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 specialists 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 specialists:
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Customer Service Expert is the highest-paid type of customer service specialist 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 specialist is customer service professional, with an average salary of $46,620.
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The average customer service specialist salary is $33,238 per year, and the average hourly pay is $15.98.
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 specialist, it helps to have an idea of what the highest-paid types of customer service specialists are so that you can plan your career progression.
Here are the top salaries for different types of customer service specialists:
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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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Customer Service Professional
Average Salary: $46,620
A customer service professional is responsible for providing the highest customer service by responding to the customers’ inquiries and concerns, resolving complaints, and updating the customers of goods and services for generating revenues and profitability to the company. Customer service professionals process order transactions, administering payment plans and adjusting service features in meeting customers’ needs. A customer service professional should be highly communicative, as well as have excellent time-management skills in documenting customers’ information on various software tools to maximize productivity and efficiency.
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Service Specialist
Average Salary: $44,150
A service specialist is responsible for assisting customers with their inquiries and concerns about the services offered by the organization. Service specialists’ duties include responding to customers’ requests, updating customers of promotional offers and new services, escalating high-level concerns to the appropriate department, and keeping accurate records of clients’ issues and resolutions. Service specialists are also in charge of preparing customer surveys to rate their satisfaction and identifying opportunities for service improvement. A service specialist must display excellent customer service and communication skills to address clients’ concerns efficiently and accurately.
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Customer Engagement Specialist
Average Salary: $41,014
A client engagement specialist is in charge of devising strategies to build positive relationships with clients that will translate to sales. Their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis to identify client needs, finding new sales leads and opportunities, and coordinating with team members. They must also reach out to clients through calls, correspondence, or face-to-face interaction to offer products and services, discuss specifications, secure sales, process payments, and perform follow-up calls. Moreover, a client engagement specialist must answer inquiries and address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently.
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Customer Specialist
Average Salary: $38,371
A customer specialist is responsible for assisting customers with their needs and concerns about the products and services offered by the company, addressing their inquiries timely and accurately. Customer specialists evaluate the customers’ issues and provide immediate solutions through remote communication. In some cases, a customer specialist may send technical staff to the customer’s location for problems that cannot be resolved over the phone or e-mail. They also take orders from the customers, process their payments, and explain the features and functions of the product.
Below is a full table of the average pay for various customer service specialist that pay the most followed by a more detailed explanation of our methodology.
Highest-Paying Types Of Customer Service Specialists
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 specialists.
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 Specialist Jobs FAQs
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What is the highest-paid customer service specialist job?
The highest-paid customer service specialist 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 specialist?
A good salary for a customer service specialist is $33,238 or more. The average customer service specialist salary is $33,238, so those making at least $33,238 are earning above-average paychecks.
Keep in mind, however, that the average customer service specialist 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 specialist, the average entry level salary is $20,143, so don’t base your opinion of your salary on the $33,238 average, as this includes all customer service specialists of all skill and experience levels.
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Do Customer Service Specialist jobs pay well?
No, customer service specialist jobs don’t pay well. As in any industry, some customer service specialist jobs pay better than others, but the average customer service specialist salary of $33,238 is times the average national salary of about $44,225 per year.
In addition to this, many customer service specialist jobs have high earning potential, with the top 10% of customer service specialists earning $51,947 a year on average.
Customer Service Specialists’ 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 specialist. Do your research on the going rate for a customer service specialist 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 specialists get paid the most?
Customer Service Specialists get paid the most in Connecticut. In Connecticut, customer service specialists earn an average annual salary of $37,946 and an average hourly wage of $18.24.
Following CT, the states with the highest-paid customer service specialists are New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, with average annual salaries of $38,515, $35,427, and $39,302 respectively.
The cities with the highest-paid customer service specialist salaries are:
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Boston, MA – $39,336
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Richmond, CA – $39,109
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Olympia, WA – $36,587
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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.
