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The differences between call center associates 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 associate, 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 $31,363 average annual salary of a call center associate.
The top three skills for a call center associate include patients, inbound calls and customer service. The most important skills for a virtual assistant are data entry, customer service, and email management.
| Call Center Associate | Virtual Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $31,363 | $39,915 |
| Hourly rate | $15.08 | $19.19 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 198,167 | 49,508 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 40 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
Call center associates are professionals who are responsible for taking inbound and outbound customer calls and handle responsibilities that include account inquiries, customer complaints, or product and support issues. These associates are required to provide quality assistance and customer service so that they can receive positive reviews from their customers. They must assist customers with technical support issues, which include updating product documentation and training materials. Call center associates must also accurately identify their customers' needs and objectives so that they can achieve the organization's sales goals.
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 associates and virtual assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Call Center Associate | Virtual Assistant | |
| Average salary | $31,363 | $39,915 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $43,000 | Between $29,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Albany, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New York | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Spectrum | IBM |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Professional |
There are a few differences between a call center associate and a virtual assistant in terms of educational background:
| Call Center Associate | Virtual Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between call center associates' and virtual assistants' demographics:
| Call Center Associate | Virtual Assistant | |
| Average age | 40 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.0% Female, 65.0% | Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 6.3% White, 57.1% 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% |