Administrative Assistant salary in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
Hiring an administrative assistant costs less in Kalamazoo-Portage than in Michigan or the country as a whole. The median is $44,200 a year1: 4.0% below the Michigan statewide median of $46,020 and 7.0% below the US median of $47,540. Among US areas it comes in at #280 of 520. BLS counts about 1,080 people in this job here, 3% of the Michigan total.
BLS occupation 43-6014, area Kalamazoo-Portage, MI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Kalamazoo-Portage against Michigan and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $32,100 | $44,200 | $60,400 | |
| Michigan | $33,360 | $46,020 | $63,950 | |
| United States | $33,280 | $47,540 | $66,350 |
The middle half of administrative assistants in Kalamazoo-Portage earns $38,410–$48,490. The top tenth earns $60,400 or more, 1.9 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.0 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $10,080 wide, against $14,740 across Michigan and $19,170 nationally: employers in Kalamazoo-Portage pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an administrative assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $32,100 | $2,675 | $15.43 | $41,419 |
| 25th percentile | $38,410 | $3,201 | $18.47 | $49,561 |
| Median | $44,200 | $3,683 | $21.25 | $57,032 |
| 75th percentile | $48,490 | $4,041 | $23.31 | $62,568 |
| 90th percentile | $60,400 | $5,033 | $29.04 | $77,935 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $4,290 a year in pay and about $5,535 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $5,790 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 $47,540 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Kalamazoo-Portage, and the Michigan statewide median of $46,020 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Kalamazoo-Portage
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 $12,832 to the $44,200 median and brings it to $57,032 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 administrative assistants 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 Kalamazoo-Portage
Of the 17 roles we track in Kalamazoo-Portage, this one ranks #13 by median pay, between medical administrative assistants ($44,860) and customer support specialists ($44,130). Project Coordinator is the highest at $97,590.
| Role | Median | vs administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +6.0% | 50 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +1.5% | 930 | |
| Administrative Assistant | this role | 1,080 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -0.2% | 1,970 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -3.3% | 70 |
Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #9 of the 17 roles we track in Kalamazoo-Portage (-7.0%), between office managers (-5.6%) and e-commerce order specialists (-7.4%). The typical role here is at -7.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Administrative assistants hold 10.0% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Kalamazoo-Portage, 10.1% across Michigan and 10.8% 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 $39,660 in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area to $50,600 in Ann Arbor, a gap of $10,940 a year. Of the 9 areas in Michigan with more administrative assistants than Kalamazoo-Portage, 5 pay less, the largest of them the Mid Michigan nonmetro area ($40,180), Flint, MI ($42,600) and the Southern Michigan nonmetro area ($43,130).
| Area | Median | vs Kalamazoo-Portage | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | +2.8% | 4,710 | |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | +1.9% | 520 | |
| Saginaw, MI | +0.8% | 740 | |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | this area | 1,080 | |
| Traverse City, MI | +0.0% | 640 | |
| Battle Creek, MI | -0.4% | 450 | |
| Bay City, MI | -1.0% | 330 |
Kalamazoo-Portage against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Kalamazoo-Portage is #308 of 520 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Michigan, Kokomo and Asheville pay just above Kalamazoo-Portage and Wildwood-The Villages and Blacksburg-Christiansburg just below. All four are within $100 a year of the median in Kalamazoo-Portage. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Kalamazoo-Portage | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bend, OR | +12.9% | 1,110 | jobs | |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | +5.9% | 1,060 | jobs | |
| Asheville, NC | +0.1% | 1,550 | pay | |
| Kokomo, IN | +0.0% | 200 | pay | |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | this area | 1,080 | ||
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | -0.1% | 380 | pay | |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg, VA | -0.2% | 700 | pay | |
| Fayetteville, NC | -4.0% | 1,100 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI?
About $57,032 a year at the median, or $4,753 a month: $44,200 in pay plus about $12,832 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do administrative assistants earn in Kalamazoo-Portage?
The median was $44,200 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $32,100, the 90th $60,400, and the middle half earned $38,410 to $48,490.
Is Kalamazoo-Portage cheaper than the rest of Michigan for administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $44,200 against $46,020 statewide. The next area up in Michigan is Saginaw at $44,560, the next down Traverse City at $44,200.
How many administrative assistants work in Kalamazoo-Portage?
BLS counts about 1,080 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Michigan total of 40,830. 9 areas in Michigan have more; the closest in size is the Northern Michigan nonmetro area, with about 1,210.
Does an administrative assistant cost more than a customer support specialist in Kalamazoo-Portage?
Yes: $70 a year more at the median. The medians are $44,200 and $44,130.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6014: 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.