Customer Support Specialist salary in the Mid Michigan nonmetro area
Hiring a customer support specialist costs less in the Mid Michigan nonmetro area than in Michigan or the country as a whole. The median is $40,250 a year1: 8.4% below the Michigan statewide median of $43,950 and 10.1% below the US median of $44,770. Nationally it ranks #277 of 520 areas. About 1,790 customer support specialists work here, 3% of the Michigan total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Mid Michigan nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Mid Michigan nonmetro area against Michigan and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid Michigan (Nonmetro) | $29,250 | $40,250 | $58,940 | |
| Michigan | $30,670 | $43,950 | $63,830 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
Customer support specialists at the 90th percentile earn $58,940, 2.0 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of customer support specialists in the Mid Michigan nonmetro area earns $34,770–$47,630. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $12,860 wide, against $13,910 across Michigan and $14,910 nationally: employers in the Mid Michigan nonmetro area pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a customer support specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $29,250 | $2,438 | $14.06 | $37,742 |
| 25th percentile | $34,770 | $2,898 | $16.72 | $44,865 |
| Median | $40,250 | $3,354 | $19.35 | $51,935 |
| 75th percentile | $47,630 | $3,969 | $22.90 | $61,458 |
| 90th percentile | $58,940 | $4,912 | $28.34 | $76,052 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $5,480 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $7,380, or about $9,523 once benefits are added. 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 $44,770 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in the Mid Michigan nonmetro area, and the Michigan statewide median of $43,950 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in the Mid Michigan nonmetro area
At the $40,250 median, a local hire costs about $51,935 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,685 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
Our open customer support specialist roles pay $700–$1,000 a month under a direct contract. The one-time fee is $2,5003 with a 180-day replacement; paying through Deel adds $49 a month4. Change any number below to match your plan.
A local hire here costs about 3.9 times as much as a remote hire in year one at the midpoint of our range. From year two, when the fee drops out, it is 4.8 times the remote figure of $10,788. About the candidates: most apply through our assessment platform with a written and a spoken English task; each profile shows the English level (B1–C2); Silkstaff interviews every shortlisted candidate live, in English, before you meet them.
Other roles in the Mid Michigan nonmetro area
Of the 17 roles we track in the Mid Michigan nonmetro area, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($46,440) and administrative assistants ($40,180). Project Coordinator is the highest at $84,830.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +16.8% | 50 | |
| Bookkeeper | +15.4% | 1,410 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 1,790 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -0.2% | 1,580 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -1.8% | 940 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #5 of the 17 roles we track in the Mid Michigan nonmetro area (-10.1%), between bookkeepers (-8.3%) and medical administrative assistants (-14.0%). The typical role here is at -15.5%, so, measured against the US, customer support specialists cost more in the Mid Michigan nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Customer support specialists hold 15.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Mid Michigan nonmetro area, 17.6% across Michigan and 16.4% 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 $36,150 in Saginaw to $48,250 in Midland, a gap of $12,100 a year. Of the 7 areas in Michigan with more customer support specialists than the Mid Michigan nonmetro area, 3 pay less: Ann Arbor, MI ($39,480), Saginaw, MI ($36,150) and Flint, MI ($38,800).
| Area | Median | vs the Mid Michigan nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe, MI | +3.5% | 370 | |
| Battle Creek, MI | +1.5% | 620 | |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | +1.3% | 700 | |
| Mid Michigan (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,790 | |
| Northern Michigan (Nonmetro) | -0.5% | 1,100 | |
| Ann Arbor, MI | -1.9% | 3,440 | |
| Bay City, MI | -3.4% | 330 |
the Mid Michigan nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Mid Michigan nonmetro area is #205 of 520 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Michigan, Wildwood-The Villages and Pueblo pay just above the Mid Michigan nonmetro area and Charlottesville and Springfield just below. All four are within $110 a year of the median in the Mid Michigan nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Mid Michigan nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | +28.7% | 1,750 | jobs | |
| Utica-Rome, NY | +12.4% | 1,770 | jobs | |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | +6.6% | 1,770 | jobs | |
| Pueblo, CO | +0.3% | 690 | pay | |
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | +0.2% | 660 | pay | |
| Mid Michigan (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,790 | ||
| Charlottesville, VA | -0.0% | 1,130 | pay | |
| Springfield, IL | -0.0% | 1,510 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Mid Michigan (Nonmetro)?
About $51,935 a year at the median, or $4,328 a month: $40,250 in pay plus about $11,685 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for customer support specialists in the Mid Michigan nonmetro area?
The median was $40,250 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $29,250, the 90th $58,940, and the middle half earned $34,770 to $47,630.
Is the Mid Michigan nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Michigan for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $40,250 against $43,950 statewide. The next area up in Michigan is Muskegon-Norton Shores at $40,760, the next down the Northern Michigan nonmetro area at $40,060.
How many customer support specialists work in the Mid Michigan nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 1,790 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Michigan total of 71,310. 7 areas in Michigan have more; the closest in size is Kalamazoo-Portage, with about 1,970.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than an administrative assistant in the Mid Michigan nonmetro area?
Yes: $70 a year more at the median. The medians are $40,250 and $40,180.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with the Mid Michigan nonmetro area?
Our open roles pay $700–$1,000 a month. At the midpoint, with the one-time fee and Deel, year one comes to $13,288, against about $51,935 for a local hire at the median.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4051: 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.