Customer Support Specialist salary in St. Cloud, MN
The median customer support specialist in St. Cloud earned $48,120 a year in May 20251. That is 7.5% above the US median of $44,770, even though it is 1.4% below the Minnesota statewide median of $48,800. Only 38 of 520 US areas pay more for this job. BLS counts about 1,850 people in this job here, 3% of the Minnesota total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area St. Cloud, MN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in St. Cloud against Minnesota and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Cloud, MN | $33,010 | $48,120 | $64,140 | |
| Minnesota | $35,730 | $48,800 | $72,830 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
The middle half of customer support specialists in St. Cloud earns $39,670–$56,820. The top tenth earns $64,140 or more, 1.9 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.0 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $17,150 wide, between the figure for Minnesota ($18,480) and the US figure ($14,910).
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 | $33,010 | $2,751 | $15.87 | $42,594 |
| 25th percentile | $39,670 | $3,306 | $19.07 | $51,187 |
| Median | $48,120 | $4,010 | $23.13 | $62,090 |
| 75th percentile | $56,820 | $4,735 | $27.32 | $73,316 |
| 90th percentile | $64,140 | $5,345 | $30.84 | $82,761 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $8,450 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $8,700, or about $11,226 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 25th percentile and the median in St. Cloud, and the Minnesota statewide median of $48,800 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in St. Cloud
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 $13,970 to the $48,120 median and brings it to $62,090 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 4.7 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 5.8 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 St. Cloud
Of the 17 roles we track in St. Cloud, this one ranks #14 by median pay, between HR assistants ($48,210) and data entry specialists ($47,730). Project Coordinator is the highest at $96,390.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +2.8% | 1,230 | |
| HR Assistant | +0.2% | 150 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 1,850 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -0.8% | 50 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -2.7% | 550 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #3 of the 17 roles we track in St. Cloud (+7.5%), between e-commerce order specialists (+8.3%) and administrative assistants (+4.1%). The typical role here is at -1.6%, so, measured against the US, customer support specialists cost more in St. Cloud than the area's general pay level would suggest. Customer support specialists hold 20.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in St. Cloud, 18.2% across Minnesota and 16.4% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Minnesota
Across the 9 areas of Minnesota with data for this job, the median runs from $44,430 in the Northeast Minnesota nonmetro area to $49,480 in Minneapolis-St. Paul, a gap of $5,050 a year. Of the 3 areas in Minnesota with more customer support specialists than St. Cloud, 2 pay less: the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area ($47,720) and the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area ($45,590).
| Area | Median | vs St. Cloud | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +2.8% | 38,630 | |
| St. Cloud, MN | this area | 1,850 | |
| Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -0.8% | 2,800 | |
| Mankato, MN | -1.7% | 1,030 | |
| Rochester, MN | -2.2% | 1,250 | |
| Southeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -5.3% | 1,890 | |
| Duluth, MN-WI | -6.6% | 1,500 |
St. Cloud against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, St. Cloud is #203 of 520 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Minnesota, Midland and Kenosha pay just above St. Cloud and Santa Cruz-Watsonville and Hartford-West Hartford just below. All four are within $240 a year of the median in St. Cloud. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs St. Cloud | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenosha, WI | +0.5% | 1,000 | pay | |
| Midland, MI | +0.3% | 620 | pay | |
| St. Cloud, MN | this area | 1,850 | ||
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | -0.0% | 820 | pay | |
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | -0.1% | 9,750 | pay | |
| Columbia, MO | -14.4% | 1,870 | jobs | |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach, FL | -18.5% | 1,860 | jobs | |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | -22.1% | 1,860 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in St. Cloud, MN?
About $62,090 a year at the median, or $5,174 a month: $48,120 in pay plus about $13,970 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do customer support specialists earn in St. Cloud?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $48,120 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $33,010, the 90th $64,140, and the middle half earned $39,670 to $56,820.
Is St. Cloud cheaper than the rest of Minnesota for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $48,120 against $48,800 statewide. The next area up in Minnesota is Minneapolis-St. Paul at $49,480, the next down the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area at $47,720.
How many customer support specialists work in St. Cloud?
BLS counts about 1,850 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Minnesota total of 53,340. 3 areas in Minnesota have more; the closest in size is the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area, with about 1,890.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a data entry specialist in St. Cloud?
Yes: $390 a year more at the median. The medians are $48,120 and $47,730.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with St. Cloud?
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 $62,090 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.