Americans have often been accused of being the most money-conscious people on the planet. No argument here.
Unlike most other nationalities, the first thing we often ask someone we’ve just been introduced to is “What do you do?” In other words, what’s your job, your profession? That’s when we start judging them.
The second question we might wonder about (but wouldn’t dare ask) is, “How much money do you make?”
For better or worse–almost certainly worse–that’s who we are. We care about money.
That said–and with full apologies to all who rightly understand that financial compensation is no way to judge or value people–let’s take a look at Marquette County salaries.
The numbers come from various websites, the Lake Superior Community Partnership, want ads, news stories, acquaintances, and personal knowledge.
A final caveat: The numbers, in some cases, are averages; in other cases, they’re specific examples. They are not definitive or absolute. You’ll find plenty of examples falling outside the numbers listed here.
In any case, here goes:
Cardiologist, UP Health System…$420,000 There are other specialties that rank higher than this, but this was the highest rated self-reporting physician we could find.
Hematologist, UP Health System…$360,000
NMU President…$220,000 This is a nice salary by UP standards but decidedly modest when compared to other state universities. Central Michigan University pays its president $430,000 and Eastern Michigan pays $340,000.
Neurologist, UP Health System…$204,000
Family Medicine Physician, UP Health System… $180,000 Virtually any of the physicians could go to a larger city and make considerably more, but the trade-off, of course, is lifestyle and cost-of-living.
Real Estate Attorney…$130,000 This is the reported average, but within the entire legal profession, there is a wide range. Some young kid throwing up a shingle outside his/her door may struggle to make 20 grand that first year.
Circuit Judge…$125,000 Here, the reported range, depending on seniority, is from from $103,000-$147,000.
Pharmacist, Target…$122,000 More than you thought, right?
Airline Pilot…$115,000 They’re making less here than they’d make in bigger cities because they generally have less experience and they’re flying smaller planes.
Area Manager, Tilden operations, Cliffs…$115,000 The Cliffs jobs listed here are mostly salaried. What you need to keep in mind is that the hourly jobs pay overtime. Serious overtime. As a result, hourly workers can make considerably more than some salaried workers.
Marquette County Prosecutor…$110,000 You’re not going to get filthy rich here but it is a bigtime job with name recognition and the ability to have an impact.
Litigation Attorney…$107,000 Again, a huge range of salaries here. A couple of lucrative cases can result in a banner year for a lawyer.
Nurse Practitioner, UP Health Services…$95,000
Senior Mining Engineer, Cliffs…$85,000
Elder Care Attorney…$76,000
Marquette County Sheriff…$76,000
Mining Operator, Cliffs…$74,000
State Representative…$72,000 That’s actually the fourth highest salary in the nation for state legislators. Only, New York, Pennsylvania and California are higher. Our rep also receives $11,000 for expenses.
Chiropractor…$71,000 A newcomer will struggle, an experienced one will do well.
Civil Engineer…$70,000
Computer Programmer…$67,000
Maintenance Engineer, Cliffs…$61,000
Claims Adjuster…$58,000
Assistant Professor, NMU…$57,000 The reported range here is from $48,000-$77,000.
Lab Technician, Cliffs…$27 an hour That translates to $57,000 a year without overtime.
Certified Public Accountant…$52,000 That’s, of course, an average. A big name with experience at a big firm will bring in much more.
Postal Service carrier…$52,000 Maybe another surprise. Not only that, but the benefits are good here–health insurance, vacation and sick pay
Registered Nurse, UP Health System…$24 an hour That translates to $50,000 a year but some departments have heavy overtime which, of course, boosts the salaries.
Paralegal…$46,000
Web Developer…$21.11 an hour That converts to about $44,000. This ain’t Silcon Valley.
School Teacher, Marquette Area Public Schools…$43,000 A surprise here in that middle school teachers actually average more than high school teachers. There’s a substantial range here, too. More experience and more certification means more money.
Personal Trainer…$42,000 An increasingly popular profession with a wide range in salary. You build up a clientele here and you can do very well.
Store Manager, MC Sports…$41,000
Tax Preparer…$19.10 an hour Or $40,000 if it’s full time.
Licensed Practical Nurse, UP Health System…$19 an hour That’s about $40,000 a year without overtime.
Operations Technician, Cliffs…$19 an hour Again, $40,000 without overtime.
Social Worker…$37,000 A wide range here depending on the agency and the experience of the individual.
Secretary…$37,000 That’s an average salary. Beginning pay starts at $31,000.
Personal Banker, Wells Fargo…$35,000
Flight Attendant…$35,000 Big range depending on experience.
Clergyman/woman…$33,000 Just a wild guess: some churches pay a lot more than others.
Preschool Teacher, Marquette Area Public Schools…$29,000
Massage Therapist…$13.86 an hour Kinda makes you wonder where the other $40-50 an hour goes. Fulltime, this converts to about $29,000 a year. Needless to say, the popular therapists do much better than this.
Customer Service Associate, Lowes…$13.74 an hour That converts to about $29,000 a year.
Bartender…$29,000 Okay, this is where things start getting sticky. Huge range. Bartenders will generally make $6-7 an hour, and then make the rest in tips. You work the busy shift at a good bar or restaurant, and you can make $20 plus an hour. And on some nights, more.
Waitress/Waiter…$25,000 This is even more difficult to find an average than with bartenders. State law mandates a minimum of $2.65 an hour for tipped jobs. Most servers in Marquette will range from $3-5 an hour. You work the good shift at a popular restaurant, and you can make more than $20 an hour. Others may struggle to earn $10-12 an hour. Determining an average salary is further complicated by the fact that many servers don’t work a full 40 hours a week.
Drain Commissioner…$25,000 Quick! Who knows what a drain commissioner does?
Assistant Manager, Jimmy Johns…$25,000 Bonus! Free sandwiches.
Teller, Wells Fargo…$12 an hour That converts to $25,000 a year.
Manager, Anytime Fitness…$24,000 That salary does not include commissions and bonus.
Reporter, TV6…$24,000 That’s for the beginner fresh out of college. It used to be under $19,000 until the Labor Department stepped in and mandated a raise.
Barista, Starbucks…$10 an hour That converts to $21,000 a year but experience raises that, and Starbucks is praised for their generous benefits–medical, 401 k, and discounts on their coffee.
Farmer….$10.19 an hour Full time, all year, that’s about $21,000. Big range here. Much of this is part time work. You do this because you love it, not because you like money. And you might be a lot happier and healthier than the guy in the suit with a wad of cash in his wallet.
General Laborer, Pepsi…$10 an hour Again, that’s $21,000 a year.
Walmart Associate…$9 an hour That converts to $19,000 a year. That’s a beginning wage. Plenty of jobs here, plenty of chances for advancement.
Home Health Care Aide, Arcadia…$9 an hour That’s $19,000 a year without overtime.
Blogger…13 cents an hour or $126.47 a year.
So there you go. The takeaway? Send your kid to medical school.
What’s not included here, of course, are professions that have no listed salary or wages–realtor, real estate developer, business owner. In those jobs you could earn anywhere from $0 to a million plus. Or you could lose your ass.
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