Customer Support Specialist salary in the West Arkansas nonmetro area
The West Arkansas nonmetro area is a lower-cost market for customer support specialists: the median of $36,410 a year1 is 3.8% below the Arkansas statewide median of $37,840, and 18.7% below the US median of $44,770. Only 51 of 520 US areas pay less for this job. About 900 customer support specialists work here, 4% of the Arkansas total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the West Arkansas nonmetro area against Arkansas and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Arkansas (Nonmetro) | $28,560 | $36,410 | $49,920 | |
| Arkansas | $30,150 | $37,840 | $56,630 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
The middle half of customer support specialists in the West Arkansas nonmetro area earns $31,210–$42,140. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $49,920, 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 $10,930 wide, against $12,800 across Arkansas and $14,910 nationally: employers in the West Arkansas 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 | $28,560 | $2,380 | $13.73 | $36,852 |
| 25th percentile | $31,210 | $2,601 | $15.00 | $40,271 |
| Median | $36,410 | $3,034 | $17.50 | $46,981 |
| 75th percentile | $42,140 | $3,512 | $20.26 | $54,374 |
| 90th percentile | $49,920 | $4,160 | $24.00 | $64,413 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $5,730 a year in pay and about $7,394 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $5,200 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 75th and 90th percentiles in the West Arkansas nonmetro area, and the Arkansas statewide median of $37,840 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local customer support specialists earn.
What a hire really costs in the West Arkansas nonmetro area
At the $36,410 median, a local hire costs about $46,981 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $10,571 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 3.5 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 4.4 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 West Arkansas nonmetro area
Of the 15 roles we track in the West Arkansas nonmetro area, this one ranks #12 by median pay, between administrative assistants ($36,870) and data entry specialists ($36,110). Project Coordinator is the highest at $80,570.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +13.7% | 650 | |
| Administrative Assistant | +1.3% | 630 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 900 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -0.8% | 40 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -2.0% | 130 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #4 of the 15 roles we track in the West Arkansas nonmetro area (-18.7%), between bookkeepers (-18.3%) and project coordinators (-21.3%). The typical role here is at -23.8%, so, measured against the US, customer support specialists cost more in the West Arkansas nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Customer support specialists hold 18.3% of the jobs in these 15 roles in the West Arkansas nonmetro area, 19.5% across Arkansas and 16.5% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Arkansas
Across the 9 areas of Arkansas with data for this job, the median runs from $34,150 in Hot Springs to $39,510 in Fayetteville-Springdale, a gap of $5,360 a year. All 5 areas in Arkansas with more customer support specialists than the West Arkansas nonmetro area also pay more, among them Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR ($38,160) and Fayetteville-Springdale, AR ($39,510).
| Area | Median | vs the West Arkansas nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | +3.0% | 1,860 | |
| East Arkansas (Nonmetro) | +2.8% | 750 | |
| North Arkansas (Nonmetro) | +1.7% | 1,670 | |
| South Arkansas (Nonmetro) | +1.2% | 1,000 | |
| Jonesboro, AR | +1.0% | 730 | |
| West Arkansas (Nonmetro) | this area | 900 | |
| Hot Springs, AR | -6.2% | 470 |
the West Arkansas nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the West Arkansas nonmetro area is #351 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 Arkansas, Shreveport-Bossier City and Paducah pay just above the West Arkansas nonmetro area and Wichita Falls and Athens-Clarke County just below. All four are within $90 a year of the median in the West Arkansas nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the West Arkansas nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheboygan, WI | +31.1% | 900 | jobs | |
| Owensboro, KY | +24.3% | 920 | jobs | |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | +12.9% | 900 | jobs | |
| Paducah, KY-IL | +0.1% | 860 | pay | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | +0.1% | 2,760 | pay | |
| West Arkansas (Nonmetro) | this area | 900 | ||
| Wichita Falls, TX | -0.1% | 910 | pay | |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | -0.2% | 1,180 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in West Arkansas (Nonmetro)?
About $46,981 a year at the median, or $3,915 a month: $36,410 in pay plus about $10,571 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do customer support specialists earn in the West Arkansas nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $36,410 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $28,560, the 90th $49,920, and the middle half earned $31,210 to $42,140.
Is the West Arkansas nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Arkansas for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $36,410 against $37,840 statewide. The next area up in Arkansas is Jonesboro at $36,770, the next down Hot Springs at $34,150.
How many customer support specialists work in the West Arkansas nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 900 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Arkansas total of 20,680. 5 areas in Arkansas have more; the closest in size is the South Arkansas nonmetro area, with about 1,000.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a data entry specialist in the West Arkansas nonmetro area?
Yes: $300 a year more at the median. The medians are $36,410 and $36,110.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with the West Arkansas 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 $46,981 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.