Jobs, pay and daily life in Saginaw, 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.
Saginaw is a city in Michigan with 43,536 residents. The median household earns $38,579 a year and the median rent is $922 a month, which is 28.7% of the median household income. It is part of the Saginaw, MI metropolitan area, where BLS counts 80,000 jobs.
How Saginaw compares. Among the 100 largest places in Michigan, Saginaw is #28 by population, #99 for household income (#1 = highest), #97 for college degrees (#1 = most), #17 for rent (#1 = cheapest). Its county, Saginaw County, is #18 of 83 counties for average pay ($58,049).
Saginaw has 43,536 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.4% of the population of Michigan. It covers 17 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,547 people per square mile. The median age is 35.5, 12% younger than the state median (35.5 against 40.2).
The median gross rent is $922 a month (rent plus utilities), 18% below the state median ($922 against $1,129). Over a year that is 28.7% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $60,000, which is 1.6 times the median household income ($38,579); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 60.0% of households own their home, 18% below the state average (60.0% against 73.2%).
The Saginaw, MI metropolitan area has 80,000 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $46,200 a year, 9% below the national median ($46,200 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (10,510 jobs, median $42,350); sales and related (8,260 jobs, median $34,370); food preparation and serving related (7,300 jobs, median $31,410). The area is most specialised in production (1.6 times) and healthcare practitioners and technical (1.3 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are healthcare practitioners and technical ($86,330) and production ($46,550). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Saginaw County was 5.1%. 55.6% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Saginaw County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 73.4% drive alone, 0.7% use public transit, 2.4% walk, 7.7% work from home. 8.1% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 37% below the state average (8.1% against 12.9%).
13.3% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 59% below the state share (13.3% against 32.5%). 1.4% of residents were born outside the United States, 80% below the state share (1.4% against 7.2%). The poverty rate is 34.0%, 157% above the state rate (34.0% against 13.2%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 71°F (21.7°C), and the coolest is Jan at 22°F (-5.4°C). About 861 mm (34 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (97 mm) and Jan the driest (50 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: Bay City (12 miles, rent 17% lower); Midland (20 miles, rent 14% higher); Flint (30 miles, similar rent); Owosso (31 miles, rent 15% lower). Rent differences are against Saginaw; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Michigan (335) →State guide: MichiganCountry guideSaginaw 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 3,410 | 1.70 | $31,210 | $26,750 | $43,900 | -12% |
| Registered Nurses | 2,570 | 1.48 | $95,160 | $76,600 | $113,820 | -2% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2,320 | 1.73 | $36,150 | $30,330 | $58,300 | -19% |
| Cashiers | 2,000 | 1.26 | $29,300 | $25,960 | $35,530 | -11% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,940 | 0.98 | $28,280 | $25,960 | $36,210 | -9% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 1,910 | 2.65 | $42,610 | $34,680 | $51,970 | -5% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,600 | 1.27 | $43,610 | $30,120 | $59,800 | -3% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,570 | 0.71 | $34,060 | $25,980 | $37,090 | -5% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,520 | 1.34 | $34,720 | $28,070 | $44,140 | -6% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,480 | 0.82 | $81,950 | $41,540 | $202,940 | -23% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,470 | 1.26 | $39,430 | $25,960 | $62,860 | +12% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,360 | 0.93 | $32,860 | $29,010 | $47,010 | -12% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,170 | 1.10 | $50,200 | $39,110 | $71,020 | -14% |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,100 | 1.48 | $39,400 | $34,700 | $45,990 | -7% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 960 | 0.64 | $37,590 | $30,690 | $47,050 | -7% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 810 | 1.11 | $34,020 | $25,960 | $45,900 | -8% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 800 | 1.39 | $45,400 | $30,130 | $66,890 | -6% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 790 | 1.06 | $76,310 | $55,380 | $126,520 | -9% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 780 | 1.08 | $36,000 | $29,290 | $44,240 | -4% |
