Customer Support Specialist salary in the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area
Budget above the national rate here. The median customer support specialist in the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area earned $48,120 a year in May 20251, 5.4% above the Hawaii statewide median of $45,650 and 7.5% above the US median of $44,770. Nationally that is #40 of 520 areas, in the top tenth. About 1,010 customer support specialists work here, 13% of the Hawaii total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area against Hawaii and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii-Kauai (Nonmetro) | $36,090 | $48,120 | $66,050 | |
| Hawaii | $33,860 | $45,650 | $64,130 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
Customer support specialists at the 90th percentile earn $66,050, 1.8 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of customer support specialists in the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area earns $41,150–$58,900. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $17,750 wide, wider than in Hawaii as a whole ($13,500) and the US ($14,910), so what a customer support specialist earns in the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area depends more on the employer.
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 | $36,090 | $3,008 | $17.35 | $46,568 |
| 25th percentile | $41,150 | $3,429 | $19.78 | $53,097 |
| Median | $48,120 | $4,010 | $23.13 | $62,090 |
| 75th percentile | $58,900 | $4,908 | $28.32 | $76,000 |
| 90th percentile | $66,050 | $5,504 | $31.75 | $85,226 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $10,780 over the median, the 25th only $6,970 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $13,910 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 25th percentile and the median in the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area, and the Hawaii statewide median of $45,650 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area
At the $48,120 median, a local hire costs about $62,090 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,970 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 4.7 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 5.8 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 Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area
Of the 15 roles we track in the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($49,270) and medical administrative assistants ($47,660). Project Coordinator is the highest at $75,440.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +7.1% | 1,050 | |
| Bookkeeper | +2.4% | 940 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 1,010 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -1.0% | 270 | |
| HR Assistant | -2.0% | 40 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #3 of the 15 roles we track in the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area (+7.5%), between administrative assistants (+8.5%) and payroll specialists (+6.8%). The typical role here is at -2.8%, so, measured against the US, customer support specialists cost more in the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Customer support specialists hold 12.9% of the jobs in these 15 roles in the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area, 14.9% across Hawaii and 16.6% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Hawaii
Across the 3 areas of Hawaii with data for this job, the median runs from $44,630 in Honolulu to $49,750 in Kahului-Wailuku, a gap of $5,120 a year. The one area in Hawaii with more customer support specialists, Honolulu, HI ($44,630), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | +3.4% | 690 | |
| Hawaii-Kauai (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,010 | |
| Honolulu, HI | -7.3% | 6,260 |
the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area is #327 of 520 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Hawaii, St. Cloud and Midland pay just above the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area and Santa Cruz-Watsonville and Hartford-West Hartford just below. All four are within $130 a year of the median in the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midland, MI | +0.3% | 620 | pay | |
| St. Cloud, MN | +0.0% | 1,850 | pay | |
| Hawaii-Kauai (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,010 | ||
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | -0.0% | 820 | pay | |
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | -0.1% | 9,750 | pay | |
| Bellingham, WA | -2.5% | 1,000 | jobs | |
| Rapid City, SD | -20.0% | 1,010 | jobs | |
| Elizabethtown, KY | -22.1% | 1,020 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Hawaii-Kauai (Nonmetro)?
About $62,090 a year at the median, or $5,174 a month: $48,120 in pay plus about $13,970 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for customer support specialists in the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $48,120 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $36,090, the 90th $66,050, and the middle half earned $41,150 to $58,900.
Is the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Hawaii for customer support specialists?
No, it costs more: a median of $48,120 against $45,650 statewide. The next area up in Hawaii is Kahului-Wailuku at $49,750, the next down Honolulu at $44,630.
How many customer support specialists work in the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 1,010 in the May 2025 survey. That is 13% of the Hawaii total of 8,010. Only Honolulu has more in Hawaii.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a medical administrative assistant in the Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area?
Yes: $460 a year more at the median. The medians are $48,120 and $47,660.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with the Hawaii-Kauai 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 $62,090 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.