Clerical & Administrative Support
Customer Service Representative
Salary, job outlook, education and requirements
Interact with customers to provide basic or scripted information in response to routine inquiries about products and services. May handle and resolve general complaints. Excludes individuals whose duties are primarily installation, sales, repair, and technical support.
Also called: Account Representative · Call Center Representative · Client Services Representative · Customer Care Representative (CCR) · Customer Service Agent · Customer Service Representative (CSR) · Customer Service Specialist · Customer Support Representative (Customer Support Rep)
O*NET-SOC 43-4051.00 (Customer Service Representatives)
Customer Service Representative salary
Wages for customer service representatives across all employers, 2025 data. The 10th percentile is typical entry-level pay; the 90th percentile reflects the most experienced and highest-paid workers.
National median hourly wage: $21.53.
Customer Service Representative pay by state
Ten largest states by population, annual wages.
| State | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $38,110 | $49,560 | $75,700 |
| Texas | $29,320 | $40,420 | $59,590 |
| Florida | $31,620 | $40,440 | $59,770 |
| New York | $36,270 | $48,000 | $76,280 |
| Pennsylvania | $31,430 | $44,630 | $63,370 |
| Illinois | $33,590 | $46,130 | $71,400 |
| Ohio | $31,340 | $45,610 | $63,210 |
| Georgia | $29,340 | $39,630 | $60,270 |
| North Carolina | $30,200 | $40,240 | $59,820 |
| Michigan | $30,670 | $43,950 | $63,830 |
Customer Service Representative job outlook
- Employment is projected to go from 2,666,000 jobs in 2025 to 2,524,100 in 2035 (-5% change).
- About 289,500 openings are projected each year, including jobs that open up as workers retire or change occupations.
- CareerOneStop outlook rating: Bright (Numerous Job Openings).
How to become a customer service representative
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- No work experience
- On-the-job training
- Less than 1 month on-the-job training
Education level of current workers
- Less than high school diploma4.1%
- High school diploma or equivalent26.4%
- Some college, no degree28%
- Associate's degree12.3%
- Bachelor's degree23.7%
- Master's degree4.7%
- Doctoral or professional degree.7%
Related training programs
- Customer Service Support/Call Center/Teleservice Operation
- Receptionist
What does a customer service representative do?
Common tasks
- Confer with customers by telephone or in person to provide information about products or services, take or enter orders, cancel accounts, or obtain details of complaints.
- Keep records of customer interactions or transactions, recording details of inquiries, complaints, or comments, as well as actions taken.
- Check to ensure that appropriate changes were made to resolve customers' problems.
- Contact customers to respond to inquiries or to notify them of claim investigation results or any planned adjustments.
- Resolve customers' service or billing complaints by performing activities such as exchanging merchandise, refunding money, or adjusting bills.
- Determine charges for services requested, collect deposits or payments, or arrange for billing.
- Complete contract forms, prepare change of address records, or issue service discontinuance orders, using computers.
- Refer unresolved customer grievances to designated departments for further investigation.
- Review insurance policy terms to determine whether a particular loss is covered by insurance.
- Solicit sales of new or additional services or products.
Most important skills
- Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
- Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
- Speaking
- Talking to others.
- Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
- Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
- Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
- Negotiation
- Bringing people together to solve differences.
Customer Service Representative certifications
8 of 20 certifications CareerOneStop maps to this occupation. Requirements vary by employer and state.
- BMC Software, Inc. · Product/Equipment
- International Society of Certified Electronics Technicians · Core
- ETA International · Core
- Oracle Corporation · Product/Equipment
- Pearson · Skill
- American Public Power Association · Core
- HDI Desktop Support Manager (HDI-DSM)HDI · Advanced
- The Institutes · Core
See all 20certifications in CareerOneStop's Certification Finder
Customer Service Representative jobs
Current federal openings from USAJOBS. For more clerical & administrative support jobs, including private-sector listings, see the Clerical & Administrative Support jobs hub.
Job data from USAJOBS.gov. Careers.org is not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM.
Related careers
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
- Telemarketers
- Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks
- Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks
- New Accounts Clerks
- Receptionists and Information Clerks
- Billing and Posting Clerks
- Brokerage Clerks
- Bill and Account Collectors
- Order Clerks
More clerical & administrative support careers
This page includes information from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA), and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
Source: CareerOneStop occupation profile for Customer Service Representatives. Wages are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program; projections are national long-term projections.