Customer Support Specialist salary in Cleveland, TN
Cleveland is a lower-cost market for customer support specialists: the median of $37,600 a year1 is 12.2% below the Tennessee statewide median of $42,830, and 16.0% below the US median of $44,770. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#393 of 520). About 590 customer support specialists work here.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Cleveland, TN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Cleveland against Tennessee and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland, TN | $28,230 | $37,600 | $55,380 | |
| Tennessee | $31,100 | $42,830 | $60,070 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
The middle half of customer support specialists in Cleveland earns $31,830–$45,780. The top tenth earns $55,380 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.0 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $13,950 wide, between the figure for Tennessee ($12,540) and the US figure ($14,910).
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 | $28,230 | $2,352 | $13.57 | $36,426 |
| 25th percentile | $31,830 | $2,652 | $15.30 | $41,071 |
| Median | $37,600 | $3,133 | $18.08 | $48,516 |
| 75th percentile | $45,780 | $3,815 | $22.01 | $59,071 |
| 90th percentile | $55,380 | $4,615 | $26.62 | $71,458 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $5,770 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $8,180, or about $10,555 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 Cleveland, and the Tennessee statewide median of $42,830 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Cleveland
At the $37,600 median, a local hire costs about $48,516 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $10,916 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 3.7 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 4.5 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 Cleveland
Of the 15 roles we track in Cleveland, this one ranks #14 by median pay, between medical administrative assistants ($38,580) and virtual receptionists ($32,770). Project Coordinator is the highest at $80,720.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +14.0% | 390 | |
| HR Assistant | +9.4% | 30 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +2.6% | 510 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 590 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -12.8% | 160 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #7 of the 15 roles we track in Cleveland (-16.0%), between medical administrative assistants (-16.0%) and payroll specialists (-17.7%). The typical role here is at -17.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Customer support specialists hold 16.3% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Cleveland, 16.7% across Tennessee and 16.6% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Tennessee
Across the 14 areas of Tennessee with data for this job, the median runs from $36,130 in Kingsport-Bristol to $45,510 in Nashville-Murfreesboro, a gap of $9,380 a year. Of the 13 areas in Tennessee with more customer support specialists than Cleveland, 5 pay less, the largest of them Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA ($36,130), Johnson City, TN ($36,570) and the East Tennessee nonmetro area ($36,510).
| Area | Median | vs Cleveland | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson, TN | +2.9% | 970 | |
| South Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | +2.0% | 1,170 | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | +0.1% | 1,610 | |
| Cleveland, TN | this area | 590 | |
| West Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -0.1% | 1,260 | |
| Morristown, TN | -0.1% | 740 | |
| Johnson City, TN | -2.7% | 1,940 |
Cleveland against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Cleveland is #450 of 520 US areas for this job. It is a small market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Tennessee, Lake Havasu City-Kingman and El Paso pay just above Cleveland and Hilton Head Island-Bluffton and Altoona just below. All four are within $60 a year of the median in Cleveland. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Cleveland | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chico, CA | +22.3% | 600 | jobs | |
| Columbus, IN | +13.6% | 600 | jobs | |
| El Paso, TX | +0.1% | 10,680 | pay | |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | +0.0% | 850 | pay | |
| Cleveland, TN | this area | 590 | ||
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | -0.0% | 1,640 | pay | |
| Altoona, PA | -0.2% | 800 | pay | |
| Beckley, WV | -8.0% | 600 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Cleveland, TN?
About $48,516 a year at the median, or $4,043 a month: $37,600 in pay plus about $10,916 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for customer support specialists in Cleveland?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $37,600 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $28,230, the 90th $55,380, and the middle half earned $31,830 to $45,780.
Is Cleveland cheaper than the rest of Tennessee for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $37,600 against $42,830 statewide. The next area up in Tennessee is Clarksville at $37,650, the next down the West Tennessee nonmetro area at $37,580.
How many customer support specialists work in Cleveland?
BLS counts about 590 in the May 2025 survey. 13 areas in Tennessee have more; the closest in size is Morristown, with about 740.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in Cleveland?
Yes: $4,830 a year more at the median. The medians are $37,600 and $32,770.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with Cleveland?
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 $48,516 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.