The Average Salary of a Customer Service Specialist
When a customer has a question or problem, the company hires someone to be at the front lines. A customer service specialist, or representative, can be found on the phone at a call center; helping customers face-to-face at a help desk; or aiding customers online. These workers offer information in response to customer questions or find solutions to customer complaints. If you are interested in becoming a customer service representative, then learn more about how much they earn.
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National Salary
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that the mean, or average, hourly wage for a customer service representative was $15.58 and the annual wage was $32,410 in May 2009.
Education
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According to Payscale.com, earnings vary according to degree type. As of October 2010, those who held a high school diploma earned an hourly rate of $9.95 to $14.37; GED, $9.39 to $13.26; Bachelor of Arts, $10.43 to $15.46; Associate of Arts, $10.24 to $15.05; and Associate of Applied Science, $9.78 to $13.91.
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Top Employment
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In May 2009, the industry that employed the highest number of customer service representatives was the business support services industry with an annual mean wage of $26,090, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Other industries that employed high numbers of customer service representatives were as follows: the insurance carriers industry, $34,990; the depository credit intermediation industry, $31,790; the agencies, brokerages and other insurance related activities industry, $34,890; and the employment services industry, $28,670.
Top-Paying Industries
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The industry that offered the highest pay for customer service representatives was the postal service industry with a mean annual wage of $59,510, as revealed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2009. Other industries that offered high pay were as follows: the natural gas pipeline transportation industry, $53,870; the support activities for water transportation industry, $47,320; the aerospace product and parts manufacturing industry, $46,930; and satellite telecommunications industry, $45,850.
Top-Paying States
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The state that offered the highest pay for customer service representatives was Connecticut with an annual mean wage of $38,260, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2009. Other states that offered high pay were as follows: California, $37,580; Delaware, $37,170; Massachusetts, $37,070; and the District of Columbia, $36,180.
Outsourced Salary
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According to Bloomberg Business Week, it's common for customer service specialists to be outsourced to countries, such as India. According to the PayScale website in October 2010, the national salary for a customer service specialist in India was anywhere between 181,854 to 335,607 Indian Rupees. As of October 2010, this converts to $4,091.72 to $7,551.16, according to Google Finance's Currency Converter.
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References
- O*Net Online: Customer Service Representatives
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wages- Customer Service Representatives
- PayScale.com: Customer Service Salary Survey
- University of Regina: What is the Difference between Mean and Average?
- Bloomburg Businessweek: The Ethics of Outsourcing Customer Service
- Payscale: India- Customer Service Specialist Salary
Resources
- Photo Credit customer service image by gajatz from Fotolia.com
