Customer Support Specialist salary in Rochester, NY
For this job Rochester sits right at the US figure, with a median of $44,740 a year1. That is about level with the US median of $44,770, and 6.8% below the New York statewide median of $48,000. Among US areas it comes in at #146 of 520. About 9,290 customer support specialists work here, 7% of the New York total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Rochester, NY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Rochester against New York and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, NY | $35,040 | $44,740 | $60,930 | |
| New York | $36,270 | $48,000 | $76,280 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
The middle half of customer support specialists in Rochester earns $37,770–$49,830. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $60,930, only 1.7 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 $12,060 wide, against $19,920 across New York and $14,910 nationally: employers in Rochester 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 | $35,040 | $2,920 | $16.85 | $45,213 |
| 25th percentile | $37,770 | $3,148 | $18.16 | $48,735 |
| Median | $44,740 | $3,728 | $21.51 | $57,729 |
| 75th percentile | $49,830 | $4,152 | $23.96 | $64,297 |
| 90th percentile | $60,930 | $5,078 | $29.29 | $78,619 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $6,970 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $5,090, or about $6,568 once benefits are added. 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 Rochester, and the New York statewide median of $48,000 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Rochester
At the $44,740 median, a local hire costs about $57,729 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $12,989 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 5.4 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 17 roles we track in Rochester, this one ranks #14 by median pay, between e-commerce order specialists ($45,170) and medical administrative assistants ($44,380). Project Coordinator is the highest at $103,520.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +4.5% | 6,230 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +1.0% | 190 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 9,290 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -0.8% | 4,510 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -11.9% | 370 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #5 of the 17 roles we track in Rochester (-0.1%), between bookkeepers (+0.4%) and office managers (-0.1%). The typical role here is at -2.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Customer support specialists hold 17.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Rochester, 12.8% across New York and 16.4% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in New York
Across the 16 areas of New York with data for this job, the median runs from $39,230 in Elmira to $49,590 in New York-Newark, a gap of $10,360 a year. All 2 areas in New York with more customer support specialists than Rochester also pay more, among them New York-Newark, NY-NJ ($49,590) and Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY ($45,520).
| Area | Median | vs Rochester | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany-Schenectady, NY | +1.4% | 8,290 | |
| Binghamton, NY | +1.2% | 1,490 | |
| Utica-Rome, NY | +1.1% | 1,770 | |
| Rochester, NY | this area | 9,290 | |
| Kingston, NY | -2.4% | 680 | |
| Southwest New York (Nonmetro) | -3.4% | 1,840 | |
| Capital/Northern New York (Nonmetro) | -4.4% | 1,510 |
Rochester against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Rochester is #56 of 520 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside New York, Midland and Duluth pay just above Rochester and Detroit-Warren and Missoula just below. All four are within $200 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boise City, ID | +4.2% | 9,460 | jobs | |
| Duluth, MN-WI | +0.4% | 1,500 | pay | |
| Midland, TX | +0.3% | 1,340 | pay | |
| Rochester, NY | this area | 9,290 | ||
| Detroit-Warren, MI | -0.0% | 31,310 | pay | |
| Missoula, MT | -0.1% | 700 | pay | |
| Memphis, TN-MS | -1.5% | 9,360 | jobs | |
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | -12.8% | 9,430 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Rochester, NY?
About $57,729 a year at the median, or $4,811 a month: $44,740 in pay plus about $12,989 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for customer support specialists in Rochester?
The median was $44,740 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $35,040, the 90th $60,930, and the middle half earned $37,770 to $49,830.
Is Rochester cheaper than the rest of New York for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $44,740 against $48,000 statewide. The next area up in New York is Utica-Rome at $45,250, the next down Kingston at $43,680.
How many customer support specialists work in Rochester?
BLS counts about 9,290 in the May 2025 survey. That is 7% of the New York total of 141,090. Only New York-Newark and Buffalo-Cheektowaga have more in New York.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a medical administrative assistant in Rochester?
Yes: $360 a year more at the median. The medians are $44,740 and $44,380.
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 $57,729 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.