| Medical Assistants | 750 | 1.79 | $41,330 | $35,320 | $45,850 | -10% |
These figures are for the whole Saginaw, MI metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $46,200 (US $50,980); unemployment 5.1% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 28.1% |
| Retail trade | 14.6% |
| Manufacturing | 14.0% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 11.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.9% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 6.8% |
| Other services | 4.6% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.4% |
| Public administration | 3.6% |
| Construction | 3.3% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.6% |
| Information | 0.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.2% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Saginaw lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saginaw County | 188,665 | $11,010 million | $58,355 | 79,478 | 3,966 | $58,049 | +0.1% | 5.1% | 78,729 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 14,629 | 22.2% | $65,313 | 1.28 |
| Retail trade | 10,842 | 16.5% | $36,815 | 1.37 |
| Manufacturing | 10,729 | 16.3% | $82,362 | 1.64 |
| Accommodation and food services | 8,057 | 12.2% | $22,768 | 1.11 |
| Administrative and waste services | 5,214 | 7.9% | $43,471 | 1.11 |
| Construction | 3,351 | 5.1% | $79,077 | 0.80 |
| Finance and insurance | 2,868 | 4.4% | $79,886 | 0.89 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 2,539 | 3.9% | $38,531 | 1.06 |
| Professional and technical services | 2,524 | 3.8% | $78,809 | 0.46 |
| Wholesale trade | 2,386 | 3.6% | $72,426 | 0.76 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 712 | 1.1% | $20,421 | 0.53 |
| Information | 687 | 1.0% | $72,735 | 0.46 |
| Real estate and rental | 614 | 0.9% | $44,387 | 0.50 |
| Educational services | 439 | 0.7% | $40,597 | 0.27 |
| Management of companies | 269 | 0.4% | $114,611 | 0.20 |
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 | 73.4% |
| Public transit | 0.7% |
| Walk | 2.4% |
| Work from home | 7.7% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 8.1% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $38,579 |
| Income per person | $21,177 |
| Median gross rent per month | $922 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 28.7% |
| Median home value | $60,000 |
| Homeowners | 60.0% |
| Poverty rate | 34.0% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 90.9 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $46,200 |
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 | 35.5 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 85.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 13.3% |
| Born abroad | 1.4% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 55.6% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -5.4 | 22 | 50 |
| Feb | -4.8 | 23 | 50 |
| Mar | 0.4 | 33 | 51 |
| Apr | 6.6 | 44 | 88 |
| May | 13.2 | 56 | 97 |
| Jun | 18.6 | 65 | 87 |
| Jul | 21.7 | 71 | 79 |
| Aug | 21.0 | 70 | 85 |
| Sep | 17.4 | 63 | 74 |
| Oct | 10.3 | 51 | 86 |
| Nov | 3.7 | 39 | 59 |
| Dec | -2.0 | 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay City | MI | 12 mi | 32,320 | $49,420 | $766 |
| Midland | MI | 20 mi | 42,724 | $73,325 | $1,048 |
| Flint | MI | 30 mi | 80,175 | $37,646 | $915 |
| Owosso | MI | 31 mi | 14,632 | $54,229 | $784 |
| Burton | MI | 33 mi | 29,500 | $60,052 | $1,009 |
| Mount Pleasant | MI | 43 mi | 21,236 | $44,706 | $922 |
| Fenton | MI | 44 mi | 11,906 | $80,000 | $1,275 |
| Haslett | MI | 51 mi | 18,559 | $74,031 | $1,125 |
| East Lansing | MI | 54 mi | 45,758 | $45,687 | $1,171 |
| Okemos | MI | 54 mi | 26,396 | $102,612 | $1,298 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
43,536 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$922 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 28.7% of the median household income.
$38,579 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
5.1% (BLS county, Saginaw County (latest month 2026M09)).
Michigan. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.