Customer Support Specialist salary in the Massachusetts nonmetro area
The median customer support specialist in the Massachusetts nonmetro area earned $48,200 a year in May 20251. That is 7.7% above the US median of $44,770, even though it is 1.9% below the Massachusetts statewide median of $49,120. Only 37 of 520 US areas pay more for this job. About 430 customer support specialists work here.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Massachusetts nonmetro area against Massachusetts and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts (Nonmetro) | $36,290 | $48,200 | $70,990 | |
| Massachusetts | $35,440 | $49,120 | $74,880 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
Customer support specialists at the 90th percentile earn $70,990, 2.0 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of customer support specialists in the Massachusetts nonmetro area earns $40,900–$61,630. The mean ($52,100) is 8% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $20,730 wide, wider than in Massachusetts as a whole ($19,590) and the US ($14,910), so what a customer support specialist earns in the Massachusetts 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 | $36,290 | $3,024 | $17.45 | $46,826 |
| 25th percentile | $40,900 | $3,408 | $19.66 | $52,774 |
| Median | $48,200 | $4,017 | $23.17 | $62,194 |
| 75th percentile | $61,630 | $5,136 | $29.63 | $79,523 |
| 90th percentile | $70,990 | $5,916 | $34.13 | $91,600 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $13,430 over the median, the 25th only $7,300 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $17,329 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 Massachusetts nonmetro area, and the Massachusetts statewide median of $49,120 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in the Massachusetts nonmetro area
At the $48,200 median, a local hire costs about $62,194 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,994 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 Massachusetts nonmetro area
Of the 14 roles we track in the Massachusetts nonmetro area, this one ranks #13 by median pay, between medical administrative assistants ($51,470) and virtual receptionists ($44,940). Project Coordinator is the highest at $96,270.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +28.2% | 450 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +16.9% | 560 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +6.8% | 180 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 430 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -6.8% | 200 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #7 of the 14 roles we track in the Massachusetts nonmetro area (+7.7%), between accountants (+11.5%) and payroll specialists (+7.1%). The typical role here is at +7.4%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Customer support specialists hold 12.5% of the jobs in these 14 roles in the Massachusetts nonmetro area, 13.0% across Massachusetts and 16.7% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Massachusetts
Across the 7 areas of Massachusetts with data for this job, the median runs from $43,560 in Amherst Town-Northampton to $49,920 in Boston-Cambridge, a gap of $6,360 a year. Of the 6 areas in Massachusetts with more customer support specialists than the Massachusetts nonmetro area, 5 pay less, the largest of them Worcester, MA ($47,540), Springfield, MA ($46,790) and Barnstable Town, MA ($47,880).
| Area | Median | vs the Massachusetts nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH | +3.6% | 37,780 | |
| Massachusetts (Nonmetro) | this area | 430 | |
| Barnstable Town, MA | -0.7% | 1,310 | |
| Worcester, MA | -1.4% | 4,740 | |
| Springfield, MA | -2.9% | 2,930 | |
| Pittsfield, MA | -7.4% | 680 | |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | -9.6% | 760 |
the Massachusetts nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Massachusetts nonmetro area is #485 of 520 US areas for this job. The market is small, but its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Massachusetts, Midland and Kenosha pay just above the Massachusetts nonmetro area and St. Cloud and Santa Cruz-Watsonville just below. All four are within $160 a year of the median in the Massachusetts nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Massachusetts nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenosha, WI | +0.3% | 1,000 | pay | |
| Midland, MI | +0.1% | 620 | pay | |
| Massachusetts (Nonmetro) | this area | 430 | ||
| St. Cloud, MN | -0.2% | 1,850 | pay | |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | -0.2% | 820 | pay | |
| Michigan City-La Porte, IN | -13.1% | 420 | jobs | |
| Decatur, IL | -16.6% | 420 | jobs | |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | -24.9% | 430 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Massachusetts (Nonmetro)?
About $62,194 a year at the median, or $5,183 a month: $48,200 in pay plus about $13,994 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do customer support specialists earn in the Massachusetts nonmetro area?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $48,200 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $36,290, the 90th $70,990, and the middle half earned $40,900 to $61,630.
Is the Massachusetts nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Massachusetts for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $48,200 against $49,120 statewide. The next area up in Massachusetts is Boston-Cambridge at $49,920, the next down Barnstable Town at $47,880.
How many customer support specialists work in the Massachusetts nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 430 in the May 2025 survey. 6 areas in Massachusetts have more; the closest in size is Pittsfield, with about 680.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in the Massachusetts nonmetro area?
Yes: $3,260 a year more at the median. The medians are $48,200 and $44,940.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with the Massachusetts 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 $62,194 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.