Michigan is one of the top ten states in the nation for postsecondary programs related to transportation, according to the state's latest Michigan Mobility Report. These programs include mechanical engineering, logistics and supply chain management.
Other key findings include:
- Average annual employment made up 13% of jobs statewide.
- The average annual salary in mobility was $13,900 above the state average.
- The number of apprenticeships related to mobility has been increasing since 2014.
- Workers between the ages of 45 and 64 made up 42.8% of the workforce in this sector.
"This report really brings forth just the variety of opportunities available in mobility and just kind of the education and training piece that's there to help individuals gain the skills and knowledge that they need to pursue those opportunities," State Economic Analyst Brandon Fuller said.
The Michigan Mobility Report is a project by the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity that looks at the current trends in the labor market of the mobility sector. The mobility sector consists of three key groups including jobs in manufacturing, service and transportation.
“These sub-sectors capture everything from the development, production and sale of transportation equipment to the actual physical movement of people and goods,” Fuller said.
Michigan education programs relating to these fields have been growing steadily since 2014, but have leveled off since 2022, according to the report. There have been over 400 people who have completed these apprenticeships every year since 2020.
In 2024, the report said there were close to 2,900 “active registered apprentices” in the mobility sector across the state. The occupations after these programs are shown to have median wages that surpass median wages in other industries statewide.
These industries have also seen an increase in the number of women and people of color. Fuller said from 2019 to 2024, the percentage of women, people of color and veterans in these programs have been increasing quicker than programs in other industries across the state.
Outside of these apprenticeships, men are more likely to be employed in these industries, making up around 75% of workers.
Fuller said overall, the mobility sector brings a wide range of job opportunities to Michigan.
![The Cheboygan River Dam's sea lamprey trap can hold up to a thousand lamprey. When sea lamprey are returning to the river to spawn in the spring, the trap needs to be emptied multiple times a day. The blue crane [on the far left] by the dam is used to lift the trap out of the water.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/941e9c9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3474x1936+0+249/resize/560x312!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F39%2F3c%2F81307d274e889e4b036955cbea28%2Fimg-1299.jpg)