This week in Detroit: green energy, EV & manufacturing
Metro Detroit is still engineering country. The region employs 22,500 mechanical engineers, who earn a $109,470 median, about $5,400 more than the U.S. figure, plus 17,350 industrial engineers at $104,110. Electrical engineers have the highest local pay of this week’s group at $114,390, though that trails the national median by roughly $6,200.
You don’t need an engineering degree to get a piece of the auto economy. Industrial machinery mechanics here make $71,100, around $6,600 above the national median, and the area’s 9,520 auto service techs earn $56,000, about $5,400 more than techs nationwide.
Who’s hiring: Ford is looking for an Industrial Engineer at its Flat Rock plant, and GM is recruiting in Warren for a mechanical hardware engineer and a process engineer for gears and shafts. The City of Detroit’s General Services Department opened a General Auto Mechanic job ($59,405–$73,195) on Oct. 23; apply by Oct. 31.
Fastest way in: Henry Ford College’s MAT2 program covers your mechatronics or CNC associate degree while a sponsoring company pays you to learn on the job. If you’d rather start with something shorter, Detroit at Work lists free industrial maintenance training through LIFT Learning Lab and Focus: HOPE for eligible residents; call 313-962-9675 to check what’s open.
Coming up: Performance Driven Workforce is interviewing for entry-level and diesel mechanics, electrical technicians and other roles, paying up to $30 an hour, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m.–1 p.m., at the Detroit at Work Michigan Ave. Career Center (9301 Michigan Ave.). The next day, Oct. 28, Manufacturing in America fills Ford Field with free automation seminars and exhibits from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (registration required). See all Detroit at Work events.
Top jobs in Detroit right now
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025, annual median wages and employment for the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro. BLS has no wind turbine technician estimate for metro Detroit, and it reports statistician employment (170) but no median wage.
Who’s hiring in Detroit
- Ford Motor CompanyIndustrial engineer · Flat Rock · Job ID 67266 · See opening
- General MotorsMechanical hardware engineer, CAD, prototyping & reliability testing · Warren · See opening
- General MotorsProcess engineer, gears & shafts · Warren · See opening
- City of DetroitGeneral auto mechanic, General Services · $59,405–$73,195 · Closes Oct 31 · See opening
Hiring for these roles? Get featured here.
Where to train near Detroit
- Henry Ford College MAT2Fully funded mechatronics or CNC associate degree with paid on-the-job training at a sponsoring company · Dearborn · Learn more
- Detroit at Work manufacturing trainingFree for eligible Detroiters: LIFT Learning Lab “Operation Next” mechanical or electrical industrial maintenance, or Focus: HOPE industrial manufacturing · Call 313-962-9675 · See programs
- Manufacturing in America 2026Free expo with 30+ technical seminars on automation and controls · Wed, Oct 28, 8 a.m.–7 p.m. · Ford Field · Registration required · Event details
Past updates
Week 5: Detroit green energy, EV & manufacturing jobs
Metro Detroit pay for all nine new jobs (#36–44), engineering openings at Ford and GM, a City of Detroit auto mechanic job, paid mechatronics training and two events this week.
Week 4: Detroit skilled trades & construction jobs
Metro Detroit pay for all nine new trades jobs (#27–35), City of Detroit electrical and plumbing openings, union and pre-apprenticeship training, and two hiring events before Oct 28.
Week 3: Detroit tech & cybersecurity jobs
Metro Detroit pay for eight of the nine new tech jobs (#18–26), IT and network openings at GM and Ford, no-cost cybersecurity training and two WCCCD career fairs.
Week 2: Detroit healthcare jobs
Added metro Detroit pay for nine healthcare jobs (#9–17), employers recruiting therapy staff and local PTA and medical assistant training.
Edition launch
Detroit edition goes live with May 2025 local pay data for 7 of the first 8 jobs on the national list.
FAQ
What are the highest-paying jobs in Detroit for 2027?
Among the jobs on our 2027 list, computer and information systems managers ($170,040), computer and information research scientists ($136,720) and nurse practitioners ($134,390) have the highest median pay in metro Detroit, based on BLS May 2025 data.
What jobs in Detroit don’t require a degree?
Most of the skilled trades. In metro Detroit, elevator and escalator installers earn a $106,610 median and power-line installers earn $104,360, and plumbers ($86,370) and electricians ($81,990) start through paid apprenticeships. Solar installers and home health aides can also start with a high school diploma (BLS, May 2025).
How do I start a cybersecurity career in Detroit?
One no-cost option is Per Scholas Detroit’s Cybersecurity with AI Tools course: remote, full time, 12 to 16 weeks, with the next class starting November 30, 2026 (apply by November 16). You must meet income guidelines and live in metro Detroit. For a degree, Oakland Community College offers a 62-credit Cybersecurity AAS and a 36-credit certificate. Information security analysts in metro Detroit earn a $108,990 median (BLS, May 2025).
How do I become an electrician in Detroit?
Most electricians here train through a paid apprenticeship. The IBEW Local 58 inside wireman program at the Detroit Electrical Industry Training Center in Warren lasts five years (8,000 field hours) and starts at $25.23 an hour; its last application window was June 15–19, 2026, so watch for the next one. You need to be at least 17 with a high school diploma or GED. Metro Detroit’s 11,210 electricians earn an $81,990 median (BLS, May 2025).
Which manufacturing and EV jobs pay well in Detroit?
In metro Detroit, electrical engineers earn a $114,390 median, mechanical engineers $109,470 and industrial engineers $104,110 (BLS, May 2025). Without a degree, industrial machinery mechanics earn $71,100 and auto service technicians $56,000, both above the national medians. To train while you earn, Henry Ford College’s MAT2 program offers a fully funded mechatronics or CNC associate degree with paid on-the-job training at a sponsoring company.
How often is this page updated?
Every week, alongside the national Hottest Jobs for 2027 list.
Jazzy, Founder of Always Working
Jazzy runs the Always Working Career Center, with local job hubs in Detroit and Tampa Bay.