StateRates

Kalamazoo-Portage salaries

The median worker in the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro area earned $47,360 a year in 2024, about $22.77 an hour. That ranks #170 of the 391 metro areas published here, 4.3% below the national median.

Michigan

Median pay $47,360 $22.77 per hour
Vs national -4.3% U.S. $49,500
Workers 119,780 wage and salary
Metro rank #170 of 391 by median pay

What this labour market looks like

Kalamazoo-Portage pays 1.9% less than Michigan as a whole. Metros usually run ahead of their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and the gap is a rough measure of how much of a state's economy sits in its cities.

Unusually concentrated here

Occupations against their national share, 2024
Occupation Concentration Employed Median
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders 6.63× 660 $48,010
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators 4.3× 590 $41,490
Industrial Engineers 4.01× 1,090 $94,840
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 2.86× 3,240 $38,030
Industrial Production Managers 2.76× 500 $125,910
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters 2.51× 890 $81,740
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders 2.35× 700 $46,050
Machinists 2.27× 530 $52,190
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers 2.2× 1,010 $47,520
Industrial Machinery Mechanics 1.78× 580 $62,720
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers 1.76× 930 $65,700
Childcare Workers 1.43× 580 $36,720

Best paid occupations

Highest median pay in Kalamazoo-Portage
Occupation Median Hourly Employed
Physicians, All Other $234,380 $112.69 310
Architectural and Engineering Managers $142,960 $68.73 310
Pharmacists $141,170 $67.87 250
Computer and Information Systems Managers $138,140 $66.41 290
Financial Managers $131,790 $63.36 500
Education Administrators, Postsecondary $130,780 $62.88 260
Managers, All Other $130,330 $62.66 200
Sales Managers $129,720 $62.37 410
Nurse Practitioners $127,600 $61.35 230
Industrial Production Managers $125,910 $60.54 500
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products $107,550 $51.71 230
Software Developers $104,730 $50.35 400
Lawyers $104,710 $50.34 270
Construction Managers $102,180 $49.13 280
Chemists $100,700 $48.42 270
Medical and Health Services Managers $99,420 $47.80 430
Mechanical Engineers $98,980 $47.59 470
General and Operations Managers $98,850 $47.53 2,240
Computer Systems Analysts $96,140 $46.22 280
Industrial Engineers $94,840 $45.60 1,090
Project Management Specialists $94,030 $45.21 560
Personal Financial Advisors $93,010 $44.71 210
Civil Engineers $89,850 $43.20 220
Sheet Metal Workers $89,550 $43.05 310
Management Analysts $86,850 $41.75 210
Social and Community Service Managers $86,360 $41.52 230
Registered Nurses $84,300 $40.53 3,220
Logisticians $81,800 $39.33 230
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters $81,740 $39.30 890
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians $78,600 $37.79 200
Dental Hygienists $76,580 $36.82 270
Cost Estimators $76,350 $36.71 200
Accountants and Auditors $75,990 $36.54 1,130
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $75,340 $36.22 460
Compliance Officers $73,930 $35.54 280
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $73,020 $35.11 480
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $72,090 $34.66 500
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $71,790 $34.52 1,230
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $71,100 $34.19 320
Healthcare Social Workers $70,200 $33.75 240
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $70,000 n/a 670
Buyers and Purchasing Agents $68,080 $32.73 400
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants $67,700 $32.55 250
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks $66,140 $31.80 320
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $65,700 $31.59 930
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors $64,510 $31.01 330
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $64,250 $30.89 920
Electricians $63,970 $30.76 710
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $63,180 $30.38 300
Training and Development Specialists $62,840 $30.21 390
Industrial Machinery Mechanics $62,720 $30.15 580
Human Resources Specialists $62,490 $30.04 670
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel $62,190 $29.90 610
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $61,510 n/a 300
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $61,340 n/a 1,130
Carpenters $60,930 $29.29 550
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers $60,910 $29.29 490
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians $60,650 $29.16 290
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $60,500 $29.09 330
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $60,080 $28.89 560

Where most people work

Largest occupations in Kalamazoo-Portage by employment
Occupation Employed Median Hourly
Fast Food and Counter Workers 3,660 $28,840 $13.86
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators 3,240 $38,030 $18.28
Retail Salespersons 3,230 $31,330 $15.06
Registered Nurses 3,220 $84,300 $40.53
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 2,890 $43,870 $21.09
Home Health and Personal Care Aides 2,310 $33,370 $16.04
Stockers and Order Fillers 2,310 $32,740 $15.74
Office Clerks, General 2,300 $42,490 $20.43
General and Operations Managers 2,240 $98,850 $47.53
Cashiers 2,120 $29,410 $14.14
Customer Service Representatives 1,870 $39,440 $18.96
Waiters and Waitresses 1,690 $35,930 $17.27
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 1,620 $35,010 $16.83
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 1,290 $51,640 $24.83
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products 1,230 $71,790 $34.52
Nursing Assistants 1,180 $39,570 $19.03
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 1,160 $46,830 $22.52
Accountants and Auditors 1,130 $75,990 $36.54
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 1,130 $61,340 n/a
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 1,120 $42,850 $20.60

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 state estimates. Wage and salary workers only, excluding the self-employed.

Other Michigan metro areas

Kalamazoo-Portage pay: common questions

What is the average salary in Kalamazoo-Portage?

The median across all occupations is $47,360, or $22.77 an hour, covering 119,780 wage and salary workers. The mean is $60,580, higher because a small number of very large salaries pull an average upward.

Does Kalamazoo-Portage pay more than the rest of Michigan?

No. The metro median of $47,360 is 1.9% below the Michigan median of $48,300. Metropolitan areas usually pay more than their states because they concentrate higher-paying industries, and usually cost more to live in for the same reason.

Which jobs pay best in Kalamazoo-Portage?

Physicians, All Other ($234,380), Architectural and Engineering Managers ($142,960), Pharmacists ($141,170). Medical specialities top nearly every metro list, which reflects how the occupations are classified more than local conditions.

What is Kalamazoo-Portage unusually full of?

Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders, at 6.63× the national concentration. Location quotient is a better description of a local economy than its biggest employers, which are retail and food service almost everywhere.