Customer Support Specialist salary in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area
The Northern Indiana nonmetro area pays customer support specialists more than Indiana as a whole but less than the country. The median is $44,170 a year1: 2.4% above the Indiana statewide median of $43,140 and 1.3% below the US median of $44,770. Nationally it ranks #166 of 520 areas. About 2,180 customer support specialists work here, 5% of the Indiana total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area against Indiana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Indiana (Nonmetro) | $29,580 | $44,170 | $70,610 | |
| Indiana | $31,060 | $43,140 | $62,620 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
Pay is more spread out here than nationally: the top tenth earns $70,610 or more, 2.4 times the bottom tenth, against 2.0 times across the US. Two offers for the same title can sit far apart. The middle half of customer support specialists in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area earns $35,600–$51,080. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $15,480 wide, wider than in Indiana as a whole ($14,230) and the US ($14,910), so what a customer support specialist earns in the Northern Indiana 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 | $29,580 | $2,465 | $14.22 | $38,168 |
| 25th percentile | $35,600 | $2,967 | $17.12 | $45,935 |
| Median | $44,170 | $3,681 | $21.24 | $56,994 |
| 75th percentile | $51,080 | $4,257 | $24.56 | $65,910 |
| 90th percentile | $70,610 | $5,884 | $33.95 | $91,110 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $6,910 a year in pay and about $8,916 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $8,570 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 median and the 75th percentile in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area, and the Indiana statewide median of $43,140 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area
At the $44,170 median, a local hire costs about $56,994 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $12,824 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 4.3 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 5.3 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 Northern Indiana nonmetro area
Of the 17 roles we track in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($46,700) and e-commerce order specialists ($42,720). Project Coordinator is the highest at $96,740.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +8.4% | 60 | |
| Bookkeeper | +5.7% | 1,970 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 2,180 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -3.3% | 120 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -10.5% | 90 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the best paid of the 17 roles we track in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area (-1.3%); executive assistants come last (-33.5%). The typical role here is at -12.1%, so, measured against the US, customer support specialists cost more in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Customer support specialists hold 16.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area, 16.7% across Indiana and 16.4% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Indiana
Across the 15 areas of Indiana with data for this job, the median runs from $38,380 in Kokomo to $48,000 in Elkhart-Goshen, a gap of $9,620 a year. Of the 2 areas in Indiana with more customer support specialists than the Northern Indiana nonmetro area, 1 pays less: Indianapolis-Carmel, IN ($43,460).
| Area | Median | vs the Northern Indiana nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | +8.7% | 1,540 | |
| Fort Wayne, IN | +2.3% | 3,020 | |
| Southern Indiana (Nonmetro) | +0.5% | 1,550 | |
| Northern Indiana (Nonmetro) | this area | 2,180 | |
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | -1.6% | 17,830 | |
| Columbus, IN | -3.3% | 600 | |
| Michigan City-La Porte, IN | -5.2% | 420 |
the Northern Indiana nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Northern Indiana nonmetro area is #165 of 520 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Indiana, Lansing-East Lansing and Omaha pay just above the Northern Indiana nonmetro area and Allentown-Bethlehem and Kalamazoo-Portage just below. All four are within $90 a year of the median in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Northern Indiana nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, OR | +8.2% | 2,140 | jobs | |
| Omaha, NE-IA | +0.2% | 8,810 | pay | |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | +0.2% | 3,790 | pay | |
| Northern Indiana (Nonmetro) | this area | 2,180 | ||
| Allentown-Bethlehem, PA-NJ | -0.0% | 5,140 | pay | |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | -0.1% | 1,970 | pay | |
| Columbus, GA-AL | -15.5% | 2,150 | jobs | |
| Lafayette, LA | -16.6% | 2,140 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Northern Indiana (Nonmetro)?
About $56,994 a year at the median, or $4,749 a month: $44,170 in pay plus about $12,824 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for customer support specialists in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area?
The median was $44,170 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $29,580, the 90th $70,610, and the middle half earned $35,600 to $51,080.
Is the Northern Indiana nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Indiana for customer support specialists?
No, it costs more: a median of $44,170 against $43,140 statewide. The next area up in Indiana is the Southern Indiana nonmetro area at $44,370, the next down Indianapolis-Carmel at $43,460.
How many customer support specialists work in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 2,180 in the May 2025 survey. That is 5% of the Indiana total of 44,630. Only Indianapolis-Carmel and Fort Wayne have more in Indiana.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in the Northern Indiana nonmetro area?
Yes: $1,450 a year more at the median. The medians are $44,170 and $42,720.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with the Northern Indiana 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 $56,994 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.