Overall wages are dropping this year compared to the same period in 2024, according to a new survey by the American Society of Employers in Troy, Michigan’s largest employer association.
This 2025 ASE Compensation Survey is described as the largest of its kind in Michigan, covering 575 positions with 437 Michigan companies responding.
The data encompasses more than 106,000 incumbents. The full results were presented at the 2025 Pay Trends Briefing.
The survey highlights a deceleration in wage growth compared to the previous year, occurring within a dynamic economic and labor market environment.
Using a constant sample of participating organizations from both 2024 and 2025 surveys, actual wage movement among Michigan businesses showed an overall increase of 3.2 percent from 2024 to 2025. This represents a notable drop from the 4.3 percent growth seen in the 2024 survey.
Key highlights from the analysis of the constant sample — companies that participated in both the 2024 and 2025 surveys—– reveal the following job families with the highest reported wage growth:
- Engineering roles posted a 3.4 percent increase.
- Human Resources positions saw a similarly strong rise of 3.4 percent.
- Sales and Marketing professionals experienced robust growth, also at 3.4 percent.
- Accounting and Finance roles followed closely, with a 3.3 percent increase.
- Hourly Assemblers and Production workers saw a more modest increase of 3.0 percent, a notable decline from last year’s 5.5 percent gain.
“This year’s survey data clearly shows a recalibration in wage growth compared to the accelerated pace of recent years,” says Mary Corrado, president and CEO of the American Society of Employers.
“While employers continue to focus on competitive compensation, the stabilization of the labor market, coupled with economic headwinds, means we are shifting from broad, reactive increases to more strategic allocation of compensation dollars. Employers are prioritizing performance and evaluating where their compensation investments will have the greatest impact, while also considering total rewards and pay equity.”
Comprehensive compensation data is available for 575 distinct job positions. The dataset includes detailed base pay information, highlighting key benchmarks across various percentiles:
- Base Pay
- Interquartile Ranges:
- 25th Percentile
- Median (50th Percentile)
- 75th Percentile
- Interquartile Ranges:
- Additional Extremes:
- 10th Percentile
- 90th Percentile
- Additional Extremes:
In addition to base pay, the data includes the average variable pay for each position, providing a more complete view of total cash compensation.
This information serves as a critical resource for employers seeking to make informed, competitive, and equitable compensation decisions.
Overall, a total of 437 companies participated in the 2025 survey, marking a 6.3 percent increase over the previous year. Participation from the Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and Holland areas rose 80 percent collectively, with 92 organizations from that region participating.
According to the survey, southeast Michigan continues to represent the largest share of responses, accounting for 60 percent of the overall sample. Reflecting the state’s business landscape, nearly 80 percent of participating organizations reported having between 1 and 500 employees.
Additionally, 70.5 percent of respondents reported annual revenues under $100 million.
The 2025 survey includes data on 575 job positions, including 16 newly added roles, ensuring continued relevance and alignment with evolving workforce needs.
The full report is available for participating ASE members in the ASE Survey Library, and is available for purchase by completing a request form.
