Customer Support Specialist salary in the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area
The Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area pays customer support specialists less than Minnesota as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $47,720 a year1: 2.2% below the Minnesota statewide median of $48,800 and 6.6% above the US median of $44,770. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#56 of 520). BLS counts about 2,800 people in this job here, 5% of the Minnesota total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area against Minnesota and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | $33,330 | $47,720 | $63,260 | |
| Minnesota | $35,730 | $48,800 | $72,830 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
Customer support specialists at the 90th percentile earn $63,260, 1.9 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of customer support specialists in the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area earns $38,700–$58,140. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $19,440 wide, wider than in Minnesota as a whole ($18,480) and the US ($14,910), so what a customer support specialist earns in the Northwest Minnesota 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 | $33,330 | $2,778 | $16.02 | $43,006 |
| 25th percentile | $38,700 | $3,225 | $18.61 | $49,935 |
| Median | $47,720 | $3,977 | $22.94 | $61,574 |
| 75th percentile | $58,140 | $4,845 | $27.95 | $75,019 |
| 90th percentile | $63,260 | $5,272 | $30.41 | $81,626 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $10,420 a year in pay and about $13,445 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $9,020 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 25th percentile and the median in the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area, and the Minnesota statewide median of $48,800 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area
At the $47,720 median, a local hire costs about $61,574 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,854 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 5.7 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 the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area
Of the 16 roles we track in the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area, this one ranks #13 by median pay, between administrative assistants ($48,880) and medical administrative assistants ($46,590). Project Coordinator is the highest at $88,000.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +5.2% | 2,050 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +2.4% | 2,220 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 2,800 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -2.4% | 740 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -12.8% | 50 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the best paid of the 16 roles we track in the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area (+6.6%); marketing specialists come last (-18.4%). The typical role here is at -1.8%, so, measured against the US, customer support specialists cost more in the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Customer support specialists hold 19.0% of the jobs in these 16 roles in the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area, 18.3% across Minnesota and 16.4% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Minnesota
Across the 9 areas of Minnesota with data for this job, the median runs from $44,430 in the Northeast Minnesota nonmetro area to $49,480 in Minneapolis-St. Paul, a gap of $5,050 a year. The one area in Minnesota with more customer support specialists, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI ($49,480), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +3.7% | 38,630 | |
| St. Cloud, MN | +0.8% | 1,850 | |
| Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | this area | 2,800 | |
| Mankato, MN | -0.8% | 1,030 | |
| Rochester, MN | -1.4% | 1,250 | |
| Southeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -4.5% | 1,890 | |
| Duluth, MN-WI | -5.8% | 1,500 |
the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area is #133 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 Minnesota, Sheboygan and Salem pay just above the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area and Trenton-Princeton and Worcester just below. All four are within $180 a year of the median in the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, OR | +0.1% | 2,140 | pay | |
| Sheboygan, WI | +0.0% | 900 | pay | |
| Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | this area | 2,800 | ||
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | -0.3% | 3,140 | pay | |
| Worcester, MA | -0.4% | 4,740 | pay | |
| Roanoke, VA | -4.7% | 2,760 | jobs | |
| Fargo, ND-MN | -14.3% | 2,790 | jobs | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | -23.6% | 2,760 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro)?
About $61,574 a year at the median, or $5,131 a month: $47,720 in pay plus about $13,854 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for customer support specialists in the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $47,720 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $33,330, the 90th $63,260, and the middle half earned $38,700 to $58,140.
Is the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Minnesota for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $47,720 against $48,800 statewide. The next area up in Minnesota is St. Cloud at $48,120, the next down Mankato at $47,320.
How many customer support specialists work in the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 2,800 in the May 2025 survey. That is 5% of the Minnesota total of 53,340. Only Minneapolis-St. Paul has more in Minnesota.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a medical administrative assistant in the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area?
Yes: $1,130 a year more at the median. The medians are $47,720 and $46,590.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with the Northwest Minnesota 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 $61,574 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.