Jobs, pay and daily life in East Lansing, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
East Lansing is a city in Michigan with 45,758 residents. The median household earns $45,687 a year and the median rent is $1,171 a month, which is 30.8% of the median household income. It is part of the Lansing-East Lansing, MI metropolitan area, where BLS counts 217,180 jobs.
How East Lansing compares. Among the 100 largest places in Michigan, East Lansing is #27 by population, #98 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #9 for college degrees (#1 = most), #9 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Ingham County, is #6 of 83 counties for average pay ($68,532).
East Lansing has 45,758 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.5% of the population of Michigan. It covers 13 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 3,407 people per square mile. The median age is 21.3, 47% younger than the state median (21.3 against 40.2).
The median gross rent is $1,171 a month (rent plus utilities), 4% above the state median ($1,171 against $1,129). Over a year that is 30.8% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so rent here is above that line for the typical household. The median home value is $270,800, which is 5.9 times the median household income ($45,687); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 38.5% of households own their home, 47% below the state average (38.5% against 73.2%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Lansing-East Lansing, MI metropolitan area has 217,180 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $52,800 a year, 4% above the national median ($52,800 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (27,580 jobs, median $47,320); transportation and material moving (18,770 jobs, median $42,170); business and financial operations (18,370 jobs, median $80,280). The area is most specialised in business and financial operations (1.2 times) and educational instruction and library (1.2 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($115,440) and computer and mathematical ($83,220). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Ingham County was 4.1%. 54.6% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Ingham County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 47.7% drive alone, 4.7% use public transit, 16.6% walk, 21.0% work from home. 5.4% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 58% below the state average (5.4% against 12.9%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
66.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 105% above the state share (66.6% against 32.5%). 11.5% of residents were born outside the United States, 59% above the state share (11.5% against 7.2%). The poverty rate is 33.0%, 150% above the state rate (33.0% against 13.2%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 72°F (22.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 22°F (-5.3°C). About 886 mm (35 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (108 mm) and Jan the driest (52 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Haslett (4 miles, rent 4% lower); Okemos (4 miles, rent 11% higher); Lansing (5 miles, rent 15% lower); Waverly (8 miles, similar rent). Rent differences are against East Lansing; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Michigan (335) →State guide: MichiganCountry guideIngham CountyMichigan rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 335 federal postings open in Michigan (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Michigan →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 6,170 | 3.14 | $55,120 | $35,890 | $77,380 | +23% |
| Office Clerks, General | 4,830 | 1.40 | $45,830 | $32,030 | $64,040 | +2% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 4,810 | 0.89 | $28,640 | $25,960 | $36,020 | -8% |
| Retail Salespersons | 4,750 | 0.87 | $33,840 | $27,760 | $46,170 | -4% |
| General and Operations Managers | 4,470 | 0.91 | $119,140 | $50,030 | $215,050 | +13% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 4,360 | 2.87 | $82,940 | $59,380 | $106,250 | -0% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 4,270 | 1.04 | $40,060 | $33,850 | $48,960 | -0% |
| Cashiers | 4,170 | 0.97 | $29,930 | $26,970 | $36,720 | -9% |
| Registered Nurses | 4,120 | 0.87 | $84,320 | $77,900 | $100,600 | -14% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 3,790 | 1.05 | $44,250 | $30,770 | $61,510 | -1% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 3,780 | 0.96 | $34,930 | $29,930 | $47,220 | -6% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 3,730 | 0.62 | $34,240 | $25,960 | $38,450 | -4% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 3,170 | 1.03 | $35,730 | $29,260 | $47,610 | -3% |
| Software Developers | 3,020 | 1.28 | $97,120 | $71,050 | $132,790 | -29% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 2,820 | 0.98 | $56,710 | $43,100 | $74,880 | -3% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 2,710 | 0.85 | $38,210 | $26,870 | $64,040 | +8% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 2,460 | 1.03 | $48,670 | $36,190 | $65,370 | +2% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 2,270 | 1.12 | $79,210 | $54,710 | $115,130 | -5% |
| Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary | 2,110 | 9.19 | $50,820 | $31,340 | $81,610 | +18% |
| Computer User Support Specialists | 2,050 | 2.05 | $50,840 | $39,250 | $82,650 | -18% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 700 | 2.28 | $139,470 | $67,750 | $222,020 | +30% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 1,050 | 1.12 | $134,440 | $103,470 | $209,400 | -23% |
| Financial Managers | 1,190 | 1.01 | $132,590 | $80,780 | $213,640 | -20% |
| Lawyers | 1,130 | 1.07 | $128,610 | $80,660 | $212,740 | -19% |
| Sales Managers | 600 | 0.67 | $124,630 | $64,720 | $215,880 | -16% |
