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Customer Support Specialist salary and cost of hiring in Iowa

The median customer support specialist in Iowa earned $46,090 a year in May 2025[1], 2.9% above the US median of $44,770. That puts Iowa at #18 of 51 states for this job.

$3,841median pay per month in Iowa
$5,487employer cost per month with benefits
$700–$1,000per month, remote through Stafka
30,100people in this job in Iowa

BLS occupation 43-4051. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Iowa$32,450$46,090$64,540
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 Iowa earns $37,880–$54,880; the top tenth earns $64,540 or more, 2.0 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 Iowa median that makes about $65,843 a year before recruiting, equipment and office space. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.

$65,843 local hire in Iowamedian 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 180-day replacement; paying through Deel adds $49 a month[4]. Change any number below to match your plan.

$65,843local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,288remote hire, first year incl. fee
$52,555difference in year one
80%of the local cost saved

Pay by metro area in Iowa

AreaMedian75th percentileJobs
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
$48,880
$59,94012,070
Dubuque, IA
$46,670
$56,6701,880
Cedar Rapids, IA
$45,510
$50,3603,130
Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$42,860
$50,0801,150
Ames, IA
$42,820
$52,090690
Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$42,700
$50,0601,490
Iowa City, IA
$42,340
$55,0001,190
Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$41,600
$52,000800
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
$41,010
$48,8401,110
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$40,810
$48,5802,180
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
$39,950
$48,9703,040
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
$39,530
$49,8801,540

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA pays the most ($48,880) and Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA the least ($39,530): $9,350 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 Iowa
Wisconsin
$46,970
+1.9%
Illinois
$46,130
+0.1%
Iowa
$46,090
+0.0%
Arizona
$45,690
-0.9%
Hawaii
$45,650
-1.0%

Questions

How much does a customer support specialist earn in Iowa?

The median was $46,090 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $37,880 to $54,880.

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

About $65,843 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).

Where in Iowa do customer support specialists earn the most?

Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, with a median of $48,880 a year.

Other roles in Iowa

Hire customer support specialists remotely

How to hire customer support specialists

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. Last updated 2026-11-05.