Customer Support Specialist salary in the Central Louisiana nonmetro area
Hiring a customer support specialist costs less in the Central Louisiana nonmetro area than in Louisiana or the country as a whole. The median is $34,360 a year1: 8.0% below the Louisiana statewide median of $37,330 and 23.3% below the US median of $44,770. Nationally that is #514 of 520 areas, in the bottom tenth. About 640 customer support specialists work here, 2% of the Louisiana total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Central Louisiana nonmetro area against Louisiana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Louisiana (Nonmetro) | $23,000 | $34,360 | $46,300 | |
| Louisiana | $28,440 | $37,330 | $51,010 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
Customer support specialists at the 90th percentile earn $46,300, 2.0 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of customer support specialists in the Central Louisiana nonmetro area earns $29,080–$37,680. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $8,600 wide, against $12,810 across Louisiana and $14,910 nationally: employers in the Central Louisiana nonmetro area 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 | $23,000 | $1,917 | $11.06 | $29,677 |
| 25th percentile | $29,080 | $2,423 | $13.98 | $37,523 |
| Median | $34,360 | $2,863 | $16.52 | $44,335 |
| 75th percentile | $37,680 | $3,140 | $18.12 | $48,619 |
| 90th percentile | $46,300 | $3,858 | $22.26 | $59,742 |
Local pay is bunched just above the median: the 75th percentile is only $3,320 over it, while the 25th sits $5,280 below. Moving an offer from the median to the 75th percentile costs about $4,284 more a year with benefits. 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 75th and 90th percentiles in the Central Louisiana nonmetro area, and the Louisiana statewide median of $37,330 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local customer support specialists earn.
What a hire really costs in the Central Louisiana nonmetro area
At the $34,360 median, a local hire costs about $44,335 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $9,975 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 3.3 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 4.1 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 the Central Louisiana nonmetro area
Of the 15 roles we track in the Central Louisiana nonmetro area, this one ranks #13 by median pay, between medical administrative assistants ($35,290) and administrative assistants ($33,860). Project Coordinator is the highest at $89,650.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +13.9% | 600 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +2.7% | 100 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 640 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -1.5% | 1,450 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -14.1% | 420 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #10 of the 15 roles we track in the Central Louisiana nonmetro area (-23.3%), between medical administrative assistants (-23.2%) and office managers (-28.1%). The typical role here is at -22.9%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Customer support specialists hold 11.7% of the jobs in these 15 roles in the Central Louisiana nonmetro area, 15.2% across Louisiana and 16.6% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Louisiana
Across the 13 areas of Louisiana with data for this job, the median runs from $33,870 in the Northeast Louisiana nonmetro area to $39,300 in New Orleans-Metairie, a gap of $5,430 a year. All 10 areas in Louisiana with more customer support specialists than the Central Louisiana nonmetro area also pay more, among them Baton Rouge, LA ($38,760) and New Orleans-Metairie, LA ($39,300).
| Area | Median | vs the Central Louisiana nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | +6.1% | 2,760 | |
| Houma-Bayou Cane, LA | +4.6% | 720 | |
| Lake Charles, LA | +2.1% | 1,090 | |
| Hammond, LA | +1.7% | 570 | |
| Monroe, LA | +0.5% | 1,110 | |
| Central Louisiana (Nonmetro) | this area | 640 | |
| Northeast Louisiana (Nonmetro) | -1.4% | 490 |
the Central Louisiana nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Central Louisiana nonmetro area is #433 of 520 US areas for this job. It is a small market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Louisiana, Laredo and Goldsboro pay just above the Central Louisiana nonmetro area and Sebring and Hot Springs just below. All four are within $210 a year of the median in the Central Louisiana nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Central Louisiana nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napa, CA | +55.3% | 640 | jobs | |
| Muncie, IN | +15.4% | 640 | jobs | |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg, VA | +8.9% | 640 | jobs | |
| Goldsboro, NC | +0.4% | 740 | pay | |
| Laredo, TX | +0.2% | 2,060 | pay | |
| Central Louisiana (Nonmetro) | this area | 640 | ||
| Sebring, FL | -0.1% | 510 | pay | |
| Hot Springs, AR | -0.6% | 470 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Central Louisiana (Nonmetro)?
About $44,335 a year at the median, or $3,695 a month: $34,360 in pay plus about $9,975 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do customer support specialists earn in the Central Louisiana nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $34,360 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $23,000, the 90th $46,300, and the middle half earned $29,080 to $37,680.
Is the Central Louisiana nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Louisiana for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $34,360 against $37,330 statewide. The next area up in Louisiana is Monroe at $34,520, the next down the Northeast Louisiana nonmetro area at $33,870.
How many customer support specialists work in the Central Louisiana nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 640 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Louisiana total of 25,780. 10 areas in Louisiana have more; the closest in size is Houma-Bayou Cane, with about 720.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than an administrative assistant in the Central Louisiana nonmetro area?
Yes: $500 a year more at the median. The medians are $34,360 and $33,860.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with the Central Louisiana nonmetro area?
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 $44,335 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.