Customer Support Specialist salary in the Southern Michigan nonmetro area
For this job the Southern Michigan nonmetro area sits right at the Michigan figure, with a median of $43,920 a year1. That is about level with the Michigan statewide median of $43,950, and 1.9% below the US median of $44,770. Among US areas it comes in at #178 of 520. BLS counts about 1,190 people in this job here, 2% of the Michigan total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Southern Michigan nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Southern Michigan nonmetro area against Michigan and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Michigan (Nonmetro) | $29,900 | $43,920 | $62,580 | |
| Michigan | $30,670 | $43,950 | $63,830 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
The middle half of customer support specialists in the Southern Michigan nonmetro area earns $35,410–$53,670. The top tenth earns $62,580 or more, 2.1 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.0 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $18,260 wide, wider than in Michigan as a whole ($13,910) and the US ($14,910), so what a customer support specialist earns in the Southern Michigan nonmetro area depends more on the employer.
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 | $29,900 | $2,492 | $14.38 | $38,581 |
| 25th percentile | $35,410 | $2,951 | $17.02 | $45,690 |
| Median | $43,920 | $3,660 | $21.12 | $56,671 |
| 75th percentile | $53,670 | $4,472 | $25.80 | $69,252 |
| 90th percentile | $62,580 | $5,215 | $30.09 | $80,748 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $8,510 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $9,750, or about $12,581 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 Southern Michigan nonmetro area, and the Michigan statewide median of $43,950 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in the Southern Michigan nonmetro area
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 $12,751 to the $43,920 median and brings it to $56,671 a year. 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 4.3 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 5.3 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 Southern Michigan nonmetro area
Of the 17 roles we track in the Southern Michigan nonmetro area, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($47,020) and e-commerce order specialists ($43,400). Project Coordinator is the highest at $96,590.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +13.3% | 110 | |
| Bookkeeper | +7.1% | 1,200 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 1,190 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -1.2% | 70 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -1.8% | 1,260 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #3 of the 17 roles we track in the Southern Michigan nonmetro area (-1.9%), between HR assistants (-0.3%) and virtual receptionists (-4.9%). The typical role here is at -9.3%, so, measured against the US, customer support specialists cost more in the Southern Michigan nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Customer support specialists hold 13.4% of the jobs in the 16 of these roles with a job count in the Southern Michigan nonmetro area, 17.7% across Michigan and 16.5% 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 8 areas in Michigan with more customer support specialists than the Southern Michigan nonmetro area, 4 pay less, the largest of them Ann Arbor, MI ($39,480), Saginaw, MI ($36,150) and Flint, MI ($38,800).
| Area | Median | vs the Southern Michigan nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren, MI | +1.8% | 31,310 | |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | +0.8% | 3,790 | |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | +0.5% | 1,970 | |
| Southern Michigan (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,190 | |
| Niles, MI | -0.7% | 930 | |
| Jackson, MI | -3.8% | 830 | |
| Traverse City, MI | -4.3% | 960 |
the Southern Michigan nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Southern Michigan nonmetro area is #292 of 520 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Michigan, Atlantic City-Hammonton and Reno pay just above the Southern Michigan nonmetro area and Sioux Falls and Coeur d'Alene just below. All four are within $170 a year of the median in the Southern Michigan nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Southern Michigan nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | +4.3% | 1,200 | jobs | |
| Reno, NV | +0.0% | 3,870 | pay | |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | +0.0% | 2,100 | pay | |
| Southern Michigan (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,190 | ||
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | -0.2% | 3,270 | pay | |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | -0.4% | 1,380 | pay | |
| Iowa City, IA | -3.6% | 1,190 | jobs | |
| Yuma, AZ | -18.0% | 1,190 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Southern Michigan (Nonmetro)?
About $56,671 a year at the median, or $4,723 a month: $43,920 in pay plus about $12,751 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for customer support specialists in the Southern Michigan nonmetro area?
The median was $43,920 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $29,900, the 90th $62,580, and the middle half earned $35,410 to $53,670.
Is the Southern Michigan nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Michigan for customer support specialists?
About the same: a median of $43,920 against $43,950 statewide. The next area up in Michigan is Kalamazoo-Portage at $44,130, the next down Niles at $43,620.
How many customer support specialists work in the Southern Michigan nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 1,190 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Michigan total of 71,310. 8 areas in Michigan have more; the closest in size is the Mid Michigan nonmetro area, with about 1,790.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in the Southern Michigan nonmetro area?
Yes: $520 a year more at the median. The medians are $43,920 and $43,400.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with the Southern 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 $56,671 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.