Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between call center agents and virtual assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a call center agent, becoming a virtual assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a virtual assistant has an average salary of $39,915, which is higher than the $31,180 average annual salary of a call center agent.
The top three skills for a call center agent include customer service, strong customer service and data entry. The most important skills for a virtual assistant are data entry, customer service, and email management.
| Call Center Agent | Virtual Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $31,180 | $39,915 |
| Hourly rate | $14.99 | $19.19 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 131,722 | 49,508 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 40 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A call center agent is responsible for answering calls and assisting clients by responding to inquiries. They also handle complaints and resolve issues, troubleshoot errors, and process applications. The tasks of a call center agent will vary on the directives of supervisors. There are instances when they must make calls to gather or give information, sell products, and discuss a particular subject. Furthermore, most of the duties take place in a team setting, which is why it is essential to coordinate with colleagues and adhere to the company's policies and regulations at all times.
Virtual Assistants are remote workers who work with clients that need assistance. They usually do administrative or clerical activities such as managing soft copies of a document, writing e-mail correspondences, managing calendars, scheduling appointments, and other activities. They manage the e-mail of their clients and respond to inquiries and other messages. They also manage phone calls by answering calls, taking messages, and dialing for their clients. Virtual Assistants may also be asked to handle travel-related tasks of their clients, such as creating itineraries, booking flights, and booking hotels.
Call center agents and virtual assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Call Center Agent | Virtual Assistant | |
| Average salary | $31,180 | $39,915 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $41,000 | Between $29,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Minnesota | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | IBM |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Professional |
There are a few differences between a call center agent and a virtual assistant in terms of educational background:
| Call Center Agent | Virtual Assistant | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between call center agents' and virtual assistants' demographics:
| Call Center Agent | Virtual Assistant | |
| Average age | 40 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.8% Female, 69.2% | Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 21.0% Asian, 5.9% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |