Customer Support Specialist salary in the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area
The Eastern Oregon nonmetro area is a lower-cost market for customer support specialists: the median of $43,640 a year1 is 8.0% below the Oregon statewide median of $47,450, and 2.5% below the US median of $44,770. Among US areas it comes in at #186 of 520. About 430 customer support specialists work here, 2% of the Oregon total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Eastern Oregon nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area against Oregon and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Oregon (Nonmetro) | $33,200 | $43,640 | $60,900 | |
| Oregon | $36,710 | $47,450 | $64,130 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
Customer support specialists at the 90th percentile earn $60,900, 1.8 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of customer support specialists in the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area earns $36,250–$49,090. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $12,840 wide, against $14,300 across Oregon and $14,910 nationally: employers in the Eastern Oregon 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 | $33,200 | $2,767 | $15.96 | $42,839 |
| 25th percentile | $36,250 | $3,021 | $17.43 | $46,774 |
| Median | $43,640 | $3,637 | $20.98 | $56,310 |
| 75th percentile | $49,090 | $4,091 | $23.60 | $63,342 |
| 90th percentile | $60,900 | $5,075 | $29.28 | $78,581 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $5,450 a year in pay and about $7,032 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $7,390 in pay. 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 the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area, and the Oregon statewide median of $47,450 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area
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 $12,670 to the $43,640 median and brings it to $56,310 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 4.2 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 5.2 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 Eastern Oregon nonmetro area
Of the 15 roles we track in the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area, this one ranks #14 by median pay, between administrative assistants ($45,380) and virtual receptionists ($38,560). Project Coordinator is the highest at $91,750.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +11.0% | 40 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +8.4% | 570 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +4.0% | 900 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 430 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -11.6% | 380 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #4 of the 15 roles we track in the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area (-2.5%), between virtual receptionists (+1.4%) and bookkeepers (-3.3%). The typical role here is at -4.5%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Customer support specialists hold 8.2% of the jobs in these 15 roles in the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area, 10.3% across Oregon and 16.6% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Oregon
Across the 11 areas of Oregon with data for this job, the median runs from $39,860 in the Central Oregon nonmetro area to $48,650 in Portland-Vancouver, a gap of $8,790 a year. All 6 areas in Oregon with more customer support specialists than the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area also pay more, among them Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA ($48,650) and Salem, OR ($47,790).
| Area | Median | vs the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medford, OR | +4.6% | 690 | |
| Grants Pass, OR | +4.2% | 220 | |
| Albany, OR | +3.3% | 330 | |
| Corvallis, OR | +2.0% | 300 | |
| Coast Oregon (Nonmetro) | +1.1% | 790 | |
| Eastern Oregon (Nonmetro) | this area | 430 | |
| Central Oregon (Nonmetro) | -8.7% | 350 |
the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area is #486 of 520 US areas for this job. The market is small, and its pay sits near the middle of the US range. Outside Oregon, Naples-Marco Island and Kingston pay just above the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area and Niles and Amherst Town-Northampton just below. All four are within $80 a year of the median in the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston, NY | +0.1% | 680 | pay | |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | +0.1% | 2,340 | pay | |
| Eastern Oregon (Nonmetro) | this area | 430 | ||
| Niles, MI | -0.0% | 930 | pay | |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | -0.2% | 760 | pay | |
| Michigan City-La Porte, IN | -4.0% | 420 | jobs | |
| Decatur, IL | -7.9% | 420 | jobs | |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | -17.1% | 430 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Eastern Oregon (Nonmetro)?
About $56,310 a year at the median, or $4,692 a month: $43,640 in pay plus about $12,670 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do customer support specialists earn in the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area?
The median was $43,640 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $33,200, the 90th $60,900, and the middle half earned $36,250 to $49,090.
Is the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Oregon for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $43,640 against $47,450 statewide. The next area up in Oregon is the Coast Oregon nonmetro area at $44,110, the next down the Central Oregon nonmetro area at $39,860.
How many customer support specialists work in the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 430 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Oregon total of 19,440. 6 areas in Oregon have more; the closest in size is Medford, with about 690.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in the Eastern Oregon nonmetro area?
Yes: $5,080 a year more at the median. The medians are $43,640 and $38,560.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with the Eastern Oregon 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 $56,310 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.