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Customer Support Specialist salary in Bloomington, IL

Of the 12 areas in Illinois with BLS pay data for this job, Bloomington has the lowest median: $39,120 a year1. That is 15.2% below the Illinois statewide median of $46,130, and 12.6% below the US median of $44,770. Nationally it ranks #321 of 520 areas. BLS counts about 1,280 people in this job here, 1% of the Illinois total.

$3,260median pay per month in Bloomington
$4,206employer cost per month with benefits
$700–$1,000per month, remote through Stafka
1,280people in this job in Bloomington

BLS occupation 43-4051, area Bloomington, IL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

Pay in Bloomington against Illinois and the US

Range10thMedian90th
Bloomington, IL$31,200$39,120$57,660
Illinois$33,590$46,130$71,400
United States$31,750$44,770$63,590
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

Customer support specialists at the 90th percentile earn $57,660, 1.8 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of customer support specialists in Bloomington earns $34,200–$47,850. The mean ($42,580) is 9% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $13,650 wide, against $20,370 across Illinois and $14,910 nationally: employers in Bloomington pay within a narrower band.

What to budget for a customer support specialist here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$31,200$2,600$15.00$40,258
25th percentile$34,200$2,850$16.44$44,129
Median$39,120$3,260$18.81$50,477
75th percentile$47,850$3,988$23.00$61,742
90th percentile$57,660$4,805$27.72$74,400

Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $8,730 over the median, the 25th only $4,920 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $11,265 a year in employer cost. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.

For scale, the US median of $44,770 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Bloomington, and the Illinois statewide median of $46,130 falls there too.

What a hire really costs in Bloomington

At the $39,120 median, a local hire costs about $50,477 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,357 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.

$50,477 local hire in Bloomington, ILmedian wage plus benefits, year one
$13,288 remote hire through Stafka$850/month, placement fee and Deel, year one

Our open customer support specialist roles pay $700–$1,000 a month under a direct contract. The one-time fee is $2,5003 with a 180-day replacement; paying through Deel adds $49 a month4. Change any number below to match your plan.

$50,477local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,288remote hire, first year incl. fee
$37,189difference in year one
74%of the local cost saved

A local hire here costs about 3.8 times as much as a remote hire in year one at the midpoint of our range. From year two, when the fee drops out, it is 4.7 times the remote figure of $10,788. About the candidates: most apply through our assessment platform with a written and a spoken English task; each profile shows the English level (B1–C2); Silkstaff interviews every shortlisted candidate live, in English, before you meet them.

Other roles in Bloomington

Of the 14 roles we track in Bloomington, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between HR assistants ($44,000) and data entry specialists ($36,260). Project Coordinator is the highest at $101,110.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 14 roles in Bloomington, IL
RoleMedianvs customer support specialistJobs
Bookkeeper
$45,220
+15.6%590
HR Assistant
$44,000
+12.5%110
Customer Support Specialist
$39,120
this role1,280
Data Entry Specialist
$36,260
-7.3%80
Virtual Receptionist
$35,340
-9.7%520

Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #12 of the 14 roles we track in Bloomington (-12.6%), between data entry specialists (-12.3%) and executive assistants (-12.9%). The typical role here is at -7.8%, so, measured against the US, customer support specialists cost less in Bloomington than the area's general pay level would suggest. Customer support specialists hold 19.0% of the jobs in these 14 roles in Bloomington, 19.2% across Illinois and 19.3% nationally. That is close to the national mix.

Other areas in Illinois

Across the 12 areas of Illinois with data for this job, the median runs from $39,120 in Bloomington to $47,100 in Chicago-Naperville, a gap of $7,980 a year. All 9 areas in Illinois with more customer support specialists than Bloomington also pay more, among them Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN ($47,100) and Peoria, IL ($39,840).

AreaMedianvs BloomingtonJobs
Champaign-Urbana, IL
$41,280
+5.5%1,480
Kankakee, IL
$40,490
+3.5%480
Springfield, IL
$40,230
+2.8%1,510
Decatur, IL
$40,190
+2.7%420
Peoria, IL
$39,840
+1.8%2,260
South Illinois (Nonmetro)
$39,260
+0.4%1,340
Bloomington, IL
$39,120
this area1,280

Bloomington against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, Bloomington is #271 of 520 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Illinois, Lexington-Fayette and Elmira pay just above Bloomington and Harrisonburg and Sumter just below. All four are within $110 a year of the median in Bloomington. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, two pay more.

Metro areaMedianvs BloomingtonJobsClose in
Kennewick-Richland, WA
$45,380
+16.0%1,290jobs
Burlington, NC
$41,040
+4.9%1,290jobs
Elmira, NY
$39,230
+0.3%510pay
Lexington-Fayette, KY
$39,160
+0.1%5,200pay
Bloomington, IL
$39,120
this area1,280
Harrisonburg, VA
$39,100
-0.1%660pay
Sumter, SC
$39,100
-0.1%990pay
Hattiesburg, MS
$36,700
-6.2%1,280jobs

Questions

How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Bloomington, IL?

About $50,477 a year at the median, or $4,206 a month: $39,120 in pay plus about $11,357 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What is the pay range for customer support specialists in Bloomington?

The median was $39,120 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $31,200, the 90th $57,660, and the middle half earned $34,200 to $47,850.

Is Bloomington the cheapest area in Illinois for customer support specialists?

Yes. Its median of $39,120 is the lowest of 12 areas in Illinois. The South Illinois nonmetro area is next at $39,260.

How many customer support specialists work in Bloomington?

BLS counts about 1,280 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the Illinois total of 100,970. 9 areas in Illinois have more; the closest in size is the South Illinois nonmetro area, with about 1,340.

Does a customer support specialist cost more than a data entry specialist in Bloomington?

Yes: $2,860 a year more at the median. The medians are $39,120 and $36,260.

What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with Bloomington?

Our open roles pay $700–$1,000 a month. At the midpoint, with the one-time fee and Deel, year one comes to $13,288, against about $50,477 for a local hire at the median.

Sources

4 sources, with links
  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4051: bls.gov
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
  3. Stafka pricing: stafka.com
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.