Customer Service Representatives

Median salary

$44,770

Average salary

$46,590

Employment

2,595,750

Projected growth

5.5% decline

Annual openings

341,700

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Customer Service Representatives Do

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.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 0.8%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.7/5
English Languageimportance 3.9/5
Administration and Managementimportance 3.5/5
Sales and Marketingimportance 3.5/5
Mathematicsimportance 3.3/5
Administrativeimportance 3.3/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.3/5
Economics and Accountingimportance 2.9/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Telephone Conversations5.0/5
Contact With Others4.8/5
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.8/5
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General4.8/5
Time Pressure4.5/5
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.5/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Paralegals and Legal Assistants99% skill match
Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping98% skill match
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term98% skill match
Correspondence Clerks98% skill match
Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs98% skill match
Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks98% skill match
Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks98% skill match
Concierges98% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Service Orientationimportance 4.0/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
Time Managementimportance 3.1/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
Persuasionimportance 3.0/5
Negotiationimportance 3.0/5
Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.9/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

ADP Workforce Now
AS/400 Database
Active Data Online WebChat
Airtable
Apple Keynote
Applied Systems Vision
Astute Solutions PowerCenter
Austin Logistics CallSelect

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Dependability
Self-Control
Cooperation
Social Orientation
Empathy
Optimism
Attention to Detail

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

ConventionalHigh
EnterprisingHigh
SocialMedium
RealisticLow
InvestigativeLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where customer service representatives make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).