Cost of hiring in Tucson, AZ
Customer Support Specialist is the largest of these 17 jobs in Tucson, with about 7,880 people1. Medians run from $37,040 a year for virtual receptionists to $91,500 for project coordinators.
Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Median pay by role in Tucson
| Role | Median per year | vs US median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Entry Specialist | +1.9% | 320 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +0.3% | 80 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -2.6% | 2,730 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -5.3% | 3,630 | |
| Bookkeeper | -6.9% | 2,640 | |
| Accountant | -8.8% | 2,570 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -9.4% | 2,050 | |
| HR Assistant | -9.4% | 180 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -10.1% | 2,110 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -10.5% | 7,880 | |
| Project Coordinator | -10.6% | 2,310 | |
| Executive Assistant | -14.5% | 720 | |
| Office Manager | -14.5% | 3,500 | |
| Payroll Specialist | -15.7% | 330 | |
| Recruiter | -15.8% | 2,130 | |
| Paralegal | -16.6% | 980 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -24.4% | 1,550 |
The employer pays more than the wage: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, so a $40,090 median for customer support specialists, the largest of these jobs here, comes to about $51,729 a year. That is an estimate: benefit levels vary by employer.
Tucson against the US
Tucson pays above the US median for only one of the 17 roles, data entry specialists (+1.9%), and below it for 15, furthest for marketing specialists (-24.4%). For e-commerce order specialists it is within 1% of the US figure. The middle gap across all 17 is -10.1%: for most of these roles, hiring costs less here than at the US median. Its best national standing is for data entry specialists, #106 of 394 areas by median pay; its lowest is for payroll specialists, #377 of 486.
Compared with the US mix of these jobs, Tucson has more customer support specialists (22.1% of these jobs here, against 16.4% nationally) and virtual receptionists (7.6% against 5.7%), and fewer e-commerce order specialists (0.2% against 0.5%) and executive assistants (2.0% against 2.9%). Metro areas in other states with the closest overall pay level, measured the same way, are listed below; Battle Creek, MI is nearest, at -10.1%.
| Area | Middle gap to the US | Roles with data | Jobs in these roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niles, MI | -10.0% | 15 | 4,780 |
| Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, PA | -10.0% | 17 | 20,060 |
| Battle Creek, MI | -10.1% | 14 | 3,900 |
| Tucson, AZ | -10.1% (this area) | 17 | 35,710 |
| Gainesville, GA | -10.2% | 17 | 8,420 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC | -10.3% | 16 | 8,860 |
How far pay spreads inside each role
From the 10th to the 90th percentile, sales development representatives in Tucson span $37,400–$118,550, the widest band (3.2×); virtual receptionists the narrowest, $31,160–$45,520. Offers cluster nearer the median than nationally for 14 of 17 roles, sales development representatives most ($37,980–$148,840 across the US). Budget from the median for sales development representatives, paralegals, recruiters and 1 more role: a few well-paid jobs lift the average ($73,430 against a $62,900 median for sales development representatives).
Tucson against Arizona
Against Arizona as a whole, Tucson pays less for every one of the 17 roles with a statewide figure. It comes closest for payroll specialists (-2.2%) and is furthest below for marketing specialists (-17.2%). It has the lowest median in Arizona for e-commerce order specialists.
Other areas in Arizona
By jobs in these roles, Tucson is #2 of 8 areas in Arizona. The table shows the other 7.
| Area | Jobs in these roles | Roles with data |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | 266,470 | 17 |
| Arizona (Nonmetro) | 7,310 | 16 |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | 6,210 | 15 |
| Yuma, AZ | 5,580 | 16 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 5,220 | 16 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 5,000 | 15 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | 2,880 | 15 |
Questions
Which role costs the most to hire in Tucson?
Of the 17 roles we track, Project Coordinator: a median of $91,500 a year, about $118,065 with benefits; the lowest is Virtual Receptionist, $37,040.
Is hiring in Tucson cheaper than the US median?
For 15 of the 17 roles, yes, most of all marketing specialists (-24.4%). One pays more than the US median: data entry specialists (+1.9%).
Sources
2 sources, with links
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.