Cost of hiring in Lansing-East Lansing, MI
BLS counts about 21,260 people in these 17 roles in Lansing-East Lansing1. Project Coordinator has the highest median ($97,050 a year), Virtual Receptionist the lowest ($37,330), and Customer Support Specialist is the largest job, with about 3,790 people.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Lansing-East Lansing
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Specialist | +5.6% | 150 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +2.4% | 160 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +2.4% | 2,460 | |
| Office Manager | +0.0% | 1,960 | |
| HR Assistant | -0.1% | 120 | |
| Bookkeeper | -0.3% | 1,940 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -1.2% | 3,790 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -1.8% | 1,070 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -2.3% | 60 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -4.1% | 1,010 | |
| Paralegal | -4.2% | 400 | |
| Recruiter | -4.5% | 1,520 | |
| Project Coordinator | -5.2% | 1,350 | |
| Accountant | -5.3% | 2,270 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -8.8% | 1,140 | |
| Executive Assistant | -11.8% | 810 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -17.9% | 1,050 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $44,250 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $57,097 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Lansing-East Lansing against the US
Lansing-East Lansing pays above the US median for 3 of the 17 roles, most of all for payroll specialists (+5.6%) and data entry specialists (+2.4%), and below it for 11, furthest for marketing specialists (-17.9%). For office managers, HR assistants and bookkeepers it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 17 is -2.3%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for payroll specialists, #59 of 486 areas by median pay; its lowest is for medical administrative assistants, #274 of 516.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Lansing-East Lansing has more executive assistants (3.8% of these jobs here, against 2.9% nationally) and recruiters (7.1% against 5.8%), and fewer e-commerce order specialists (0.3% against 0.5%) and sales development representatives (4.8% against 7.9%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Kingston, NY is nearest, at -2.4%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | -2.1% | 17 | 16,360 |
| Sheboygan, WI | -2.2% | 14 | 4,530 |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | -2.3% (this area) | 17 | 21,260 |
| Kingston, NY | -2.4% | 16 | 5,570 |
| Helena, MT | -2.4% | 14 | 4,070 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | -2.5% | 15 | 13,470 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Lansing-East Lansing span $38,650–$130,590, the widest band (3.4×); medical administrative assistants the narrowest, $36,480–$56,830. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 14 of 17 roles, marketing specialists most ($43,390–$155,480 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives and marketing specialists: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($78,480 against a $67,090 median for sales development representatives).
Lansing-East Lansing against Michigan
Against Michigan as a whole, Lansing-East Lansing pays more for 10 of 17 roles, led by data entry specialists (+11.2%) and payroll specialists (+9.5%), and less for 4, most of all sales development representatives (-8.6%). It has the highest median in Michigan for office managers.
Other areas in Michigan
By jobs in these roles, Lansing-East Lansing is #3 of 19 areas in Michigan. The table shows the areas closest to it in size, from Detroit-Warren to Saginaw.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren, MI | 180,750 | 17 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | 51,290 | 17 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 19,610 | 17 |
| Mid Michigan (Nonmetro) | 11,610 | 17 |
| Flint, MI | 11,050 | 17 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | 10,830 | 17 |
| Southern Michigan (Nonmetro) | 8,870 | 17 |
| Northern Michigan (Nonmetro) | 8,630 | 17 |
| Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Nonmetro) | 8,320 | 17 |
| Saginaw, MI | 8,170 | 17 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Lansing-East Lansing?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $97,050 a year, about $125,226 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $37,330.
Is hiring in Lansing-East Lansing cheaper than the US median?
For 11 of the 17 roles, yes, most of all marketing specialists (-17.9%). 3 pay more than the US median, led by payroll specialists (+5.6%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.