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Customer Support Specialist salary in Winston-Salem, NC

Winston-Salem is a lower-cost market for customer support specialists: the median of $38,410 a year1 is 4.5% below the North Carolina statewide median of $40,240, and 14.2% below the US median of $44,770. Among US areas it comes in at #351 of 520. BLS counts about 3,770 people in this job here, 4% of the North Carolina total.

$3,201median pay per month in Winston-Salem
$4,130employer cost per month with benefits
$700–$1,000per month, remote through Stafka
3,770people in this job in Winston-Salem

BLS occupation 43-4051, area Winston-Salem, NC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

Pay in Winston-Salem against North Carolina and the US

Range10thMedian90th
Winston-Salem, NC$29,120$38,410$58,800
North Carolina$30,200$40,240$59,820
United States$31,750$44,770$63,590
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of customer support specialists in Winston-Salem earns $34,690–$46,990. The top tenth earns $58,800 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.0 times. The mean ($41,700) is 9% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $12,300 wide, against $13,630 across North Carolina and $14,910 nationally: employers in Winston-Salem pay within a narrower band.

What to budget for a customer support specialist here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$29,120$2,427$14.00$37,574
25th percentile$34,690$2,891$16.68$44,761
Median$38,410$3,201$18.47$49,561
75th percentile$46,990$3,916$22.59$60,632
90th percentile$58,800$4,900$28.27$75,871

Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $8,580 over the median, the 25th only $3,720 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $11,071 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 Winston-Salem, and the North Carolina statewide median of $40,240 falls there too.

What a hire really costs in Winston-Salem

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 $11,151 to the $38,410 median and brings it to $49,561 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.

$49,561 local hire in Winston-Salem, NCmedian wage plus benefits, year one
$13,288 remote hire through Stafka$850/month, placement fee and Deel, year one

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.

$49,561local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,288remote hire, first year incl. fee
$36,273difference in year one
73%of the local cost saved

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 4.6 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 Winston-Salem

Of the 17 roles we track in Winston-Salem, this one ranks #16 by median pay, between data entry specialists ($38,640) and virtual receptionists ($35,360). Project Coordinator is the highest at $79,560.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 17 roles in Winston-Salem, NC
RoleMedianvs customer support specialistJobs
HR Assistant
$45,040
+17.3%170
E-commerce Order Specialist
$43,820
+14.1%130
Data Entry Specialist
$38,640
+0.6%190
Customer Support Specialist
$38,410
this role3,770
Virtual Receptionist
$35,360
-7.9%1,210

Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #14 of the 17 roles we track in Winston-Salem (-14.2%), between payroll specialists (-14.2%) and sales development representatives (-16.8%). The typical role here is at -9.7%, so, measured against the US, customer support specialists cost less in Winston-Salem than the area's general pay level would suggest. Customer support specialists hold 14.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Winston-Salem, 17.1% across North Carolina and 16.4% nationally. That is close to the national mix.

Other areas in North Carolina

Across the 18 areas of North Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $33,980 in Jacksonville to $46,800 in Durham-Chapel Hill, a gap of $12,820 a year. All 4 areas in North Carolina with more customer support specialists than Winston-Salem also pay more, among them Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC ($44,980) and Raleigh-Cary, NC ($41,900).

AreaMedianvs Winston-SalemJobs
Greensboro-High Point, NC
$41,240
+7.4%7,460
Burlington, NC
$41,040
+6.8%1,290
Asheville, NC
$38,980
+1.5%2,850
Winston-Salem, NC
$38,410
this area3,770
Wilmington, NC
$38,100
-0.8%2,850
Hickory-Lenoir, NC
$37,790
-1.6%2,250
Western North Carolina (Nonmetro)
$36,970
-3.7%3,150

Winston-Salem against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, Winston-Salem is #100 of 520 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside North Carolina, Wheeling and Rapid City pay just above Winston-Salem and Huntsville and Kokomo just below. All four are within $110 a year of the median in Winston-Salem. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, two pay more.

Metro areaMedianvs Winston-SalemJobsClose in
Lansing-East Lansing, MI
$44,250
+15.2%3,790jobs
Reno, NV
$43,930
+14.4%3,870jobs
Rapid City, SD
$38,520
+0.3%1,010pay
Wheeling, WV-OH
$38,440
+0.1%990pay
Winston-Salem, NC
$38,410
this area3,770
Huntsville, AL
$38,400
-0.0%3,340pay
Kokomo, IN
$38,380
-0.1%340pay
Lubbock, TX
$35,940
-6.4%3,830jobs

Questions

How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Winston-Salem, NC?

About $49,561 a year at the median, or $4,130 a month: $38,410 in pay plus about $11,151 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What do customer support specialists earn in Winston-Salem?

The median was $38,410 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $29,120, the 90th $58,800, and the middle half earned $34,690 to $46,990.

Is Winston-Salem cheaper than the rest of North Carolina for customer support specialists?

Yes, it costs less: a median of $38,410 against $40,240 statewide. The next area up in North Carolina is Asheville at $38,980, the next down Wilmington at $38,100.

How many customer support specialists work in Winston-Salem?

BLS counts about 3,770 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the North Carolina total of 89,510. 4 areas in North Carolina have more; the closest in size is Durham-Chapel Hill, with about 4,660.

Does a customer support specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in Winston-Salem?

Yes: $3,050 a year more at the median. The medians are $38,410 and $35,360.

What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with Winston-Salem?

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 $49,561 for a local hire at the median.

Sources

4 sources, with links
  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4051: bls.gov
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
  3. Stafka pricing: stafka.com
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.