Customer Support Specialist salary in the West Tennessee nonmetro area
Hiring a customer support specialist costs less in the West Tennessee nonmetro area than in Tennessee or the country as a whole. The median is $37,580 a year1: 12.3% below the Tennessee statewide median of $42,830 and 16.1% below the US median of $44,770. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#395 of 520). BLS counts about 1,260 people in this job here, 2% of the Tennessee total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the West Tennessee nonmetro area against Tennessee and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Tennessee (Nonmetro) | $27,730 | $37,580 | $55,390 | |
| Tennessee | $31,100 | $42,830 | $60,070 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
The middle half of customer support specialists in the West Tennessee nonmetro area earns $33,820–$45,510. The top tenth earns $55,390 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.0 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $11,690 wide, against $12,540 across Tennessee and $14,910 nationally: employers in the West Tennessee 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 | $27,730 | $2,311 | $13.33 | $35,781 |
| 25th percentile | $33,820 | $2,818 | $16.26 | $43,639 |
| Median | $37,580 | $3,132 | $18.07 | $48,490 |
| 75th percentile | $45,510 | $3,792 | $21.88 | $58,723 |
| 90th percentile | $55,390 | $4,616 | $26.63 | $71,471 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $7,930 over the median, the 25th only $3,760 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $10,232 a year in employer cost. 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 West Tennessee nonmetro area, and the Tennessee statewide median of $42,830 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in the West Tennessee nonmetro area
At the $37,580 median, a local hire costs about $48,490 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $10,910 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 3.6 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 West Tennessee nonmetro area
Of the 17 roles we track in the West Tennessee nonmetro area, this one ranks #14 by median pay, between e-commerce order specialists ($38,490) and medical administrative assistants ($37,480). Project Coordinator is the highest at $77,580.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +5.7% | 1,420 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +2.4% | 70 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 1,260 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -0.3% | 1,220 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -5.9% | 70 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #8 of the 17 roles we track in the West Tennessee nonmetro area (-16.1%), between recruiters (-15.6%) and administrative assistants (-16.4%). The typical role here is at -16.4%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Customer support specialists hold 13.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the West Tennessee nonmetro area, 16.5% across Tennessee and 16.4% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Tennessee
Across the 14 areas of Tennessee with data for this job, the median runs from $36,130 in Kingsport-Bristol to $45,510 in Nashville-Murfreesboro, a gap of $9,380 a year. Of the 9 areas in Tennessee with more customer support specialists than the West Tennessee nonmetro area, 3 pay less: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA ($36,130), Johnson City, TN ($36,570) and the East Tennessee nonmetro area ($36,510).
| Area | Median | vs the West Tennessee nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Central Tennessee (Nonmetro) | +2.1% | 1,170 | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | +0.2% | 1,610 | |
| Cleveland, TN | +0.1% | 590 | |
| West Tennessee (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,260 | |
| Morristown, TN | -0.0% | 740 | |
| Johnson City, TN | -2.7% | 1,940 | |
| East Tennessee (Nonmetro) | -2.8% | 1,530 |
the West Tennessee nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the West Tennessee nonmetro area is #276 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 Tennessee, Hilton Head Island-Bluffton and Lake Havasu City-Kingman pay just above the West Tennessee nonmetro area and Altoona and Gulfport-Biloxi just below. All four are within $40 a year of the median in the West Tennessee nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs the West Tennessee nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | +33.5% | 1,250 | jobs | |
| Greeley, CO | +20.6% | 1,260 | jobs | |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | +0.1% | 850 | pay | |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | +0.0% | 1,640 | pay | |
| West Tennessee (Nonmetro) | this area | 1,260 | ||
| Altoona, PA | -0.1% | 800 | pay | |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | -0.1% | 2,270 | pay | |
| San Angelo, TX | -4.0% | 1,270 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in West Tennessee (Nonmetro)?
About $48,490 a year at the median, or $4,041 a month: $37,580 in pay plus about $10,910 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for customer support specialists in the West Tennessee nonmetro area?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $37,580 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $27,730, the 90th $55,390, and the middle half earned $33,820 to $45,510.
Is the West Tennessee nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Tennessee for customer support specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $37,580 against $42,830 statewide. The next area up in Tennessee is Cleveland at $37,600, the next down Morristown at $37,570.
How many customer support specialists work in the West Tennessee nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 1,260 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Tennessee total of 59,730. 9 areas in Tennessee have more; the closest in size is the North Central Tennessee nonmetro area, with about 1,510.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a medical administrative assistant in the West Tennessee nonmetro area?
Yes: $100 a year more at the median. The medians are $37,580 and $37,480.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with the West Tennessee 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 $48,490 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.