Customer Support Specialist salary in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area
Hiring a customer support specialist costs less in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area than in Michigan or the country as a whole. The median is $40,060 a year1: 8.9% below the Michigan statewide median of $43,950 and 10.5% below the US median of $44,770. Nationally it ranks #286 of 520 areas. About 1,100 customer support specialists work here, 2% of the Michigan total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Northern Michigan nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area against Michigan and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Michigan (Nonmetro) | $30,110 | $40,060 | $58,540 | |
| Michigan | $30,670 | $43,950 | $63,830 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
Customer support specialists at the 90th percentile earn $58,540, 1.9 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of customer support specialists in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area earns $34,930–$47,630. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $12,700 wide, against $13,910 across Michigan and $14,910 nationally: employers in the Northern 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 | $30,110 | $2,509 | $14.48 | $38,852 |
| 25th percentile | $34,930 | $2,911 | $16.79 | $45,071 |
| Median | $40,060 | $3,338 | $19.26 | $51,690 |
| 75th percentile | $47,630 | $3,969 | $22.90 | $61,458 |
| 90th percentile | $58,540 | $4,878 | $28.14 | $75,535 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,570 a year in pay and about $9,768 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $5,130 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 $44,770 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area, and the Michigan statewide median of $43,950 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area
At the $40,060 median, a local hire costs about $51,690 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,630 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 Northern Michigan nonmetro area
Of the 17 roles we track in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area, this one ranks #13 by median pay, between e-commerce order specialists ($43,610) and administrative assistants ($39,660). Project Coordinator is the highest at $80,840.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +12.9% | 1,190 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +8.9% | 40 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 1,100 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -1.0% | 1,210 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -2.4% | 740 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #5 of the 17 roles we track in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area (-10.5%), between HR assistants (-8.6%) and bookkeepers (-10.7%). The typical role here is at -15.0%, so, measured against the US, customer support specialists cost more in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Customer support specialists hold 12.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area, 17.6% across Michigan and 16.4% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
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 9 areas in Michigan with more customer support specialists than the Northern Michigan nonmetro area, 3 pay less: Ann Arbor, MI ($39,480), Saginaw, MI ($36,150) and Flint, MI ($38,800).
| Area | Median | vs the Northern Michigan nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle Creek, MI | +2.0% | 620 | |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | +1.7% | 700 | |
| Mid Michigan (Nonmetro) | +0.5% | 1,790 | |
| Northern Michigan (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,100 | |
| Ann Arbor, MI | -1.4% | 3,440 | |
| Bay City, MI | -2.9% | 330 | |
| Flint, MI | -3.1% | 1,970 |
the Northern Michigan nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Northern Michigan nonmetro area is #317 of 520 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Michigan, Idaho Falls and Tucson pay just above the Northern Michigan nonmetro area and Davenport-Moline and Peoria just below. All four are within $220 a year of the median in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Northern Michigan nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janesville-Beloit, WI | +15.4% | 1,110 | jobs | |
| Tucson, AZ | +0.1% | 7,880 | pay | |
| Idaho Falls, ID | +0.0% | 1,710 | pay | |
| Northern Michigan (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,100 | ||
| Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | -0.3% | 3,040 | pay | |
| Peoria, IL | -0.5% | 2,260 | pay | |
| Daphne-Fairhope, AL | -5.6% | 1,110 | jobs | |
| Monroe, LA | -13.8% | 1,110 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Northern Michigan (Nonmetro)?
About $51,690 a year at the median, or $4,308 a month: $40,060 in pay plus about $11,630 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do customer support specialists earn in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area?
The median was $40,060 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $30,110, the 90th $58,540, and the middle half earned $34,930 to $47,630.
Is the Northern Michigan nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Michigan for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $40,060 against $43,950 statewide. The next area up in Michigan is the Mid Michigan nonmetro area at $40,250, the next down Ann Arbor at $39,480.
How many customer support specialists work in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 1,100 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Michigan total of 71,310. 9 areas in Michigan have more; the closest in size is the Southern Michigan nonmetro area, with about 1,190.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than an administrative assistant in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area?
Yes: $400 a year more at the median. The medians are $40,060 and $39,660.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with the Northern 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 $51,690 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.