Customer Support Specialist salary in New Orleans-Metairie, LA
No other area in Louisiana pays customer support specialists more than New Orleans-Metairie: the median is $39,300 a year1. That is 5.3% above the Louisiana statewide median of $37,330, and 12.2% below the US median of $44,770. Nationally it ranks #311 of 520 areas. BLS counts about 5,600 people in this job here, 22% of the Louisiana total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area New Orleans-Metairie, LA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in New Orleans-Metairie against Louisiana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $29,860 | $39,300 | $56,960 | |
| Louisiana | $28,440 | $37,330 | $51,010 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
The middle half of customer support specialists in New Orleans-Metairie earns $34,860–$46,820. The top tenth earns $56,960 or more, 1.9 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.0 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $11,960 wide, against $12,810 across Louisiana and $14,910 nationally: employers in New Orleans-Metairie 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 | $29,860 | $2,488 | $14.36 | $38,529 |
| 25th percentile | $34,860 | $2,905 | $16.76 | $44,981 |
| Median | $39,300 | $3,275 | $18.89 | $50,710 |
| 75th percentile | $46,820 | $3,902 | $22.51 | $60,413 |
| 90th percentile | $56,960 | $4,747 | $27.38 | $73,497 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $7,520 over the median, the 25th only $4,440 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $9,703 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 median and the 75th percentile in New Orleans-Metairie, and the Louisiana statewide median of $37,330 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in New Orleans-Metairie
At the $39,300 median, a local hire costs about $50,710 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,410 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 3.8 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 4.7 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 New Orleans-Metairie
Of the 17 roles we track in New Orleans-Metairie, this one ranks #14 by median pay, between administrative assistants ($42,830) and medical administrative assistants ($36,560). Project Coordinator is the highest at $85,410.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +14.2% | 180 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +9.0% | 6,180 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 5,600 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -7.0% | 530 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -9.0% | 2,930 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #10 of the 17 roles we track in New Orleans-Metairie (-12.2%), between sales development representatives (-11.9%) and office managers (-13.3%). The typical role here is at -11.9%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Customer support specialists hold 13.8% of the jobs in these 17 roles in New Orleans-Metairie, 15.0% across Louisiana and 16.4% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Louisiana
Across the 13 areas of Louisiana with data for this job, the median runs from $33,870 in the Northeast Louisiana nonmetro area to $39,300 in New Orleans-Metairie, a gap of $5,430 a year. The one area in Louisiana with more customer support specialists, Baton Rouge, LA ($38,760), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs New Orleans-Metairie | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | this area | 5,600 | |
| Baton Rouge, LA | -1.4% | 5,750 | |
| Southwest Louisiana (Nonmetro) | -3.7% | 1,350 | |
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | -5.2% | 1,490 | |
| Alexandria, LA | -5.7% | 770 | |
| Lafayette, LA | -6.3% | 2,140 | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | -7.3% | 2,760 |
New Orleans-Metairie against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, New Orleans-Metairie is #76 of 520 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Louisiana, Gainesville and Wichita pay just above New Orleans-Metairie and Prescott Valley-Prescott and Odessa just below. All four are within $30 a year of the median in New Orleans-Metairie. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs New Orleans-Metairie | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford, CT | +27.2% | 5,660 | jobs | |
| Akron, OH | +15.6% | 5,780 | jobs | |
| Wichita, KS | +0.1% | 5,950 | pay | |
| Gainesville, GA | +0.0% | 1,320 | pay | |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | this area | 5,600 | ||
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | -0.1% | 790 | pay | |
| Odessa, TX | -0.1% | 1,150 | pay | |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | -2.8% | 5,840 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?
About $50,710 a year at the median, or $4,226 a month: $39,300 in pay plus about $11,410 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for customer support specialists in New Orleans-Metairie?
The median was $39,300 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $29,860, the 90th $56,960, and the middle half earned $34,860 to $46,820.
Is New Orleans-Metairie the most expensive area in Louisiana for customer support specialists?
Yes. Its median of $39,300 is the highest of 13 areas in Louisiana. Baton Rouge comes next at $38,760.
How many customer support specialists work in New Orleans-Metairie?
BLS counts about 5,600 in the May 2025 survey. That is 22% of the Louisiana total of 25,780. Only Baton Rouge has more in Louisiana.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a medical administrative assistant in New Orleans-Metairie?
Yes: $2,740 a year more at the median. The medians are $39,300 and $36,560.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with New Orleans-Metairie?
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 $50,710 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.