Customer Support Specialist salary in the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area
Hiring a customer support specialist costs less in the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area than in Iowa or the country as a whole. The median is $41,600 a year1: 9.7% below the Iowa statewide median of $46,090 and 7.1% below the US median of $44,770. Nationally it ranks #244 of 520 areas. BLS counts about 800 people in this job here, 3% of the Iowa total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area against Iowa and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Iowa (Nonmetro) | $31,750 | $41,600 | $64,590 | |
| Iowa | $32,450 | $46,090 | $64,540 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
The middle half of customer support specialists in the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area earns $34,590–$52,000. The top tenth earns $64,590 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.0 times. The mean ($44,950) is 8% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $17,410 wide, wider than in Iowa as a whole ($17,000) and the US ($14,910), so what a customer support specialist earns in the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area depends more on the employer.
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 | $31,750 | $2,646 | $15.26 | $40,968 |
| 25th percentile | $34,590 | $2,882 | $16.63 | $44,632 |
| Median | $41,600 | $3,467 | $20.00 | $53,677 |
| 75th percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25.00 | $67,097 |
| 90th percentile | $64,590 | $5,382 | $31.05 | $83,342 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $7,010 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $10,400, or about $13,419 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 the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area, and the Iowa statewide median of $46,090 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area
At the $41,600 median, a local hire costs about $53,677 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $12,077 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 4.0 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 the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area
Of the 15 roles we track in the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between administrative assistants ($42,340) and medical administrative assistants ($39,290). Project Coordinator is the highest at $84,560.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +5.7% | 30 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +1.8% | 680 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 800 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -5.6% | 470 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -14.5% | 120 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #2 of the 15 roles we track in the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area (-7.1%), between virtual receptionists (-6.4%) and bookkeepers (-8.0%). The typical role here is at -16.1%, so, measured against the US, customer support specialists cost more in the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Customer support specialists hold 16.6% of the jobs in the 14 of these roles with a job count in the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area, 22.5% across Iowa and 16.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Iowa
Across the 12 areas of Iowa with data for this job, the median runs from $39,530 in Waterloo-Cedar Falls to $48,880 in Des Moines-West Des Moines, a gap of $9,350 a year. Of the 10 areas in Iowa with more customer support specialists than the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area, 4 pay less, the largest of them Davenport-Moline, IA-IL ($39,950), the Southeast Iowa nonmetro area ($40,810) and Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA ($39,530).
| Area | Median | vs the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ames, IA | +2.9% | 690 | |
| Northwest Iowa (Nonmetro) | +2.6% | 1,490 | |
| Iowa City, IA | +1.8% | 1,190 | |
| Southwest Iowa (Nonmetro) | this area | 800 | |
| Sioux City, IA-NE | -1.4% | 1,110 | |
| Southeast Iowa (Nonmetro) | -1.9% | 2,180 | |
| Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | -4.0% | 3,040 |
the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area is #377 of 520 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Iowa, St. George and Louisville pay just above the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area and Grand Junction and Lincoln just below. All four are within $170 a year of the median in the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville, KY-IN | +0.0% | 13,630 | pay | |
| St. George, UT | +0.0% | 1,890 | pay | |
| Southwest Iowa (Nonmetro) | this area | 800 | ||
| Grand Junction, CO | -0.3% | 720 | pay | |
| Lincoln, NE | -0.4% | 2,540 | pay | |
| Altoona, PA | -9.8% | 800 | jobs | |
| Salisbury, MD | -10.4% | 810 | jobs | |
| Williamsport, PA | -12.9% | 800 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Southwest Iowa (Nonmetro)?
About $53,677 a year at the median, or $4,473 a month: $41,600 in pay plus about $12,077 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for customer support specialists in the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area?
The median was $41,600 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $31,750, the 90th $64,590, and the middle half earned $34,590 to $52,000.
Is the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Iowa for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $41,600 against $46,090 statewide. The next area up in Iowa is Iowa City at $42,340, the next down Sioux City at $41,010.
How many customer support specialists work in the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 800 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Iowa total of 30,100. 10 areas in Iowa have more; the closest in size is Sioux City, with about 1,110.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a medical administrative assistant in the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area?
Yes: $2,310 a year more at the median. The medians are $41,600 and $39,290.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with the Southwest Iowa 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 $53,677 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.