Social Science Research Assistants in the Ann Arbor Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Social Science Research Assistants pay in Ann Arbor, MI at a median of $43,060 per year ($20.70/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $61,990, the metro estimate is 31% below. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 190 social science research assistants are employed across the Ann Arbor MSA in SOC 19-4061.

The Ann Arbor pay distribution spans from $41,970 at the 10th percentile to $69,300 at the 90th, a 1.7× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $41,970 and the 75th at $49,520, so half of Ann Arbor-based social science research assistants earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Ann Arbor, MI covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide MI estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.