How much does a customer service representative make?

The median pay is $21.53 per hour — roughly $45,000 a year, with the real range running from about $15.27/hr (10th percentile) to $30.57/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a customer service representative?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

What does a customer service representative actually do all day?

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.

Office & Administrative

Customer Service Representatives

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.

What it pays
Customer Service Representatives earn a median of $21.53/hr — about $45,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $15.27/hr; the top 10% earn $30.57/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

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.
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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

The feel of the work

You're around people constantly; time pressure is a real part of the job; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 0.8% of customer service representatives are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are organized and detail-focused, take-charge and people-focused.

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Quick questions

How much does a customer service representative make?: The median pay is $21.53 per hour — roughly $45,000 a year, with the real range running from about $15.27/hr (10th percentile) to $30.57/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a customer service representative?: The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
What does a customer service representative actually do all day?: 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.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.