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What is a call center associate and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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A call center associate is a customer service representative who handles inbound or outbound calls on behalf of a company. They provide assistance, answer inquiries, resolve complaints, and process orders. Call center associates use phone, email, chat, and social media to interact with customers. They must be able to multitask, work efficiently under pressure, and possess excellent communication and problem-solving skills. A call center associate plays a vital role in ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty.

ScoreCall Center AssociateUS Average
Salary
2.5

Avg. Salary $31,363

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.9

Growth rate -4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
9.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.71%

Asian 6.31%

Black or African American 11.31%

Hispanic or Latino 19.29%

Unknown 5.31%

White 57.06%

Gender

female 64.99%

male 35.01%

Age - 39
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39
Stress level
5.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.6

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.5

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a call center associate?

Pros

  • Opportunity to improve communication skills

  • Potential for career growth

  • Paid training provided

  • Health benefits and other perks offered by some companies

  • Bonuses and incentives for meeting performance metrics

Cons

  • Strict adherence to scripts and protocols can be limiting

  • Low pay in some cases

  • Limited ability to take breaks during busy periods

  • Limited opportunity for creativity or autonomy in solving problems

  • Repetitive tasks can lead to physical strain and injury.

Call center associate career paths

Key steps to become a call center associate

  1. Explore call center associate education requirements

    Most common call center associate degrees

    Bachelor's

    38.9 %

    Associate

    23.6 %

    High School Diploma

    23.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific call center associate skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients16.95%
    Inbound Calls12.58%
    Customer Service11.68%
    Strong Customer Service9.16%
    Data Entry6.78%
  3. Complete relevant call center associate training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New call center associates learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a call center associate based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real call center associate resumes.
  4. Research call center associate duties and responsibilities

    • Register patient callers by gathering clinical information relate to patients concerns.
    • Demonstrate superb organizational and multitasking abilities
    • Unload FTL and LTL shipments daily and receive items throughout the warehouse.
    • Assign carriers to LTL shipments before cutoff times and handle customer inquiries.
  5. Prepare your call center associate resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your call center associate resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a call center associate resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable call center associate resume templates

    Build a professional call center associate resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your call center associate resume.
    Call Center Associate Resume
    Call Center Associate Resume
    Call Center Associate Resume
    Call Center Associate Resume
    Call Center Associate Resume
    Call Center Associate Resume
    Call Center Associate Resume
    Call Center Associate Resume
    Call Center Associate Resume
  6. Apply for call center associate jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a call center associate job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first call center associate job

Zippi

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Average call center associate salary

The average call center associate salary in the United States is $31,363 per year or $15 per hour. Call center associate salaries range between $22,000 and $43,000 per year.

Average call center associate salary
$31,363 Yearly
$15.08 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do call center associates rate their job?

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Call center associate reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2024
Pros

remote job, more schedule flexibility

Cons

very low salary, no career growth, very stressful and not rewarding


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A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2022
Cons

Sometimes I had to finish up job tasks that were assigned to others that were not completed.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Pros

Getting to know the people and the you work.with

Cons

Being required to answer a minimum number of calls a day. This pushes the idea that the caller is a number and as such, it is more difficult to personalize the call the the person calling in


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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