Economic Development Alliance Releases 2026 St. Clair County Wage & Benefit Survey

February 25, 2026

St. Clair County, Michigan – February 26, 2026  

The Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County (EDA) today announced the release of the 2026 St. Clair County Wage & Benefit Survey, a comprehensive resource designed to help employers, human resource professionals, and community leaders better understand local compensation and benefits trends.

The survey provides a clear picture of the county’s labor market, offering insights into wage data, benefit practices, and workforce trends that impact business competitiveness and economic development strategies.

“The Wage & Benefit Survey is a critical benchmarking tool for St. Clair County employers,” said Bruce Seymore, EDA’s Vice President of Business Services. “It helps companies remain competitive, plan salary budgets, attract and retain talent, and better understand how local wages and benefits compare within the region.”

Key Findings from the 2026 Survey

According to the wage data analysis, 441 unique Standard Occupational Classifications (SOC) reported wage information in 2025. The occupations employing the largest number of workers in St. Clair County included fast food and counter workers, retail salespersons, assemblers and fabricators, home health and personal care aides, and cashiers.

The survey also highlights a wide range of earnings across occupations. Positions with the highest average hourly earnings included airline pilots, emergency medicine physicians, anesthesiologists, chief executives, and nurse anesthetists, while occupations such as craft artists, ushers and ticket takers, amusement and recreation attendants, and food service roles reported lower average hourly wages.

In terms of workforce concentration, St. Clair County has 209 occupations with a higher employment concentration than the national average, with particularly strong representation in production occupations, healthcare practitioners and technical roles, construction and extraction occupations, and installation, maintenance, and repair fields.

Benefits and Workforce Trends

The benefits portion of the survey, conducted online by the EDA, examined employer practices and workforce conditions across the county. Among the notable changes from 2025 to 2026, fewer employers anticipated near‑term layoffs, and a larger share of respondents reported lower employee turnover rates within the first year of employment.

The survey also showed shifts in benefit offerings and workforce challenges, including changes in health plan structures, hiring incentives, and factors influencing employee retention and recruitment.

Survey Methodology

The 2026 Wage & Benefit Survey consists of two parts: a benefits survey administered by the Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County and a wage analysis developed by the Detroit Regional Partnership using Emsi data. The benefits survey was distributed to St. Clair County businesses beginning January 5, 2026, and responses were collected online. Wage data reflects reported information from St. Clair County companies and established labor market data sources.

The 2026 St. Clair County Wage & Benefit Survey is available for purchase from the EDA for $100. Online orders are accepted at https://edascc.com/business-support/scc-wage-and-benefit-report/.

About EDA of St. Clair County
The Economic Development Alliance (EDA) of St. Clair County is a private non-profit organization that provides general purpose economic development services throughout St. Clair County.  EDA offers a wide variety of services involving business recruitment and business retention and expansion with the overall goal of growing the local economy and enhancing the quality of life for residents in St. Clair County.  The EDA of St. Clair County is supported by a membership of over 150 businesses from the private & public sector passionate about supporting community and economic development.  To learn more about the Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County visit:  www.edascc.com.