SalaryExplorer

SOC 21-1093 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Social and Human Service Assistants — Battle Creek

Battle Creek, MI · 10 metro areas compared

$40,850 /year
$19.64per hour
240jobs in area
−11.1%vs US median

Median pay for this occupation in Battle Creek, MI is $40,850 a year, trailing the national median of $45,930 by 11.1%.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $45,93010TH$34,970MEDIAN$40,85075TH$49,65090TH$52,810

How pay has moved

$43,415$28,0252019202020212022202320242025$40,850
$30,590 in 2019 to $40,850 in 2025, +33.5% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow faster than average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+6.4%
Openings per year
50,600
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Battle Creek, MI.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

Median pay for this occupation in Battle Creek, MI is $40,850 a year, trailing the national median of $45,930 by 11.1%. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $39,520 and $49,650. The lowest tenth earn under $34,970, while the highest tenth earn more than $52,810.

The area has 240 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 1.58 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Detroit records the highest median at $42,600. Of the 223 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 170th.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Battle Creek, MI · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$34,970−23.9%
25th$39,520−14.0%
Median (50th)$40,850−11.1%
75th$49,650+8.1%
90th$52,810+15.0%
Mean$43,970−4.3%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Michigan

Median annual wage for Social and Human Service Assistants, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Detroit$42,6004,080
2Lansing$41,470600
3Grand Rapids$40,4401,500
4Saginaw$39,250200
5Monroe$39,210100
6Midland$39,150100
7Traverse City$38,690150
8Kalamazoo$38,580460
9Ann Arbor$38,5302,110
10Niles$38,430160

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Battle Creek run 9.5% below the national average, so the median of $40,850 goes as far as $45,138 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 1.7% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$40,850as reported by BLS

Local price level

90.5US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$45,138US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $40,850 a year, 11.1% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $34,970 to $52,810 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 240 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Detroit, at $42,600.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Social and Human Service Assistants in Battle Creek, MI?

The median annual wage is $40,850, or $19.64 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $45,930, so pay in Battle Creek, MI is 11.1% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Battle Creek, MI earns more than $52,810 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $34,970 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Detroit, at $42,600 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 240 jobs in this occupation in Battle Creek, MI. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.

Social and Human Service Assistants Salary in Battle Creek, MI (2025): $40,850 Median | Salary Explorer