,500 – $56,210	90
34	Rehabilitation CounselorsMaster's degree	$39,520	$28,820 – $77,460	40
35	Medical AssistantsPostsecondary nondegree award	$38,540	$30,480 – $45,310	210
36	Nursing AssistantsPostsecondary nondegree award	$38,260	$36,730 – $44,510	490
37	Preschool Teachers, Except Special EducationAssociate's degree	$36,570	$27,170 – $44,850	70
38	Teaching Assistants, Except PostsecondarySome college, no degree	$31,510	$26,720 – $40,830	300
39	Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and CosmetologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$30,720	$26,770 – $93,780	70

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Bay City, MI. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Bay City, MI to rank honestly.

High paying entry level jobs in Bay City, MI

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