Post job

What is a call center representative and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
introduction image

A call center representative receives and makes phone calls on behalf of a company or organization. They answer questions, resolve complaints, and process orders. Call center representatives use communication skills and often need to multitask. They may follow a script or operating procedures and need to use computer systems when accessing customer information. The high volume of calls and occasional difficult customers can make the job stressful, but providing help to others can also feel rewarding.

ScoreCall Center RepresentativeUS Average
Salary
2.5

Avg. Salary $31,549

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.9

Growth rate -4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
9.3
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.68%

Asian 6.13%

Black or African American 11.71%

Hispanic or Latino 20.57%

Unknown 5.19%

White 55.73%

Gender

female 72.61%

male 27.39%

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 representative?

Pros

  • Job stability and security

  • Opportunities for overtime or extra hours

  • Regular bonuses or incentives

  • Paid vacation time and benefits

  • Flexible schedules

Cons

  • Repetitive nature of the job can lead to boredom and burnout

  • Working during non-standard hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays

  • Difficult to balance work-life balance due to long shifts and unpredictable schedules

  • Low pay and limited benefits for entry-level positions

  • Office politics and drama among coworkers and management

Call center representative career paths

Key steps to become a call center representative

  1. Explore call center representative education requirements

    Most common call center representative degrees

    High School Diploma

    37.1 %

    Bachelor's

    25.5 %

    Associate

    20.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific call center representative skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Strong Customer Service79.98%
    Customer Service3.90%
    Patients2.44%
    Data Entry2.08%
    Troubleshoot0.93%
  3. Complete relevant call center representative training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New call center representatives 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 representative based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real call center representative resumes.
  4. Research call center representative duties and responsibilities

    • Manage Facebook and patient communication programs.
    • Provide member eligibility and referral status information to patients adhering to HIPAA guidelines.
    • Follow all current Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurance regulations and requirements to ensure continual compliance.
    • Document all relevant information regarding patients and providers while abiding by all HIPAA and associate patient confidentially requirements.
  5. Prepare your call center representative resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your call center representative 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 representative 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 representative resume templates

    Build a professional call center representative 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 representative resume.
    Call Center Representative Resume
    Call Center Representative Resume
    Call Center Representative Resume
    Call Center Representative Resume
    Call Center Representative Resume
    Call Center Representative Resume
    Call Center Representative Resume
    Call Center Representative Resume
    Call Center Representative Resume
    Call Center Representative Resume
    Call Center Representative Resume
    Call Center Representative Resume
    Call Center Representative Resume
    Call Center Representative Resume
    Call Center Representative Resume
    Call Center Representative Resume
  6. Apply for call center representative jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a call center representative 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 representative job

Zippi

Are you a call center representative?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average call center representative salary

The average call center representative salary in the United States is $31,549 per year or $15 per hour. Call center representative salaries range between $25,000 and $39,000 per year.

Average call center representative salary
$31,549 Yearly
$15.17 hourly

What am I worth?

salary-calculator

How do call center representatives rate their job?

3/5

Based on 2 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Call center representative reviews

profile
2.0
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


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2022
Cons

I don't like when a rep or a consumer are not interested in a solution, but are only interested in venting. Although, venting maybe just what the consumer needed.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020
Pros

Caring to the customer issues is what I do like first and the other thing it is a job that show determination level on the duty.


Working as a call center representative? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall rating*
Career growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Call center representative FAQs

Search for call center representative jobs

Call center representative jobs by state

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.

Browse office and administrative jobs