Account representative vs customer service representative

The differences between account representatives and customer service representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an account representative and a customer service representative. Additionally, an account representative has an average salary of $36,977, which is higher than the $32,260 average annual salary of a customer service representative.

The top three skills for an account representative include customer service, patients and patient accounts. The most important skills for a customer service representative are cleanliness, POS, and data entry.

Account representative vs customer service representative overview

	Account Representative	Customer Service Representative
Yearly salary	$36,977	$32,260
Hourly rate	$17.78	$15.51
Growth rate	-8%	-4%
Number of jobs	183,446	209,515
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	High School Diploma, 33%
Average age	46	40
Years of experience	12	12

What does an account representative do?

Account representatives are employees who manage client accounts and act as the main contact of the clients they are handling. They maintain existing accounts by updating client details regularly. They also check up on clients to see if they are still satisfied with the products or services of the company. They also create new accounts by welcoming new clients and assisting them in their needs. Account representatives manage client inquiries and process client requests. They also address complaints and ensure that any challenges are mitigated and that clients remain with the company.

What does a customer service representative do?

Customer service representatives are the first point of contact of the customers, acting as the frontiers of the company and help in driving customer loyalty and retention by leaving a great impression and resolving all of their concerns. They accommodate customer queries by providing useful and comprehensive information about any products or services. Some would use that as an opportunity to market and promote more sales. The most challenging issues they use to handle are customer complaints and processing of refunds and returns. They also assist in basic troubleshooting or accounts and payment setup with the use of specific guidelines or step by step procedures. At most, they help and solve customer issues on their own, but sometimes they would need support from supervisors or other departments.

Account representative vs customer service representative salary

Account representatives and customer service representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Account Representative	Customer Service Representative
Average salary	$36,977	$32,260
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $51,000	Between $25,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	Des Moines, WA
Highest paying state	California	Washington
Best paying company	New Relic	Oracle
Best paying industry	Finance	Insurance

Differences between account representative and customer service representative education

There are a few differences between an account representative and a customer service representative in terms of educational background:

	Account Representative	Customer Service Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	High School Diploma, 33%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Account representative vs customer service representative demographics

Here are the differences between account representatives' and customer service representatives' demographics:

	Account Representative	Customer Service Representative
Average age	46	40
Gender ratio	Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4%	Male, 30.5% Female, 69.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 3.9% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 21.2% Asian, 6.3% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	7%

Differences between account representative and customer service representative duties and responsibilities

Account representative example responsibilities.

Manage all billing accounts including Medicare/Medicaid, HMO and individual accounts.
Manage the daily correspondence from assign practices with keeping doctor/patient confidentiality under consideration along with HIPPA regulations.
Manage and maintain an internal database system to generate reports and produce accurate account information for patients and insurance companies.
Educate physicians to use current ICD-9 diagnostic coding and preparation to begin ICD-10 coding requirements.
Analyze health care insurance/litigation patient account files to resolve outstanding and delinquent accounts due to the healthcare client.
Promote ThermoCool SmartTouch ablation catheter device to electrophysiologists.

Customer service representative example responsibilities.

Manage and plan escalations; assure HIPPA guidelines are followed for confidentially and privacy.
Maintain cleanliness and safety and assist patients as necessary.
Operate POS system and maintain exceptional and consistent customer service.
Exercise proofreading and basic math skills to maintain quality control over documents process
Work in customer service department entering information into customer relationship management (CRM).
Develop highly empathetic client relationships and earn reputation for exceeding good customer service rep goals.

Account representative vs customer service representative skills

Common account representative skills

Customer Service, 21%
Patients, 18%
Patient Accounts, 5%
Data Entry, 3%
Medicaid, 3%
Customer Satisfaction, 3%

Common customer service representative skills

Cleanliness, 10%
POS, 7%
Data Entry, 6%
Sales Floor, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Home Health, 5%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Account Representative
Account Representative vs Customer Service Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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