Customer Support Specialist salary in the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area
Hiring a customer support specialist costs less in the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area than in Mississippi or the country as a whole. The median is $36,010 a year1: 1.0% below the Mississippi statewide median of $36,380 and 19.6% below the US median of $44,770. Only 32 of 520 US areas pay less for this job. BLS counts about 1,580 people in this job here, 8% of the Mississippi total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Lower East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area against Mississippi and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower East Mississippi (Nonmetro) | $27,600 | $36,010 | $51,270 | |
| Mississippi | $28,970 | $36,380 | $49,540 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
Customer support specialists at the 90th percentile earn $51,270, 1.9 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of customer support specialists in the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area earns $29,930–$43,130. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $13,200 wide, between the figure for Mississippi ($12,990) and the US figure ($14,910).
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 | $27,600 | $2,300 | $13.27 | $35,613 |
| 25th percentile | $29,930 | $2,494 | $14.39 | $38,619 |
| Median | $36,010 | $3,001 | $17.31 | $46,465 |
| 75th percentile | $43,130 | $3,594 | $20.74 | $55,652 |
| 90th percentile | $51,270 | $4,272 | $24.65 | $66,155 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,120 a year in pay and about $9,187 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $6,080 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 75th and 90th percentiles in the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area, and the Mississippi statewide median of $36,380 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local customer support specialists earn.
What a hire really costs in the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area
At the $36,010 median, a local hire costs about $46,465 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $10,455 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 3.5 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 4.3 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 Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area
Of the 17 roles we track in the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area, this one ranks #13 by median pay, between paralegals ($36,420) and administrative assistants ($35,280). Project Coordinator is the highest at $79,960.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +2.2% | 30 | |
| Paralegal | +1.1% | 120 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 1,580 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -2.0% | 1,680 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -2.9% | 560 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #3 of the 17 roles we track in the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area (-19.6%), between data entry specialists (-16.4%) and bookkeepers (-19.7%). The typical role here is at -23.3%, so, measured against the US, customer support specialists cost more in the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Customer support specialists hold 17.2% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area and 16.4% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Mississippi
Across the 7 areas of Mississippi with data for this job, the median runs from $34,740 in the Lower West Mississippi nonmetro area to $37,850 in Jackson, a gap of $3,110 a year. All 3 areas in Mississippi with more customer support specialists than the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area also pay more, among them Jackson, MS ($37,850) and the Upper East Mississippi nonmetro area ($36,440).
| Area | Median | vs the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson, MS | +5.1% | 4,270 | |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | +4.2% | 2,270 | |
| Hattiesburg, MS | +1.9% | 1,280 | |
| Upper East Mississippi (Nonmetro) | +1.2% | 2,560 | |
| Lower East Mississippi (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,580 | |
| West Delta Mississippi (Nonmetro) | -1.6% | 910 | |
| Lower West Mississippi (Nonmetro) | -3.5% | 1,110 |
the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area is #225 of 520 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Mississippi, Yuma and San Angelo pay just above the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area and Lubbock and Houma-Bayou Cane just below. All four are within $80 a year of the median in the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | +27.4% | 1,570 | jobs | |
| Anchorage, AK | +23.7% | 1,600 | jobs | |
| Longview, TX | +5.1% | 1,570 | jobs | |
| San Angelo, TX | +0.2% | 1,270 | pay | |
| Yuma, AZ | +0.0% | 1,190 | pay | |
| Lower East Mississippi (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,580 | ||
| Lubbock, TX | -0.2% | 3,830 | pay | |
| Houma-Bayou Cane, LA | -0.2% | 720 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Lower East Mississippi (Nonmetro)?
About $46,465 a year at the median, or $3,872 a month: $36,010 in pay plus about $10,455 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do customer support specialists earn in the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $36,010 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $27,600, the 90th $51,270, and the middle half earned $29,930 to $43,130.
Is the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Mississippi for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $36,010 against $36,380 statewide. The next area up in Mississippi is the Upper East Mississippi nonmetro area at $36,440, the next down the West Delta Mississippi nonmetro area at $35,430.
How many customer support specialists work in the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 1,580 in the May 2025 survey. That is 8% of the Mississippi total of 20,860. 3 areas in Mississippi have more; the closest in size is Gulfport-Biloxi, with about 2,270.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than an administrative assistant in the Lower East Mississippi nonmetro area?
Yes: $730 a year more at the median. The medians are $36,010 and $35,280.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with the Lower East Mississippi 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 $46,465 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.