Customer Support Specialist salary in Burlington, NC
For this job Burlington sits between the state and national figures, with a median of $41,040 a year1. That is 2.0% above the North Carolina statewide median of $40,240, and 8.3% below the US median of $44,770. Nationally it ranks #254 of 520 areas. BLS counts about 1,290 people in this job here, 1% of the North Carolina total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Burlington, NC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Burlington against North Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, NC | $29,120 | $41,040 | $57,150 | |
| North Carolina | $30,200 | $40,240 | $59,820 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
Customer support specialists at the 90th percentile earn $57,150, 2.0 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of customer support specialists in Burlington earns $34,950–$48,000. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $13,050 wide, against $13,630 across North Carolina and $14,910 nationally: employers in Burlington 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 | $29,120 | $2,427 | $14.00 | $37,574 |
| 25th percentile | $34,950 | $2,912 | $16.80 | $45,097 |
| Median | $41,040 | $3,420 | $19.73 | $52,955 |
| 75th percentile | $48,000 | $4,000 | $23.08 | $61,935 |
| 90th percentile | $57,150 | $4,762 | $27.48 | $73,742 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $6,090 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $6,960, or about $8,981 once benefits are added. 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 Burlington, and the North Carolina statewide median of $40,240 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Burlington
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $11,915 to the $41,040 median and brings it to $52,955 a year. 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 4.0 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 4.9 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 Burlington
Of the 15 roles we track in Burlington, this one ranks #13 by median pay, between medical administrative assistants ($44,190) and virtual receptionists ($36,230). Project Coordinator is the highest at $83,370.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +8.7% | 730 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +7.7% | 620 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 1,290 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -11.7% | 300 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -12.6% | 40 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #8 of the 15 roles we track in Burlington (-8.3%), between bookkeepers (-6.3%) and recruiters (-8.5%). The typical role here is at -8.3%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Customer support specialists hold 21.6% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Burlington, 17.3% across North Carolina and 16.5% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in North Carolina
Across the 18 areas of North Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $33,980 in Jacksonville to $46,800 in Durham-Chapel Hill, a gap of $12,820 a year. Of the 12 areas in North Carolina with more customer support specialists than Burlington, 8 pay less, the largest of them Winston-Salem, NC ($38,410), the Western North Carolina nonmetro area ($36,970) and the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area ($36,730).
| Area | Median | vs Burlington | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +9.6% | 26,120 | |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | +2.1% | 13,620 | |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | +0.5% | 7,460 | |
| Burlington, NC | this area | 1,290 | |
| Asheville, NC | -5.0% | 2,850 | |
| Winston-Salem, NC | -6.4% | 3,770 | |
| Wilmington, NC | -7.2% | 2,850 |
Burlington against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Burlington is #268 of 520 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside North Carolina, Decatur and Lafayette-West Lafayette pay just above Burlington and Sioux City and Santa Fe just below. All four are within $50 a year of the median in Burlington. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Burlington | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modesto, CA | +15.1% | 1,290 | jobs | |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | +10.6% | 1,290 | jobs | |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | +0.1% | 900 | pay | |
| Decatur, AL | +0.1% | 710 | pay | |
| Burlington, NC | this area | 1,290 | ||
| Sioux City, IA-NE | -0.1% | 1,110 | pay | |
| Santa Fe, NM | -0.1% | 830 | pay | |
| Bloomington, IL | -4.7% | 1,280 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Burlington, NC?
About $52,955 a year at the median, or $4,413 a month: $41,040 in pay plus about $11,915 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do customer support specialists earn in Burlington?
The median was $41,040 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $29,120, the 90th $57,150, and the middle half earned $34,950 to $48,000.
Is Burlington cheaper than the rest of North Carolina for customer support specialists?
No, it costs more: a median of $41,040 against $40,240 statewide. The next area up in North Carolina is Greensboro-High Point at $41,240, the next down Asheville at $38,980.
How many customer support specialists work in Burlington?
BLS counts about 1,290 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the North Carolina total of 89,510. 12 areas in North Carolina have more; the closest in size is Fayetteville, with about 1,890.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in Burlington?
Yes: $4,810 a year more at the median. The medians are $41,040 and $36,230.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with Burlington?
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 $52,955 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.