Accountant salary in Saginaw, MI
Hiring an accountant costs less in Saginaw than in Michigan or the country as a whole. The median is $76,310 a year1: 3.2% below the Michigan statewide median of $78,820 and 8.8% below the US median of $83,680. Among US areas it comes in at #276 of 521. BLS counts about 790 people in this job here, 2% of the Michigan total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Saginaw, MI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Saginaw against Michigan and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saginaw, MI | $55,380 | $76,310 | $126,520 | |
| Michigan | $52,620 | $78,820 | $131,080 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Saginaw earns $62,490–$96,580. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $126,520, only 2.3 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($83,420) is 9% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $34,090 wide, against $37,180 across Michigan and $42,790 nationally: employers in Saginaw pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $55,380 | $4,615 | $26.62 | $71,458 |
| 25th percentile | $62,490 | $5,208 | $30.04 | $80,632 |
| Median | $76,310 | $6,359 | $36.69 | $98,465 |
| 75th percentile | $96,580 | $8,048 | $46.43 | $124,619 |
| 90th percentile | $126,520 | $10,543 | $60.83 | $163,252 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $20,270 a year in pay and about $26,155 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $13,820 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Saginaw, and the Michigan statewide median of $78,820 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Saginaw
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $22,155 to the $76,310 median and brings it to $98,465 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Saginaw
Of the 17 roles we track in Saginaw, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($94,960); executive assistants come next at $67,540.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +24.4% | 400 | |
| Accountant | this role | 790 | |
| Executive Assistant | -11.5% | 140 | |
| Recruiter | -13.4% | 400 | |
| Office Manager | -18.9% | 520 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #7 of the 17 roles we track in Saginaw (-8.8%), between bookkeepers (-8.3%) and HR assistants (-9.2%). The typical role here is at -10.9%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 9.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Saginaw, 10.2% across Michigan and 9.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Michigan
Across the 19 areas of Michigan with data for this job, the median runs from $69,740 in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area to $91,790 in Midland, a gap of $22,050 a year. Of the 10 areas in Michigan with more accountants than Saginaw, 6 pay less, the largest of them Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI ($76,270), the Mid Michigan nonmetro area ($69,790) and the Southern Michigan nonmetro area ($74,430).
| Area | Median | vs Saginaw | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor, MI | +4.9% | 1,580 | |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | +3.8% | 2,270 | |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | +1.1% | 1,060 | |
| Saginaw, MI | this area | 790 | |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | -0.1% | 5,670 | |
| Monroe, MI | -0.3% | 290 | |
| Battle Creek, MI | -0.4% | 340 |
Saginaw against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Saginaw is #247 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Michigan, Tucson and Louisville pay just above Saginaw and Salisbury and Yuma just below. All four are within $10 a year of the median in Saginaw. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Saginaw | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bozeman, MT | +1.4% | 800 | jobs | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | +0.0% | 4,590 | pay | |
| Tucson, AZ | +0.0% | 2,570 | pay | |
| Saginaw, MI | this area | 790 | ||
| Salisbury, MD | -0.0% | 390 | pay | |
| Yuma, AZ | -0.0% | 390 | pay | |
| Billings, MT | -0.7% | 790 | jobs | |
| Iowa City, IA | -1.6% | 790 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Saginaw, MI?
About $98,465 a year at the median, or $8,205 a month: $76,310 in pay plus about $22,155 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in Saginaw?
The median was $76,310 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $55,380, the 90th $126,520, and the middle half earned $62,490 to $96,580.
Is Saginaw cheaper than the rest of Michigan for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $76,310 against $78,820 statewide. The next area up in Michigan is Kalamazoo-Portage at $77,140, the next down Grand Rapids-Wyoming at $76,270.
How many accountants work in Saginaw?
BLS counts about 790 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Michigan total of 41,460. 10 areas in Michigan have more; the closest in size is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area, with about 820.
Does an accountant cost more than an executive assistant in Saginaw?
Yes: $8,770 a year more at the median. The medians are $76,310 and $67,540.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.