Customer Support Specialist salary in Olympia-Lacey, WA
The median customer support specialist in Olympia-Lacey earned $49,630 a year in May 20251. That is 10.9% above the US median of $44,770, even though it is 1.4% below the Washington statewide median of $50,330. Only 15 of 520 US areas pay more for this job. BLS counts about 1,430 people in this job here, 4% of the Washington total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Olympia-Lacey against Washington and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | $37,580 | $49,630 | $61,860 | |
| Washington | $39,290 | $50,330 | $73,610 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
The middle half of customer support specialists in Olympia-Lacey earns $43,700–$54,190. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $61,860, only 1.6 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 only $10,490 wide, against $16,550 across Washington and $14,910 nationally: employers in Olympia-Lacey 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 | $37,580 | $3,132 | $18.07 | $48,490 |
| 25th percentile | $43,700 | $3,642 | $21.01 | $56,387 |
| Median | $49,630 | $4,136 | $23.86 | $64,039 |
| 75th percentile | $54,190 | $4,516 | $26.05 | $69,923 |
| 90th percentile | $61,860 | $5,155 | $29.74 | $79,819 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $4,560 a year in pay and about $5,884 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $5,930 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 Olympia-Lacey, and the Washington statewide median of $50,330 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Olympia-Lacey
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 $14,409 to the $49,630 median and brings it to $64,039 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 4.8 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 5.9 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 Olympia-Lacey
Of the 17 roles we track in Olympia-Lacey, this one ranks #15 by median pay, between data entry specialists ($51,660) and e-commerce order specialists ($43,800). Project Coordinator is the highest at $103,000.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +5.2% | 70 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +4.1% | 140 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 1,430 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -11.7% | n/a | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -13.5% | 1,070 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #10 of the 17 roles we track in Olympia-Lacey (+10.9%), between office managers (+12.6%) and bookkeepers (+9.7%). The typical role here is at +12.6%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Customer support specialists hold 10.6% of the jobs in the 16 of these roles with a job count in Olympia-Lacey, 11.7% across Washington and 16.4% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Washington
Across the 13 areas of Washington with data for this job, the median runs from $45,380 in Kennewick-Richland to $53,550 in Seattle-Tacoma, a gap of $8,170 a year. Of the 2 areas in Washington with more customer support specialists than Olympia-Lacey, 1 pays less: Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($46,790).
| Area | Median | vs Olympia-Lacey | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | +7.9% | 25,840 | |
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | this area | 1,430 | |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | -0.3% | 380 | |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | -0.9% | 400 | |
| Walla Walla, WA | -2.1% | 150 | |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | -2.1% | 450 | |
| Eastern Washington (Nonmetro) | -2.2% | 550 |
Olympia-Lacey against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Olympia-Lacey is #254 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 Washington, Manchester-Nashua and Kahului-Wailuku pay just above Olympia-Lacey and New York-Newark and Minneapolis-St. Paul just below. All four are within $150 a year of the median in Olympia-Lacey. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Olympia-Lacey | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | +0.2% | 690 | pay | |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | +0.0% | 4,680 | pay | |
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | this area | 1,430 | ||
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ | -0.1% | 125,570 | pay | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | -0.3% | 38,630 | pay | |
| Macon-Bibb County, GA | -22.7% | 1,430 | jobs | |
| Logan, UT-ID | -24.8% | 1,460 | jobs | |
| Albany, GA | -33.1% | 1,480 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Olympia-Lacey, WA?
About $64,039 a year at the median, or $5,337 a month: $49,630 in pay plus about $14,409 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do customer support specialists earn in Olympia-Lacey?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $49,630 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,580, the 90th $61,860, and the middle half earned $43,700 to $54,190.
Is Olympia-Lacey cheaper than the rest of Washington for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $49,630 against $50,330 statewide. The next area up in Washington is Seattle-Tacoma at $53,550, the next down Longview-Kelso at $49,460.
How many customer support specialists work in Olympia-Lacey?
BLS counts about 1,430 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Washington total of 39,760. Only Seattle-Tacoma and Spokane-Spokane Valley have more in Washington.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in Olympia-Lacey?
Yes: $5,830 a year more at the median. The medians are $49,630 and $43,800.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with Olympia-Lacey?
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 $64,039 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.