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Customer Support Specialist salary and cost of hiring in Illinois

The median customer support specialist in Illinois earned $46,130 a year in May 2025[1], 3.0% above the US median of $44,770. That puts Illinois at #17 of 51 states for this job.

$46,130median annual wage
$65,900employer cost with benefits
$22.18median per hour
100,970people in this job in Illinois

BLS occupation 43-4051. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-16.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Illinois$33,590$46,130$71,400
United States$31,750$44,770$63,590
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of customer support specialists in Illinois earns $37,680–$58,050; the top tenth earns $71,400 or more, 2.1 times the bottom tenth.

What a hire really costs

Benefits and payroll taxes are 30.0% of total compensation in US private industry[2]. At the Illinois median that makes about $65,900 a year before recruiting, equipment and office space. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.

$65,900 local hire in Illinoismedian wage plus benefits, year one
$13,288 remote hire through Stafka$850/month, placement fee and Deel, year one

Our open customer support specialist roles pay $700–$1,000 a month under a direct contract. The one-time fee is $2,500–$3,000[3] with a 90-day replacement; paying through Deel adds $49 a month[4]. Change any number below to match your plan.

$65,900local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,288remote hire, first year incl. fee
$52,612difference in year one
80%of the local cost saved

Pay by metro area in Illinois

AreaMedian75th percentileJobs
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$47,100
$58,95075,240
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$43,420
$49,5801,350
Rockford, IL
$43,260
$52,6802,070
East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$41,900
$48,9001,860
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$41,760
$48,2001,930
Champaign-Urbana, IL
$41,280
$50,0901,480
Kankakee, IL
$40,490
$50,520480
Springfield, IL
$40,230
$47,7101,510
Decatur, IL
$40,190
$49,680420
Peoria, IL
$39,840
$48,7302,260
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$39,260
$47,0401,340
Bloomington, IL
$39,120
$47,8501,280

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN pays the most ($47,100) and Bloomington, IL the least ($39,120): $7,980 a year apart for the same job.

What a customer support specialist does

A customer support specialist answers customers by email, chat and sometimes phone, solves their problems on the first contact where possible and passes product feedback to the team.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs Illinois
Maine
$47,160
+2.2%
Wisconsin
$46,970
+1.8%
Illinois
$46,130
+0.0%
Iowa
$46,090
-0.1%
Arizona
$45,690
-1.0%

Questions

How much does a customer support specialist earn in Illinois?

The median was $46,130 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $37,680 to $58,050.

What does it cost to employ a customer support specialist in Illinois?

About $65,900 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).

Where in Illinois do customer support specialists earn the most?

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, with a median of $47,100 a year.

Other roles in Illinois

Hire customer support specialists remotely

Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4051: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes434051.htm
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm
  3. Silkstaff pricing: https://silkstaff.com/#pricing
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: https://www.deel.com/pricing/

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Data checked 2026-10-16.