Customer Support Specialist salary in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA
Hiring a customer support specialist costs less in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre than in Pennsylvania or the country as a whole. The median is $42,010 a year1: 5.9% below the Pennsylvania statewide median of $44,630 and 6.2% below the US median of $44,770. Nationally it ranks #232 of 520 areas. About 3,610 customer support specialists work here, 4% of the Pennsylvania total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre against Pennsylvania and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA | $30,490 | $42,010 | $60,350 | |
| Pennsylvania | $31,430 | $44,630 | $63,370 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
Customer support specialists at the 90th percentile earn $60,350, 2.0 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of customer support specialists in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre earns $35,030–$48,090. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $13,060 wide, against $14,990 across Pennsylvania and $14,910 nationally: employers in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre 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 | $30,490 | $2,541 | $14.66 | $39,342 |
| 25th percentile | $35,030 | $2,919 | $16.84 | $45,200 |
| Median | $42,010 | $3,501 | $20.20 | $54,206 |
| 75th percentile | $48,090 | $4,008 | $23.12 | $62,052 |
| 90th percentile | $60,350 | $5,029 | $29.01 | $77,871 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $6,080 a year in pay and about $7,845 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $6,980 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 Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, and the Pennsylvania statewide median of $44,630 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre
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 $12,196 to the $42,010 median and brings it to $54,206 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 4.1 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 5.0 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 Scranton-Wilkes-Barre
Of the 17 roles we track in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, this one ranks #15 by median pay, between e-commerce order specialists ($43,630) and data entry specialists ($37,210). Project Coordinator is the highest at $91,820.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +4.9% | 1,000 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +3.9% | 70 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 3,610 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -11.4% | 200 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -15.1% | 1,620 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #4 of the 17 roles we track in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre (-6.2%), between e-commerce order specialists (-5.5%) and virtual receptionists (-6.2%). The typical role here is at -10.0%, so, measured against the US, customer support specialists cost more in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre than the area's general pay level would suggest. Customer support specialists hold 18.0% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, 16.5% across Pennsylvania and 16.4% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Pennsylvania
Across the 20 areas of Pennsylvania with data for this job, the median runs from $36,230 in Williamsport to $47,070 in Philadelphia-Camden, a gap of $10,840 a year. All 4 areas in Pennsylvania with more customer support specialists than Scranton-Wilkes-Barre also pay more, among them Philadelphia-Camden, PA-NJ ($47,070) and Pittsburgh, PA ($42,790).
| Area | Median | vs Scranton-Wilkes-Barre | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| State College, PA | +1.4% | 940 | |
| York-Hanover, PA | +1.0% | 2,330 | |
| Central Pennsylvania (Nonmetro) | +0.0% | 2,160 | |
| Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA | this area | 3,610 | |
| Erie, PA | -0.7% | 1,610 | |
| Lebanon, PA | -1.8% | 580 | |
| Southwestern Pennsylvania (Nonmetro) | -4.0% | 1,380 |
Scranton-Wilkes-Barre against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Scranton-Wilkes-Barre is #103 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 Pennsylvania, Traverse City and Dover pay just above Scranton-Wilkes-Barre and Raleigh-Cary and Michigan City-La Porte just below. All four are within $130 a year of the median in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Scranton-Wilkes-Barre | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven, CT | +13.0% | 3,520 | jobs | |
| Green Bay, WI | +11.6% | 3,670 | jobs | |
| Dover, DE | +0.3% | 1,000 | pay | |
| Traverse City, MI | +0.0% | 960 | pay | |
| Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA | this area | 3,610 | ||
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | -0.3% | 13,620 | pay | |
| Michigan City-La Porte, IN | -0.3% | 420 | pay | |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | -5.8% | 3,620 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA?
About $54,206 a year at the median, or $4,517 a month: $42,010 in pay plus about $12,196 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for customer support specialists in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre?
The median was $42,010 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $30,490, the 90th $60,350, and the middle half earned $35,030 to $48,090.
Is Scranton-Wilkes-Barre cheaper than the rest of Pennsylvania for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $42,010 against $44,630 statewide. The next area up in Pennsylvania is the Central Pennsylvania nonmetro area at $42,030, the next down Erie at $41,720.
How many customer support specialists work in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre?
BLS counts about 3,610 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Pennsylvania total of 94,340. 4 areas in Pennsylvania have more; the closest in size is Harrisburg-Carlisle, with about 5,040.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a data entry specialist in Scranton-Wilkes-Barre?
Yes: $4,800 a year more at the median. The medians are $42,010 and $37,210.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with Scranton-Wilkes-Barre?
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 $54,206 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.