Research Summary. Using a combination of public government and company data as well as data gathered from thousands of job postings, the Zippia data team has created average salary estimates for jobs across the US. Using that data set, the team has identified the types of customer service associates that are the highest paid based on their average annual salaries.
Here is a summary of our findings for the highest-paying types of customer service associates:
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Customer Service Expert is the highest-paid type of customer service associate with an average salary of $99,957 and an average hourly rate of $48.06.
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The second highest-paying type of customer service associate is service desk associate, with an average salary of $40,699.
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The average customer service associate salary is $31,709 per year, and the average hourly pay is $15.24.
Table Of Contents: Background | Table | Methodology | FAQs
Background
Choosing a career path can be difficult, and while pay shouldn’t be the only thing you consider in your decision, it is a significant factor. So if you’d like to work as a customer service associate, it helps to have an idea of what the highest-paid types of customer service associates are so that you can plan your career progression.
Here are the top salaries for different types of customer service associates:
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Customer Service Expert
Average Salary: $99,957
A customer service expert is responsible for providing excellent customer by responding to the customers’ inquiries and concerns regarding the goods and services the company offers. Customer service experts also handle and escalate high-level complaints, processing order replacements, and issuing refunds as needed. They check customer accounts, resolve billing issues, and monitor product delivery details. A customer service expert must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially the knowledge of sales techniques, to sell services that would increase the company’s revenues and profitability.
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Service Desk Associate
Average Salary: $40,699
A service desk associate will answer and respond to the inquiries and requests from both employees and customers, either through telephone calls, emails, or in person. Your duties as a service desk associate will vary depending on the sector you work in. These duties may include capturing and validating queries and issues for processing, communicating with users via different channels, and advising users on the appropriate action to address their concerns. You will also be responsible for escalating unresolved issues to a much higher support level and providing security support and advice.
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Service Associate
Average Salary: $38,712
A service associate’s role is to assist customers either through phone or in person. One of the service associate’s primary responsibilities is to attain customer satisfaction by answering queries, performing troubleshooting methods, assisting in navigating through difficult tasks, handling complaints, resolving issues, and even processing payments. Furthermore, a service associate needs to be equipped with good communication skills to build rapport with clients as there are instances where they have to sell products and services.
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Customer Sales Associate
Average Salary: $37,024
A customer sales associate specializes in handling and communicating with customers to secure sales in a retail store. Their primary responsibilities revolve around greeting clients, responding to inquiries, providing assistance, and even offering suggestions when necessary. Aside from ensuring customer satisfaction, it is also their responsibility to maintain the cleanliness and order on the sales floor by re-stocking shelves and arranging them to look presentable. Furthermore, a customer sales associate must coordinate with other sales floor members and report to a manager or supervisor.
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Associate Customer Service Representative
Average Salary: $35,215
An associate customer service representative is responsible for providing high customer service by assisting customers on their inquiries and concerns, as well as resolving and escalating high-level complaints to the supervisor or tenured customer service representative. Associate customer service representatives also process orders and payments from the customers, replacing defective items, and issuing refunds as needed. They must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on handling data processing procedures to the database for reference to customer concerns.
Below is a full table of the average pay for various customer service associate that pay the most followed by a more detailed explanation of our methodology.
Highest-Paying Types Of Customer Service Associates
Methodology
Zippia uses publicly published information from government sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Foreign Labor Certification Data Center (FLC), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to create its salary estimates.
Our data science team also checks job postings and company-published resources for additional up-to-date salary information for customer service associates.
Once they’ve gathered the data, the team calculates a weighted average for each job title they’re estimating a salary for. For more details on our salary estimates, you can read the detailed methodology.
Highest-Paying Types Of Customer Service Associate Jobs FAQs
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What is the highest-paid customer service associate job?
The highest-paid customer service associate job is a customer service expert. Customer Service Experts earn an average salary of $99,957, which is $ 48.06 hourly.
A customer service expert is responsible for providing excellent customer by responding to the customers’ inquiries and concerns regarding the goods and services the company offers. Customer service experts also handle and escalate high-level complaints, processing order replacements, and issuing refunds as needed. They check customer accounts, resolve billing issues, and monitor product delivery details. A customer service expert must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially the knowledge of sales techniques, to sell services that would increase the company’s revenues and profitability.
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What is a good salary for a customer service associate?
A good salary for a customer service associate is $31,709 or more. The average customer service associate salary is $31,709, so those making at least $31,709 are earning above-average paychecks.
Keep in mind, however, that the average customer service associate salary does fluctuate based on location, as companies will adjust their pay scales based on the cost of living in that area. Research what the average salary is in your area for someone of your expertise and experience level to get a more accurate view on how well you’re being paid.
In addition, if you’re just starting your career as a customer service associate, the average entry level salary is $19,217, so don’t base your opinion of your salary on the $31,709 average, as this includes all customer service associates of all skill and experience levels.
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Do Customer Service Associate jobs pay well?
No, customer service associate jobs don’t pay well. As in any industry, some customer service associate jobs pay better than others, but the average customer service associate salary of $31,709 is times the average national salary of about $44,225 per year.
In addition to this, many customer service associate jobs have high earning potential, with the top 10% of customer service associates earning $49,558 a year on average.
Customer Service Associates’ salaries will fluctuate based on their experience level, industry, and location, so pay attention to these factors when you’re looking for a job as a customer service associate. Do your research on the going rate for a customer service associate in your area with your expertise, and don’t be afraid to negotiate your salary based on that information.
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Where do customer service associates get paid the most?
Customer Service Associates get paid the most in New Hampshire. In New Hampshire, customer service associates earn an average annual salary of $32,355 and an average hourly wage of $15.56.
Following NH, the states with the highest-paid customer service associates are Arizona, Ohio, and Michigan, with average annual salaries of $32,886, $29,075, and $29,472 respectively.
The cities with the highest-paid customer service associate salaries are:
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Richmond, CA – $39,319
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Urban Honolulu, HI – $37,599
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Seattle, WA – $33,762
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Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
