Library Assistants, Clerical Salary
Library Assistants, Clericals in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI make a median of $41,260 a year, or about $19.84 an hour. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $52K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.84), which stretches that salary to about $43,505 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,162/month, about 41.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $41K get you in Kalamazoo-Portage?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Kalamazoo-Portage’s Regional Price Parity (94.84). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About library assistants, clericals
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What this looks like in Kalamazoo-Portage
Kalamazoo-Portage sits well above the national pay line for library assistants, clerical, local pay runs about 12% higher than the U.S. median of $37K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,162/month, which is 41.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.84 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for library assistants, clericals in metros near Kalamazoo-Portage, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Traverse City | $30K | $32K |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $31K | $31K |
| Ann Arbor | $35K | $34K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $30K | $32K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
Entry-level library assistants, clericals (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $41K. Top earners bring in $52K or more, a $24K spread from bottom to top.
Library Assistants, Clerical pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Library Assistants, Clerical salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $59K | +61% | 100 |
| California | $48K | +30% | 11,170 |
| Washington | $48K | +29% | 2,810 |
| Nevada | $47K | +26% | 660 |
| Maryland | $46K | +24% | 730 |
| Alaska | $45K | +21% | 180 |
| Massachusetts | $43K | +15% | 2,840 |
| Oregon | $42K | +15% | 1,090 |
| Minnesota | $40K | +8% | 1,770 |
| New Jersey | $40K | +8% | 3,120 |
| Wisconsin | $40K | +7% | 1,570 |
| Connecticut | $39K | +6% | 1,810 |
| Montana | $39K | +6% | 160 |
| Arizona | $38K | +3% | 1,560 |
| Wyoming | $38K | +3% | N/A |
| Virginia | $38K | +3% | 2,170 |
| Maine | $38K | +3% | 540 |
| Florida | $38K | +3% | 3,630 |
| Tennessee | $37K | +1% | 1,110 |
| New Hampshire | $37K | +1% | 990 |
| Hawaii | $37K | +1% | 370 |
| Delaware | $37K | +0% | 270 |
| Rhode Island | $37K | -1% | 510 |
| Vermont | $36K | -1% | 350 |
| Georgia | $36K | -1% | 610 |
| Colorado | $36K | -2% | 470 |
| New York | $36K | -2% | 8,010 |
| New Mexico | $35K | -4% | 150 |
| Illinois | $35K | -6% | 6,620 |
| North Carolina | $35K | -6% | 1,330 |
| North Dakota | $35K | -6% | 60 |
| Michigan | $35K | -7% | 3,470 |
| South Carolina | $34K | -8% | 960 |
| Idaho | $34K | -8% | 920 |
| Missouri | $34K | -9% | 1,610 |
| Kentucky | $34K | -9% | 1,050 |
| Ohio | $33K | -9% | 5,240 |
| Utah | $33K | -11% | 820 |
| Kansas | $32K | -15% | 1,380 |
| Texas | $31K | -15% | 1,600 |
| Arkansas | $31K | -16% | 390 |
| West Virginia | $31K | -17% | 450 |
| Pennsylvania | $31K | -17% | 3,930 |
| Oklahoma | $30K | -20% | 800 |
| Louisiana | $30K | -20% | 720 |
| Iowa | $29K | -20% | 1,700 |
| Indiana | $29K | -22% | 1,830 |
| Mississippi | $28K | -24% | 440 |
| Nebraska | $28K | -24% | 310 |
| Alabama | $28K | -25% | 900 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track library assistants, clerical salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a library assistants, clerical afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kalamazoo-Portage?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $41K, rent takes 41.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,162/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for library assistants, clericals in Kalamazoo-Portage?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new library assistants, clericals typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,625/month. At HUD’s $1,162/month FMR, rent would take 72% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is library assistants, clerical a high-paying job in Kalamazoo-Portage?
Local pay is 12% above the national median — $41K here vs. $37K nationally.
How does Kalamazoo-Portage compare to the national average for library assistants, clericals?
Kalamazoo-Portage pays $41K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s +12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.84), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do library assistants, clericals make in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI?
The median is $41,260 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,080, and experienced library assistants, clericals can clear $51,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $41K enough to live in Kalamazoo-Portage?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,786/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,162/month, which eats 41.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a library assistants, clerical salary go in Kalamazoo-Portage?
Kalamazoo-Portage has a Regional Price Parity of 94.84 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median library assistants, clerical salary is worth about $43,505 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do library assistants, clericals get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.