Customer Support Specialist salary in the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area
Hiring a customer support specialist costs less in the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area than in Tennessee or the country as a whole. The median is $38,370 a year1: 10.4% below the Tennessee statewide median of $42,830 and 14.3% below the US median of $44,770. Nationally it ranks #356 of 520 areas. About 1,170 customer support specialists work here, 2% of the Tennessee total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area against Tennessee and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | $28,750 | $38,370 | $58,000 | |
| Tennessee | $31,100 | $42,830 | $60,070 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
The middle half of customer support specialists in the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area earns $33,390–$45,710. The top tenth earns $58,000 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.0 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $12,320 wide, against $12,540 across Tennessee and $14,910 nationally: employers in the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area 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 | $28,750 | $2,396 | $13.82 | $37,097 |
| 25th percentile | $33,390 | $2,782 | $16.05 | $43,084 |
| Median | $38,370 | $3,198 | $18.45 | $49,510 |
| 75th percentile | $45,710 | $3,809 | $21.98 | $58,981 |
| 90th percentile | $58,000 | $4,833 | $27.88 | $74,839 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,340 a year in pay and about $9,471 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $4,980 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 the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area, and the Tennessee statewide median of $42,830 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area
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 $11,140 to the $38,370 median and brings it to $49,510 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 3.7 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 4.6 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 the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area
Of the 17 roles we track in the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area, this one ranks #13 by median pay, between e-commerce order specialists ($40,660) and administrative assistants ($38,230). Project Coordinator is the highest at $81,590.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +16.6% | 1,110 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +6.0% | 90 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 1,170 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -0.4% | 1,220 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -1.6% | 50 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #9 of the 17 roles we track in the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area (-14.3%), between payroll specialists (-13.5%) and executive assistants (-16.4%). The typical role here is at -14.3%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Customer support specialists hold 13.1% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area, 16.5% across Tennessee and 16.4% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Tennessee
Across the 14 areas of Tennessee with data for this job, the median runs from $36,130 in Kingsport-Bristol to $45,510 in Nashville-Murfreesboro, a gap of $9,380 a year. Of the 10 areas in Tennessee with more customer support specialists than the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area, 5 pay less, the largest of them Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA ($36,130), Johnson City, TN ($36,570) and Clarksville, TN-KY ($37,650).
| Area | Median | vs the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville, TN | +1.2% | 6,640 | |
| North Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | +1.1% | 1,510 | |
| Jackson, TN | +0.8% | 970 | |
| South Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,170 | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | -1.9% | 1,610 | |
| Cleveland, TN | -2.0% | 590 | |
| West Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -2.1% | 1,260 |
the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area is #297 of 520 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Tennessee, Port St. Lucie and Kokomo pay just above the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area and Brownsville-Harlingen and Macon-Bibb County just below. All four are within $30 a year of the median in the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kokomo, IN | +0.0% | 340 | pay | |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | +0.0% | 3,030 | pay | |
| South Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,170 | ||
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | -0.1% | 4,880 | pay | |
| Macon-Bibb County, GA | -0.1% | 1,430 | pay | |
| Bowling Green, KY | -1.0% | 1,170 | jobs | |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | -3.8% | 1,180 | jobs | |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | -5.3% | 1,180 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in South Central Tennessee (Nonmetro)?
About $49,510 a year at the median, or $4,126 a month: $38,370 in pay plus about $11,140 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for customer support specialists in the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area?
The median was $38,370 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $28,750, the 90th $58,000, and the middle half earned $33,390 to $45,710.
Is the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Tennessee for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $38,370 against $42,830 statewide. The next area up in Tennessee is Jackson at $38,680, the next down Clarksville at $37,650.
How many customer support specialists work in the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 1,170 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Tennessee total of 59,730. 10 areas in Tennessee have more; the closest in size is the West Tennessee nonmetro area, with about 1,260.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than an administrative assistant in the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area?
Yes: $140 a year more at the median. The medians are $38,370 and $38,230.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with the South Central Tennessee nonmetro area?
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 $49,510 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.