Marketing Specialist salary in Lansing-East Lansing, MI
Hiring a marketing specialist costs less in Lansing-East Lansing than in Michigan or the country as a whole. The median is $64,690 a year1: 3.1% below the Michigan statewide median of $66,780 and 17.9% below the US median of $78,760. Nationally it ranks #202 of 516 areas. About 1,050 marketing specialists work here, 4% of the Michigan total.
BLS occupation 13-1161, area Lansing-East Lansing, MI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Lansing-East Lansing against Michigan and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $39,580 | $64,690 | $104,980 | |
| Michigan | $40,930 | $66,780 | $127,190 | |
| United States | $43,390 | $78,760 | $155,480 |
The middle half of marketing specialists in Lansing-East Lansing earns $49,460–$81,990. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $104,980, only 2.7 times the bottom tenth, against 3.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($70,470) is 9% 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 only $32,530 wide, against $47,830 across Michigan and $49,960 nationally: employers in Lansing-East Lansing pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a marketing specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,580 | $3,298 | $19.03 | $51,071 |
| 25th percentile | $49,460 | $4,122 | $23.78 | $63,819 |
| Median | $64,690 | $5,391 | $31.10 | $83,471 |
| 75th percentile | $81,990 | $6,832 | $39.42 | $105,794 |
| 90th percentile | $104,980 | $8,748 | $50.47 | $135,458 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $15,230 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $17,300, or about $22,323 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 $78,760 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Lansing-East Lansing, and the Michigan statewide median of $66,780 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Lansing-East Lansing
At the $64,690 median, a local hire costs about $83,471 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $18,781 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for marketing specialists we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Lansing-East Lansing
Of the 17 roles we track in Lansing-East Lansing, this one ranks #7 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($67,090) and payroll specialists ($61,510). Project Coordinator is the highest at $97,050.
| Role | Median | vs marketing specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | +4.4% | 810 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +3.7% | 1,010 | |
| Marketing Specialist | this role | 1,050 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -4.9% | 150 | |
| Paralegal | -6.9% | 400 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the lowest paid of the 17 roles we track in Lansing-East Lansing (-17.9%); payroll specialists come first (+5.6%). The typical role here is at -2.3%, so, measured against the US, marketing specialists cost less in Lansing-East Lansing than the area's general pay level would suggest. Marketing specialists hold 4.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Lansing-East Lansing, 6.0% across Michigan and 5.7% 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 $53,100 in the Northern Michigan nonmetro area to $77,100 in Detroit-Warren, a gap of $24,000 a year. All 3 areas in Michigan with more marketing specialists than Lansing-East Lansing also pay more, among them Detroit-Warren, MI ($77,100) and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI ($64,880).
| Area | Median | vs Lansing-East Lansing | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor, MI | +2.3% | 1,160 | |
| Jackson, MI | +1.3% | 220 | |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | +0.3% | 2,980 | |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | this area | 1,050 | |
| Monroe, MI | -0.3% | 140 | |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | -4.4% | 610 | |
| Southern Michigan (Nonmetro) | -5.8% | 420 |
Lansing-East Lansing against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lansing-East Lansing is #97 of 514 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Michigan, Corvallis and Columbia pay just above Lansing-East Lansing and Salt Lake City-Murray and Medford just below. All four are within $110 a year of the median in Lansing-East Lansing. Of the three markets with about as many marketing specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lansing-East Lansing | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield, MA | +32.9% | 1,050 | jobs | |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | +18.5% | 1,050 | jobs | |
| Columbia, MO | +0.0% | 600 | pay | |
| Corvallis, OR | +0.0% | 160 | pay | |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | this area | 1,050 | ||
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | -0.0% | 8,250 | pay | |
| Medford, OR | -0.2% | 360 | pay | |
| Fort Wayne, IN | -4.6% | 1,040 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a marketing specialist in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?
About $83,471 a year at the median, or $6,956 a month: $64,690 in pay plus about $18,781 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for marketing specialists in Lansing-East Lansing?
The median was $64,690 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $39,580, the 90th $104,980, and the middle half earned $49,460 to $81,990.
Is Lansing-East Lansing cheaper than the rest of Michigan for marketing specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $64,690 against $66,780 statewide. The next area up in Michigan is Grand Rapids-Wyoming at $64,880, the next down Monroe at $64,500.
How many marketing specialists work in Lansing-East Lansing?
BLS counts about 1,050 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Michigan total of 24,220. 3 areas in Michigan have more; the closest in size is Ann Arbor, with about 1,160.
Does a marketing specialist cost more than a payroll specialist in Lansing-East Lansing?
Yes: $3,180 a year more at the median. The medians are $64,690 and $61,510.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1161: 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.