Customer Support Specialist salary in the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area
The Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area pays customer support specialists more than Louisiana as a whole but less than the country. The median is $37,850 a year1: 1.4% above the Louisiana statewide median of $37,330 and 15.5% below the US median of $44,770. Nationally it ranks #382 of 520 areas. BLS counts about 1,350 people in this job here, 5% of the Louisiana total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area against Louisiana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Louisiana (Nonmetro) | $27,830 | $37,850 | $43,920 | |
| Louisiana | $28,440 | $37,330 | $51,010 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
The middle half of customer support specialists in the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area earns $31,890–$37,850. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $43,920, only 1.6 times the bottom tenth, against 2.0 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($36,810) is no higher than the median, so few high earners skew the figures here. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $5,960 wide, against $12,810 across Louisiana and $14,910 nationally: employers in the Southwest Louisiana 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 | $27,830 | $2,319 | $13.38 | $35,910 |
| 25th percentile | $31,890 | $2,658 | $15.33 | $41,148 |
| Median | $37,850 | $3,154 | $18.20 | $48,839 |
| 75th percentile | $37,850 | $3,154 | $18.20 | $48,839 |
| 90th percentile | $43,920 | $3,660 | $21.12 | $56,671 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $0 a year in pay and about $0 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $5,960 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 above the 90th percentile in the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area, and the Louisiana statewide median of $37,330 falls between the 25th percentile and the median. An offer at the national rate would beat what nine in ten local customer support specialists earn.
What a hire really costs in the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area
At the $37,850 median, a local hire costs about $48,839 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $10,989 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 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 4.5 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 Louisiana nonmetro area
Of the 14 roles we track in the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($42,030) and administrative assistants ($36,410). Project Coordinator is the highest at $88,130.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +18.2% | 80 | |
| Bookkeeper | +11.0% | 640 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 1,350 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -3.8% | 1,600 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -3.9% | 120 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #2 of the 14 roles we track in the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area (-15.5%), between project coordinators (-13.9%) and sales development representatives (-16.5%). The typical role here is at -22.6%, so, measured against the US, customer support specialists cost more in the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Customer support specialists hold 18.8% of the jobs in these 14 roles in the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area, 15.3% across Louisiana and 16.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Louisiana
Across the 13 areas of Louisiana with data for this job, the median runs from $33,870 in the Northeast Louisiana nonmetro area to $39,300 in New Orleans-Metairie, a gap of $5,430 a year. Of the 5 areas in Louisiana with more customer support specialists than the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area, 3 pay less: Shreveport-Bossier City, LA ($36,440), Lafayette, LA ($36,820) and Slidell-Mandeville, LA ($37,270).
| Area | Median | vs the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | +3.8% | 5,600 | |
| Baton Rouge, LA | +2.4% | 5,750 | |
| Southwest Louisiana (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,350 | |
| Slidell-Mandeville, LA | -1.5% | 1,490 | |
| Alexandria, LA | -2.1% | 770 | |
| Lafayette, LA | -2.7% | 2,140 | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | -3.7% | 2,760 |
the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area is #262 of 520 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Louisiana, Longview and Jackson pay just above the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area and Daphne-Fairhope and Lawrence just below. All four are within $50 a year of the median in the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | +29.7% | 1,350 | jobs | |
| Eau Claire, WI | +21.3% | 1,340 | jobs | |
| Jefferson City, MO | +3.0% | 1,360 | jobs | |
| Jackson, MS | +0.0% | 4,270 | pay | |
| Longview, TX | +0.0% | 1,570 | pay | |
| Southwest Louisiana (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,350 | ||
| Daphne-Fairhope, AL | -0.1% | 1,110 | pay | |
| Lawrence, KS | -0.1% | 1,090 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Southwest Louisiana (Nonmetro)?
About $48,839 a year at the median, or $4,070 a month: $37,850 in pay plus about $10,989 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for customer support specialists in the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area?
The median was $37,850 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $27,830, the 90th $43,920, and the middle half earned $31,890 to $37,850.
Is the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Louisiana for customer support specialists?
No, it costs more: a median of $37,850 against $37,330 statewide. The next area up in Louisiana is Baton Rouge at $38,760, the next down Slidell-Mandeville at $37,270.
How many customer support specialists work in the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 1,350 in the May 2025 survey. That is 5% of the Louisiana total of 25,780. 5 areas in Louisiana have more; the closest in size is Slidell-Mandeville, with about 1,490.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than an administrative assistant in the Southwest Louisiana nonmetro area?
Yes: $1,440 a year more at the median. The medians are $37,850 and $36,410.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with the Southwest Louisiana 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 $48,839 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.