Customer Support Specialist salary in Rochester, MN
Rochester pays customer support specialists less than Minnesota as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $47,050 a year1: 3.6% below the Minnesota statewide median of $48,800 and 5.1% above the US median of $44,770. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#70 of 520). BLS counts about 1,250 people in this job here, 2% of the Minnesota total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Rochester, MN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Rochester against Minnesota and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, MN | $32,580 | $47,050 | $64,940 | |
| Minnesota | $35,730 | $48,800 | $72,830 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
Customer support specialists at the 90th percentile earn $64,940, 2.0 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of customer support specialists in Rochester earns $38,110–$55,960. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $17,850 wide, between the figure for Minnesota ($18,480) and the US figure ($14,910).
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 | $32,580 | $2,715 | $15.66 | $42,039 |
| 25th percentile | $38,110 | $3,176 | $18.32 | $49,174 |
| Median | $47,050 | $3,921 | $22.62 | $60,710 |
| 75th percentile | $55,960 | $4,663 | $26.90 | $72,206 |
| 90th percentile | $64,940 | $5,412 | $31.22 | $83,794 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $8,910 a year in pay and about $11,497 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $8,940 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 Rochester, and the Minnesota statewide median of $48,800 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Rochester
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 $13,660 to the $47,050 median and brings it to $60,710 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 4.6 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 5.6 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 Rochester
Of the 14 roles we track in Rochester, this one ranks #13 by median pay, between administrative assistants ($52,890) and virtual receptionists ($36,570). Project Coordinator is the highest at $106,270.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +28.7% | 200 | |
| Bookkeeper | +24.0% | 790 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +12.4% | 1,000 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 1,250 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -22.3% | 420 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #8 of the 14 roles we track in Rochester (+5.1%), between marketing specialists (+5.4%) and office managers (+4.9%). The typical role here is at +5.3%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Customer support specialists hold 16.6% of the jobs in these 14 roles in Rochester, 19.5% across Minnesota and 17.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
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. Of the 5 areas in Minnesota with more customer support specialists than Rochester, 2 pay less: the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area ($45,590) and Duluth, MN-WI ($44,940).
| Area | Median | vs Rochester | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Cloud, MN | +2.3% | 1,850 | |
| Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | +1.4% | 2,800 | |
| Mankato, MN | +0.6% | 1,030 | |
| Rochester, MN | this area | 1,250 | |
| Southeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -3.1% | 1,890 | |
| Duluth, MN-WI | -4.5% | 1,500 | |
| Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -5.3% | 1,230 |
Rochester against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Rochester is #278 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, Philadelphia-Camden and Chicago-Naperville pay just above Rochester and Bremerton-Silverdale and Bellingham just below. All four are within $110 a year of the median in Rochester. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Rochester | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | +6.6% | 1,250 | jobs | |
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | +0.1% | 75,240 | pay | |
| Philadelphia-Camden, PA-NJ | +0.0% | 41,740 | pay | |
| Rochester, MN | this area | 1,250 | ||
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | -0.1% | 680 | pay | |
| Bellingham, WA | -0.2% | 1,000 | pay | |
| Greeley, CO | -3.7% | 1,260 | jobs | |
| Norwich-New London, CT | -4.3% | 1,240 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Rochester, MN?
About $60,710 a year at the median, or $5,059 a month: $47,050 in pay plus about $13,660 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do customer support specialists earn in Rochester?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $47,050 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $32,580, the 90th $64,940, and the middle half earned $38,110 to $55,960.
Is Rochester cheaper than the rest of Minnesota for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $47,050 against $48,800 statewide. The next area up in Minnesota is Mankato at $47,320, the next down the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area at $45,590.
How many customer support specialists work in Rochester?
BLS counts about 1,250 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Minnesota total of 53,340. 5 areas in Minnesota have more; the closest in size is Duluth, with about 1,500.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in Rochester?
Yes: $10,480 a year more at the median. The medians are $47,050 and $36,570.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with Rochester?
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 $60,710 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.