Customer Support Specialist salary in the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area
No other area in Virginia pays customer support specialists less than the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area. The median is $35,870 a year1, 16.1% below the Virginia statewide median of $42,730 and 19.9% below the US median of $44,770. Only 28 of 520 US areas pay less for this job. BLS counts about 470 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area against Virginia and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Virginia (Nonmetro) | $29,700 | $35,870 | $57,820 | |
| Virginia | $31,210 | $42,730 | $61,350 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
Customer support specialists at the 90th percentile earn $57,820, 1.9 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of customer support specialists in the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area earns $31,460–$44,340. The mean ($39,250) is 9% 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 only $12,880 wide, against $14,000 across Virginia and $14,910 nationally: employers in the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area 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 | $29,700 | $2,475 | $14.28 | $38,323 |
| 25th percentile | $31,460 | $2,622 | $15.12 | $40,594 |
| Median | $35,870 | $2,989 | $17.25 | $46,284 |
| 75th percentile | $44,340 | $3,695 | $21.32 | $57,213 |
| 90th percentile | $57,820 | $4,818 | $27.80 | $74,606 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $8,470 over the median, the 25th only $4,410 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $10,929 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 75th and 90th percentiles in the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area, and the Virginia statewide median of $42,730 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 Northeast Virginia nonmetro area
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 $10,414 to the $35,870 median and brings it to $46,284 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 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 Northeast Virginia nonmetro area
Of the 14 roles we track in the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area, this one ranks #13 by median pay, between medical administrative assistants ($44,710) and virtual receptionists ($34,940). Project Coordinator is the highest at $116,090.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +27.9% | 540 | |
| Bookkeeper | +26.2% | 490 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +24.6% | 180 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 470 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -2.6% | 270 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the lowest paid of the 14 roles we track in the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area (-19.9%); project coordinators come first (+13.5%). The typical role here is at -6.7%, so, measured against the US, customer support specialists cost less in the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Customer support specialists hold 12.3% of the jobs in these 14 roles in the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area, 14.2% across Virginia and 16.7% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Virginia
Across the 13 areas of Virginia with data for this job, the median runs from $35,870 in the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area to $45,500 in Roanoke, a gap of $9,630 a year. All 11 areas in Virginia with more customer support specialists than the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area also pay more, among them Richmond, VA ($42,660) and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC ($38,150).
| Area | Median | vs the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | +6.4% | 10,960 | |
| Lynchburg, VA | +5.0% | 1,220 | |
| Northwest Virginia (Nonmetro) | +4.4% | 600 | |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg, VA | +4.3% | 640 | |
| Southwest Virginia (Nonmetro) | +4.2% | 1,750 | |
| Southside Virginia (Nonmetro) | +3.5% | 1,110 | |
| Northeast Virginia (Nonmetro) | this area | 470 |
the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area is #479 of 520 US areas for this job. It is a small market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Virginia, Houma-Bayou Cane and Lubbock pay just above the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area and McAllen-Edinburg and Eagle Pass just below. All four are within $70 a year of the median in the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kankakee, IL | +12.9% | 480 | jobs | |
| Sandusky, OH | +9.5% | 470 | jobs | |
| Lubbock, TX | +0.2% | 3,830 | pay | |
| Houma-Bayou Cane, LA | +0.2% | 720 | pay | |
| Northeast Virginia (Nonmetro) | this area | 470 | ||
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | -0.1% | 8,270 | pay | |
| Eagle Pass, TX | -0.1% | 200 | pay | |
| Hot Springs, AR | -4.8% | 470 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Northeast Virginia (Nonmetro)?
About $46,284 a year at the median, or $3,857 a month: $35,870 in pay plus about $10,414 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do customer support specialists earn in the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $35,870 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $29,700, the 90th $57,820, and the middle half earned $31,460 to $44,340.
Is the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area the cheapest area in Virginia for customer support specialists?
Yes. Its median of $35,870 is the lowest of 13 areas in Virginia. The Southside Virginia nonmetro area is next at $37,140.
How many customer support specialists work in the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 470 in the May 2025 survey. 11 areas in Virginia have more; the closest in size is the Northwest Virginia nonmetro area, with about 600.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area?
Yes: $930 a year more at the median. The medians are $35,870 and $34,940.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with the Northeast Virginia 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 $46,284 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.