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The differences between call agents and customer service technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a call agent and a customer service technician. Additionally, a customer service technician has an average salary of $36,757, which is higher than the $28,192 average annual salary of a call agent.
The top three skills for a call agent include customer service, inbound calls and telephone calls. The most important skills for a customer service technician are basic math, math, and pathogens.
| Call Agent | Customer Service Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $28,192 | $36,757 |
| Hourly rate | $13.55 | $17.67 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 208,872 | 282,953 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A call agent works at call centers where they are primarily in charge of handling inbound and outbound calls. They are usually responsible for offering products and services to clients, answering questions, discussing product specifications, arranging payment plans, and negotiating contracts, building positive relationships in the process. They may also handle complaints, troubleshoot issues, provide step-by-step instructions, and refer them to other services when necessary. Moreover, a call agent maintains records of all transactions and produces detailed reports, coordinating with managers regularly.
A customer service technician is professional personnel who answers calls and helps customers address technical problems and often travels to homes or businesses in order to repair or maintain products. He/She interacts with his/her customers through phone, face to face, by email, or live chat and provides information about the products that he/she maintains. A customer service technician requires to attain a high school diploma and may need talents such as communication and listening skills.
Call agents and customer service technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Call Agent | Customer Service Technician | |
| Average salary | $28,192 | $36,757 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $35,000 | Between $27,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Newark, DE |
| Highest paying state | New York | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Chewy | GAVS Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a call agent and a customer service technician in terms of educational background:
| Call Agent | Customer Service Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 33% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between call agents' and customer service technicians' demographics:
| Call Agent | Customer Service Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.4% Female, 66.6% | Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.4% Asian, 6.7% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.7% Asian, 6.7% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |