Customer Support Specialist salary in Modesto, CA
The median customer support specialist in Modesto earned $47,230 a year in May 20251. That is 5.5% above the US median of $44,770, even though it is 4.7% below the California statewide median of $49,560. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#65 of 520). BLS counts about 1,290 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Modesto, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Modesto against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modesto, CA | $37,220 | $47,230 | $66,800 | |
| California | $38,110 | $49,560 | $75,700 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
The middle half of customer support specialists in Modesto earns $41,490–$59,040. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $66,800, only 1.8 times the bottom tenth, against 2.0 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $17,550 wide, wider than in California as a whole ($17,310) and the US ($14,910), so what a customer support specialist earns in Modesto 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 | $37,220 | $3,102 | $17.89 | $48,026 |
| 25th percentile | $41,490 | $3,458 | $19.95 | $53,535 |
| Median | $47,230 | $3,936 | $22.71 | $60,942 |
| 75th percentile | $59,040 | $4,920 | $28.38 | $76,181 |
| 90th percentile | $66,800 | $5,567 | $32.12 | $86,194 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $11,810 over the median, the 25th only $5,740 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $15,239 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 Modesto, and the California statewide median of $49,560 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Modesto
At the $47,230 median, a local hire costs about $60,942 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,712 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 4.6 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 5.6 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 Modesto
Of the 17 roles we track in Modesto, this one ranks #14 by median pay, between medical administrative assistants ($50,250) and e-commerce order specialists ($45,820). Project Coordinator is the highest at $102,490.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +16.5% | 1,730 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +6.4% | 1,600 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 1,290 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -3.0% | 110 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -5.5% | 890 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #9 of the 17 roles we track in Modesto (+5.5%), between data entry specialists (+6.3%) and executive assistants (+1.7%). The typical role here is at +5.5%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Customer support specialists hold 8.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Modesto, 10.6% across California and 16.4% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in California
Across the 28 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $45,480 in Visalia to $60,480 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $15,000 a year. Of the 12 areas in California with more customer support specialists than Modesto, 2 pay less: Riverside-San Bernardino, CA ($47,150) and Fresno, CA ($46,070).
| Area | Median | vs Modesto | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redding, CA | +1.4% | 630 | |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | +1.3% | 210 | |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | +0.2% | 1,970 | |
| Modesto, CA | this area | 1,290 | |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | -0.2% | 15,180 | |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | -1.0% | 750 | |
| El Centro, CA | -2.1% | 360 |
Modesto against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Modesto is #270 of 520 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside California, Mankato and New Haven pay just above Modesto and Providence-Warwick and Chicago-Naperville just below. All four are within $260 a year of the median in Modesto. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Modesto | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven, CT | +0.6% | 3,520 | pay | |
| Mankato, MN | +0.2% | 1,030 | pay | |
| Modesto, CA | this area | 1,290 | ||
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | -0.1% | 10,620 | pay | |
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | -0.3% | 75,240 | pay | |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | -3.9% | 1,290 | jobs | |
| Burlington, NC | -13.1% | 1,290 | jobs | |
| Bloomington, IL | -17.2% | 1,280 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Modesto, CA?
About $60,942 a year at the median, or $5,078 a month: $47,230 in pay plus about $13,712 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do customer support specialists earn in Modesto?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $47,230 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,220, the 90th $66,800, and the middle half earned $41,490 to $59,040.
Is Modesto cheaper than the rest of California for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $47,230 against $49,560 statewide. The next area up in California is Bakersfield-Delano at $47,310, the next down Riverside-San Bernardino at $47,150.
How many customer support specialists work in Modesto?
BLS counts about 1,290 in the May 2025 survey. 12 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, with about 1,350.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in Modesto?
Yes: $1,410 a year more at the median. The medians are $47,230 and $45,820.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with Modesto?
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 $60,942 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.