Customer Support Specialist salary in the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area
The Southwest Virginia nonmetro area is a lower-cost market for customer support specialists: the median of $37,380 a year1 is 12.5% below the Virginia statewide median of $42,730, and 16.5% below the US median of $44,770. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#415 of 520). BLS counts about 1,750 people in this job here, 3% of the Virginia total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area against Virginia and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Virginia (Nonmetro) | $28,510 | $37,380 | $49,870 | |
| Virginia | $31,210 | $42,730 | $61,350 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
The middle half of customer support specialists in the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area earns $33,400–$39,490. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $49,870, only 1.7 times the bottom tenth, against 2.0 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $6,090 wide, against $14,000 across Virginia and $14,910 nationally: employers in the Southwest Virginia 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 | $28,510 | $2,376 | $13.71 | $36,787 |
| 25th percentile | $33,400 | $2,783 | $16.06 | $43,097 |
| Median | $37,380 | $3,115 | $17.97 | $48,232 |
| 75th percentile | $39,490 | $3,291 | $18.99 | $50,955 |
| 90th percentile | $49,870 | $4,156 | $23.98 | $64,348 |
Local pay is bunched just above the median: the 75th percentile is only $2,110 over it, while the 25th sits $3,980 below. Moving an offer from the median to the 75th percentile costs about $2,723 more a year with benefits. 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 75th and 90th percentiles in the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area, and the Virginia statewide median of $42,730 falls there too. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local customer support specialists earn.
What a hire really costs in the Southwest Virginia 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 $10,852 to the $37,380 median and brings it to $48,232 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 3.6 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 Virginia nonmetro area
Of the 17 roles we track in the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area, this one ranks #15 by median pay, between e-commerce order specialists ($39,340) and virtual receptionists ($35,210). Project Coordinator is the highest at $87,870.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +8.4% | 1,080 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +5.2% | 100 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 1,750 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -5.8% | 640 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -11.5% | 130 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #12 of the 17 roles we track in the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area (-16.5%), between recruiters (-16.0%) and executive assistants (-17.5%). The typical role here is at -14.8%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Customer support specialists hold 19.6% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area, 14.0% across Virginia and 16.4% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Virginia
Across the 13 areas of Virginia with data for this job, the median runs from $35,870 in the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area to $45,500 in Roanoke, a gap of $9,630 a year. All 3 areas in Virginia with more customer support specialists than the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area also pay more, among them Richmond, VA ($42,660) and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC ($38,150).
| Area | Median | vs the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | +2.1% | 10,960 | |
| Lynchburg, VA | +0.8% | 1,220 | |
| Northwest Virginia (Nonmetro) | +0.2% | 600 | |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg, VA | +0.1% | 640 | |
| Southwest Virginia (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,750 | |
| Southside Virginia (Nonmetro) | -0.6% | 1,110 | |
| Northeast Virginia (Nonmetro) | -4.0% | 470 |
the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area is #210 of 520 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Virginia, Columbia and Victoria pay just above the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area and Johnstown and Columbus just below. All four are within $60 a year of the median in the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | +38.6% | 1,750 | jobs | |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | +14.8% | 1,770 | jobs | |
| Victoria, TX | +0.2% | 570 | pay | |
| Columbia, SC | +0.1% | 10,430 | pay | |
| Southwest Virginia (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,750 | ||
| Johnstown, PA | -0.1% | 610 | pay | |
| Columbus, GA-AL | -0.1% | 2,150 | pay | |
| Ocala, FL | -0.7% | 1,740 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Southwest Virginia (Nonmetro)?
About $48,232 a year at the median, or $4,019 a month: $37,380 in pay plus about $10,852 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do customer support specialists earn in the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $37,380 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $28,510, the 90th $49,870, and the middle half earned $33,400 to $39,490.
Is the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Virginia for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $37,380 against $42,730 statewide. The next area up in Virginia is Blacksburg-Christiansburg at $37,430, the next down the Southside Virginia nonmetro area at $37,140.
How many customer support specialists work in the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 1,750 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Virginia total of 59,850. 3 areas in Virginia have more; the closest in size is Roanoke, with about 2,760.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in the Southwest Virginia nonmetro area?
Yes: $2,170 a year more at the median. The medians are $37,380 and $35,210.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with the Southwest Virginia 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 $48,232 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.