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.
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
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IL | $31,200 | $39,120 | $57,660 | |
| Illinois | $33,590 | $46,130 | $71,400 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
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 range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer 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.
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.
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.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +15.6% | 590 | |
| HR Assistant | +12.5% | 110 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 1,280 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -7.3% | 80 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -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).
| Area | Median | vs Bloomington | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | +5.5% | 1,480 | |
| Kankakee, IL | +3.5% | 480 | |
| Springfield, IL | +2.8% | 1,510 | |
| Decatur, IL | +2.7% | 420 | |
| Peoria, IL | +1.8% | 2,260 | |
| South Illinois (Nonmetro) | +0.4% | 1,340 | |
| Bloomington, IL | this area | 1,280 |
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 area | Median | vs Bloomington | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | +16.0% | 1,290 | jobs | |
| Burlington, NC | +4.9% | 1,290 | jobs | |
| Elmira, NY | +0.3% | 510 | pay | |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | +0.1% | 5,200 | pay | |
| Bloomington, IL | this area | 1,280 | ||
| Harrisonburg, VA | -0.1% | 660 | pay | |
| Sumter, SC | -0.1% | 990 | pay | |
| Hattiesburg, MS | -6.2% | 1,280 | jobs |
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
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4051: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.