| General and Operations Managers | 4,470 | 0.91 | $119,140 | $50,030 | $215,050 | +13% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 580 | 1.69 | $110,410 | $82,680 | $168,720 | -12% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 580 | 0.69 | $104,990 | $60,760 | $176,090 | -15% |
| Administrative Services Managers | 650 | 1.76 | $104,600 | $73,020 | $152,370 | -8% |
| Construction Managers | 620 | 1.16 | $104,010 | $69,990 | $163,870 | -10% |
| Mechanical Engineers | 650 | 1.58 | $98,550 | $67,110 | $156,210 | -5% |
| Industrial Engineers | 810 | 1.59 | $98,260 | $69,660 | $143,020 | -4% |
| Software Developers | 3,020 | 1.28 | $97,120 | $71,050 | $132,790 | -29% |
| Project Management Specialists | 1,350 | 0.91 | $97,050 | $60,670 | $136,470 | -5% |
| Civil Engineers | 730 | 1.41 | $96,040 | $66,690 | $134,680 | -5% |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 660 | 0.91 | $84,870 | $62,110 | $135,630 | -20% |
| Registered Nurses | 4,120 | 0.87 | $84,320 | $77,900 | $100,600 | -14% |
| Financial and Investment Analysts | 510 | 1.02 | $83,420 | $61,320 | $132,660 | -19% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 4,360 | 2.87 | $82,940 | $59,380 | $106,250 | -0% |
| Instructional Coordinators | 580 | 1.83 | $81,440 | $53,440 | $110,880 | +5% |
These figures are for the whole Lansing-East Lansing, MI metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $52,800 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.9% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 40.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 15.1% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 10.0% |
| Retail trade | 9.6% |
| Manufacturing | 5.0% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.5% |
| Construction | 3.7% |
| Public administration | 3.4% |
| Other services | 2.9% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 2.0% |
| Information | 2.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.7% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.3% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county (the first of several) where East Lansing lies and cover the whole county, not only the city. The city also extends into Clinton County.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ingham County | 283,913 | $23,569 million | $83,013 | 155,500 | 6,868 | $68,532 | +1.2% | 4.1% | 139,224 |
| Clinton County | 79,626 | $3,168 million | $39,785 | 18,614 | 1,464 | $53,866 | +0.2% | 3.5% | 38,465 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 24,527 | 22.5% | $64,361 | 1.10 |
| Retail trade | 12,012 | 11.0% | $37,737 | 0.77 |
| Accommodation and food services | 10,705 | 9.8% | $23,284 | 0.76 |
| Manufacturing | 10,106 | 9.3% | $81,443 | 0.79 |
| Professional and technical services | 7,664 | 7.0% | $97,319 | 0.71 |
| Finance and insurance | 6,758 | 6.2% | $91,243 | 1.07 |
| Construction | 6,106 | 5.6% | $85,651 | 0.75 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 6,042 | 5.5% | $54,450 | 1.29 |
| Administrative and waste services | 5,843 | 5.4% | $48,896 | 0.64 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 4,315 | 4.0% | $50,504 | 0.66 |
| Wholesale trade | 2,773 | 2.5% | $93,931 | 0.45 |
| Educational services | 2,582 | 2.4% | $47,540 | 0.80 |
| Management of companies | 2,567 | 2.4% | $127,937 | 0.98 |
| Real estate and rental | 2,360 | 2.2% | $62,742 | 0.98 |
| Information | 2,234 | 2.0% | $85,399 | 0.77 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,506 | 1.4% | $30,360 | 0.58 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 766 | 0.7% | $42,512 | 0.61 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 111 | 0.1% | $133,647 | 0.19 |
| Utilities | 27 | 0.0% | $90,047 | 0.05 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 47.7% |
| Public transit | 4.7% |
| Walk | 16.6% |
| Work from home | 21.0% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 5.4% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $45,687 |
| Income per person | $30,335 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,171 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 30.8% |
| Median home value | $270,800 |
| Homeowners | 38.5% |
| Poverty rate | 33.0% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 95.0 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $52,800 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 4.25%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 21.3 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 98.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 66.6% |
| Born abroad | 11.5% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 54.6% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -5.3 | 22 | 52 |
| Feb | -4.5 | 24 | 54 |
| Mar | 1.2 | 34 | 54 |
| Apr | 7.6 | 46 | 80 |
| May | 14.2 | 58 | 108 |
| Jun | 19.6 | 67 | 92 |
| Jul | 22.2 | 72 | 83 |
| Aug | 21.6 | 71 | 86 |
| Sep | 17.6 | 64 | 75 |
| Oct | 10.2 | 50 | 86 |
| Nov | 3.4 | 38 | 61 |
| Dec | -2.2 | 28 | 55 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haslett | MI | 4 mi | 18,559 | $74,031 | $1,125 |
| Okemos | MI | 4 mi | 26,396 | $102,612 | $1,298 |
| Lansing | MI | 5 mi | 113,023 | $54,382 | $993 |
| Waverly | MI | 8 mi | 23,575 | $75,700 | $1,170 |
| Holt | MI | 8 mi | 25,316 | $86,472 | $1,317 |
| Owosso | MI | 23 mi | 14,632 | $54,229 | $784 |
| Ionia | MI | 34 mi | 12,753 | $63,978 | $852 |
| Jackson | MI | 35 mi | 31,058 | $44,558 | $898 |
| Fenton | MI | 39 mi | 11,906 | $80,000 | $1,275 |
| Flint | MI | 44 mi | 80,175 | $37,646 | $915 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
45,758 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,171 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 30.8% of the median household income.
$45,687 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.1% (BLS county, Ingham County (latest month 2026M09)).
Michigan. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.