Hiring a statistical assistant in Detroit, MI

Do Detroit residents in office and administrative support work earn more than employers in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI area pay?

Detroit residents working in office and administrative support occupations earn a median of $37,129 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $48,075 as the median of the 48 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 23%, with the employers figure the higher of the two.

Both sides of that figure describe the whole office and administrative support group, not this one role. In the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI area the group covers 48 occupations BLS publishes a wage for, from library assistants, clerical at $31,460 to brokerage clerks at $77,940 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with statistical assistants at $49,660 inside it.

That comparison is between two different measures, not a pay gap. The two weight the same occupation group differently: the Census figure is the midpoint across the people who actually hold those jobs, so a group carrying a few very well paid occupations is pulled toward them, while the BLS figure is the midpoint across the 48 published occupation wages, which counts each of those occupations once whatever its headcount. Census also counts where people live and BLS counts where the jobs are, and the two cover different populations, Census the civilian employed population 16 and over, BLS wage-and-salary jobs only. Read the number against other cities, where the same definitional difference applies on both sides, rather than as a shortfall.

Published wages across this group in the metro run above what Detroit residents in it earn, which usually means employers here draw this talent from beyond the city line rather than from inside it.

Is the talent actually in Detroit?

This is a job zone four: considerable preparation needed occupation. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not. O*NET OnLine, SOC 43-9111.

That matters here, because 17.6% of Detroit adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. That is a thin local pool for a degree-requiring role, so expect to recruit across the metro rather than inside the city. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501, residents of Detroit aged 25 and over.

The average Detroit commute runs 25.4 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 10.1% of Detroit workers already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that. Census ACS 5-year 2023, place-level commuting characteristics for Detroit.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's $49,660 median in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would bill roughly $9,932 to $14,898 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Questions employers ask about hiring a statistical assistant in Detroit

What does it cost to hire a statistical assistant in Detroit?

Tier I to Tier VI, $6,240 to $54,340 per search, set by the seniority of the role and never by salary or location. A contingency firm billing 20 to 30% of this role's $49,660 median wage in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would charge roughly $9,932 to $14,898 on the first year salary alone.

What should an offer for a statistical assistant in Detroit look like?

Employers in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI area pay statistical assistants a median of $49,660, with the middle half of the market between $49,660 and $52,230 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A band set below $49,660 competes for the bottom quarter of that market.

Do Detroit residents in office and administrative support work earn more than employers in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI area pay?

Detroit residents working in office and administrative support occupations earn a median of $37,129 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $48,075 as the median of the 48 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 23%. Both figures cover the whole occupation group rather than this one role, and one counts where people live while the other counts where the jobs are, so the percentage is not a pay gap.

Is the talent for this role already in Detroit?

This is a job zone 4 occupation, which usually calls for a bachelor's degree, and 17.6% of Detroit adults hold one or higher (Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501). That is a thin local pool, so expect the search to run across the metro rather than inside the city.

Related

• Hiring Statistical Assistants: the role, the pay, the process
• Recruiting services in Detroit
• Every Michigan city we cover

Detroit is the largest of 2 Michigan cities in this dataset.