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Customer Support Specialist salary in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area

Hiring a customer support specialist costs less in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area than in Michigan or the country as a whole. The median is $38,600 a year1: 12.2% below the Michigan statewide median of $43,950 and 13.8% below the US median of $44,770. Among US areas it comes in at #345 of 520. About 970 customer support specialists work here, 1% of the Michigan total.

$3,217median pay per month in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area
$4,151employer cost per month with benefits
$700–$1,000per month, remote through Stafka
970people in this job in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area

BLS occupation 43-4051, area Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

Pay in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area against Michigan and the US

Range10thMedian90th
Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Nonmetro)$28,950$38,600$57,990
Michigan$30,670$43,950$63,830
United States$31,750$44,770$63,590
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of customer support specialists in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area earns $33,250–$48,600. The top tenth earns $57,990 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.0 times. The mean ($42,550) is 10% 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 $15,350 wide, wider than in Michigan as a whole ($13,910) and the US ($14,910), so what a customer support specialist earns in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area depends more on the employer.

What to budget for a customer support specialist here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$28,950$2,412$13.92$37,355
25th percentile$33,250$2,771$15.99$42,903
Median$38,600$3,217$18.56$49,806
75th percentile$48,600$4,050$23.37$62,710
90th percentile$57,990$4,832$27.88$74,826

Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $10,000 over the median, the 25th only $5,350 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $12,903 a year in employer cost. 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 Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area, and the Michigan statewide median of $43,950 falls there too.

What a hire really costs in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area

At the $38,600 median, a local hire costs about $49,806 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,206 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.

$49,806 local hire in Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Nonmetro)median wage plus benefits, year one
$13,288 remote hire through Stafka$850/month, placement fee and Deel, year one

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.

$49,806local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,288remote hire, first year incl. fee
$36,518difference in year one
73%of the local cost saved

A local hire here costs about 3.7 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 4.6 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 Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area

Of the 17 roles we track in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area, this one ranks #15 by median pay, between data entry specialists ($38,760) and medical administrative assistants ($38,300). Project Coordinator is the highest at $88,520.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 17 roles in Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Nonmetro)
RoleMedianvs customer support specialistJobs
Administrative Assistant
$43,450
+12.6%1,230
Data Entry Specialist
$38,760
+0.4%70
Customer Support Specialist
$38,600
this role970
Medical Administrative Assistant
$38,300
-0.8%760
Virtual Receptionist
$35,810
-7.2%560

Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #10 of the 17 roles we track in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area (-13.8%), between project coordinators (-13.5%) and sales development representatives (-14.0%). The typical role here is at -13.5%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Customer support specialists hold 11.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Upper Peninsula of 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 10 areas in Michigan with more customer support specialists than the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area, 1 pays less: Saginaw, MI ($36,150).

AreaMedianvs the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro areaJobs
Mid Michigan (Nonmetro)
$40,250
+4.3%1,790
Northern Michigan (Nonmetro)
$40,060
+3.8%1,100
Ann Arbor, MI
$39,480
+2.3%3,440
Bay City, MI
$38,880
+0.7%330
Flint, MI
$38,800
+0.5%1,970
Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Nonmetro)
$38,600
this area970
Saginaw, MI
$36,150
-6.3%2,320

the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area is #338 of 520 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Michigan, Terre Haute and Manhattan pay just above the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area and Tulsa and Gainesville just below. All four are within $50 a year of the median in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, two pay more.

Metro areaMedianvs the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro areaJobsClose in
Bismarck, ND
$46,240
+19.8%980jobs
Jackson, TN
$38,680
+0.2%970jobs
Manhattan, KS
$38,620
+0.1%870pay
Terre Haute, IN
$38,600
+0.0%530pay
Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Nonmetro)
$38,600
this area970
Tulsa, OK
$38,560
-0.1%9,800pay
Gainesville, FL
$38,550
-0.1%2,030pay
Auburn-Opelika, AL
$35,810
-7.2%960jobs

Questions

How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Nonmetro)?

About $49,806 a year at the median, or $4,151 a month: $38,600 in pay plus about $11,206 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What is the pay range for customer support specialists in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area?

The median was $38,600 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $28,950, the 90th $57,990, and the middle half earned $33,250 to $48,600.

Is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Michigan for customer support specialists?

Yes, it costs less: a median of $38,600 against $43,950 statewide. The next area up in Michigan is Flint at $38,800, the next down Saginaw at $36,150.

How many customer support specialists work in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area?

BLS counts about 970 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the Michigan total of 71,310. 10 areas in Michigan have more; the closest in size is the Northern Michigan nonmetro area, with about 1,100.

Does a customer support specialist cost more than a medical administrative assistant in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetro area?

Yes: $300 a year more at the median. The medians are $38,600 and $38,300.

What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with the Upper Peninsula of 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 $49,806 for a local hire at the median.

Sources

4 sources, with links
  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4051: bls.gov
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
  3. Stafka pricing: stafka.com
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.