Customer Support Specialist salary in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
Lafayette-West Lafayette is a lower-cost market for customer support specialists: the median of $41,090 a year1 is 4.8% below the Indiana statewide median of $43,140, and 8.2% below the US median of $44,770. Among US areas it comes in at #252 of 520. BLS counts about 900 people in this job here, 2% of the Indiana total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Lafayette-West Lafayette against Indiana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $29,790 | $41,090 | $60,300 | |
| Indiana | $31,060 | $43,140 | $62,620 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
Customer support specialists at the 90th percentile earn $60,300, 2.0 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of customer support specialists in Lafayette-West Lafayette earns $34,790–$48,070. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $13,280 wide, against $14,230 across Indiana and $14,910 nationally: employers in Lafayette-West Lafayette 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 | $29,790 | $2,482 | $14.32 | $38,439 |
| 25th percentile | $34,790 | $2,899 | $16.73 | $44,890 |
| Median | $41,090 | $3,424 | $19.75 | $53,019 |
| 75th percentile | $48,070 | $4,006 | $23.11 | $62,026 |
| 90th percentile | $60,300 | $5,025 | $28.99 | $77,806 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $6,980 a year in pay and about $9,006 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $6,300 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, and the Indiana statewide median of $43,140 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Lafayette-West Lafayette
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 $11,929 to the $41,090 median and brings it to $53,019 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 4.0 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 4.9 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette
Of the 16 roles we track in Lafayette-West Lafayette, this one ranks #14 by median pay, between medical administrative assistants ($43,840) and data entry specialists ($38,970). Project Coordinator is the highest at $83,330.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +13.0% | 60 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +6.7% | 450 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 900 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -5.2% | 40 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -14.6% | 490 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #8 of the 16 roles we track in Lafayette-West Lafayette (-8.2%), between virtual receptionists (-7.6%) and HR assistants (-8.3%). The typical role here is at -8.2%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Customer support specialists hold 12.0% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Lafayette-West Lafayette, 16.8% across Indiana and 16.4% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Indiana
Across the 15 areas of Indiana with data for this job, the median runs from $38,380 in Kokomo to $48,000 in Elkhart-Goshen, a gap of $9,620 a year. Of the 8 areas in Indiana with more customer support specialists than Lafayette-West Lafayette, 3 pay less: Evansville, IN ($39,410), South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI ($40,420) and the Central Indiana nonmetro area ($40,610).
| Area | Median | vs Lafayette-West Lafayette | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | +5.8% | 17,830 | |
| Columbus, IN | +3.9% | 600 | |
| Michigan City-La Porte, IN | +1.9% | 420 | |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | this area | 900 | |
| Central Indiana (Nonmetro) | -1.2% | 1,660 | |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | -1.6% | 1,870 | |
| Bloomington, IN | -3.5% | 770 |
Lafayette-West Lafayette against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lafayette-West Lafayette is #349 of 520 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Indiana, Columbia and Staunton-Stuarts Draft pay just above Lafayette-West Lafayette and Decatur and Burlington just below. All four are within $140 a year of the median in Lafayette-West Lafayette. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lafayette-West Lafayette | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheboygan, WI | +16.1% | 900 | jobs | |
| Owensboro, KY | +10.1% | 920 | jobs | |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | +0.3% | 450 | pay | |
| Columbia, MO | +0.3% | 1,870 | pay | |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | this area | 900 | ||
| Decatur, AL | -0.0% | 710 | pay | |
| Burlington, NC | -0.1% | 1,290 | pay | |
| Wichita Falls, TX | -11.5% | 910 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
About $53,019 a year at the median, or $4,418 a month: $41,090 in pay plus about $11,929 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do customer support specialists earn in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
The median was $41,090 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $29,790, the 90th $60,300, and the middle half earned $34,790 to $48,070.
Is Lafayette-West Lafayette cheaper than the rest of Indiana for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $41,090 against $43,140 statewide. The next area up in Indiana is Michigan City-La Porte at $41,880, the next down the Central Indiana nonmetro area at $40,610.
How many customer support specialists work in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
BLS counts about 900 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Indiana total of 44,630. 8 areas in Indiana have more; the closest in size is Elkhart-Goshen, with about 1,540.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a data entry specialist in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Yes: $2,120 a year more at the median. The medians are $41,090 and $38,970.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with Lafayette-West Lafayette?
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 $53,019 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.