Customer Support Specialist salary in Rockford, IL
Hiring a customer support specialist costs less in Rockford than in Illinois or the country as a whole. The median is $43,260 a year1: 6.2% below the Illinois statewide median of $46,130 and 3.4% below the US median of $44,770. Nationally it ranks #193 of 520 areas. About 2,070 customer support specialists work here, 2% of the Illinois total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Rockford, IL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Rockford against Illinois and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockford, IL | $31,210 | $43,260 | $64,210 | |
| Illinois | $33,590 | $46,130 | $71,400 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
Customer support specialists at the 90th percentile earn $64,210, 2.1 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of customer support specialists in Rockford earns $35,480–$52,680. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $17,200 wide, between the figure for Illinois ($20,370) 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 | $31,210 | $2,601 | $15.00 | $40,271 |
| 25th percentile | $35,480 | $2,957 | $17.06 | $45,781 |
| Median | $43,260 | $3,605 | $20.80 | $55,819 |
| 75th percentile | $52,680 | $4,390 | $25.33 | $67,974 |
| 90th percentile | $64,210 | $5,351 | $30.87 | $82,852 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $9,420 a year in pay and about $12,155 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $7,780 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 Rockford, and the Illinois statewide median of $46,130 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Rockford
At the $43,260 median, a local hire costs about $55,819 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $12,559 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 4.2 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 5.2 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 Rockford
Of the 17 roles we track in Rockford, this one ranks #15 by median pay, between e-commerce order specialists ($44,150) and data entry specialists ($40,400). Project Coordinator is the highest at $94,690.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +4.2% | 60 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +2.1% | 50 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 2,070 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -6.6% | 160 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -13.4% | 1,000 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #5 of the 17 roles we track in Rockford (-3.4%), between administrative assistants (-3.0%) and e-commerce order specialists (-4.4%). The typical role here is at -5.4%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Customer support specialists hold 18.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Rockford, 16.5% across Illinois and 16.4% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Illinois
Across the 12 areas of Illinois with data for this job, the median runs from $39,120 in Bloomington to $47,100 in Chicago-Naperville, a gap of $7,980 a year. Of the 2 areas in Illinois with more customer support specialists than Rockford, 1 pays less: Peoria, IL ($39,840).
| Area | Median | vs Rockford | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | +8.9% | 75,240 | |
| Northwest Illinois (Nonmetro) | +0.4% | 1,350 | |
| Rockford, IL | this area | 2,070 | |
| East Central Illinois (Nonmetro) | -3.1% | 1,860 | |
| West Central Illinois (Nonmetro) | -3.5% | 1,930 | |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | -4.6% | 1,480 | |
| Kankakee, IL | -6.4% | 480 |
Rockford against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Rockford is #177 of 520 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Illinois, Pensacola-Ferry Pass and Indianapolis-Carmel pay just above Rockford and Oshkosh-Neenah and Topeka just below. All four are within $200 a year of the median in Rockford. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Rockford | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | +10.6% | 2,070 | jobs | |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | +1.5% | 2,100 | jobs | |
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | +0.5% | 17,830 | pay | |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass, FL | +0.1% | 3,280 | pay | |
| Rockford, IL | this area | 2,070 | ||
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | -0.0% | 1,990 | pay | |
| Topeka, KS | -0.2% | 2,340 | pay | |
| Laredo, TX | -20.4% | 2,060 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Rockford, IL?
About $55,819 a year at the median, or $4,652 a month: $43,260 in pay plus about $12,559 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for customer support specialists in Rockford?
The median was $43,260 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $31,210, the 90th $64,210, and the middle half earned $35,480 to $52,680.
Is Rockford cheaper than the rest of Illinois for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $43,260 against $46,130 statewide. The next area up in Illinois is the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area at $43,420, the next down the East Central Illinois nonmetro area at $41,900.
How many customer support specialists work in Rockford?
BLS counts about 2,070 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Illinois total of 100,970. Only Chicago-Naperville and Peoria have more in Illinois.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a data entry specialist in Rockford?
Yes: $2,860 a year more at the median. The medians are $43,260 and $40,400.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with Rockford?
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 $55,819 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.