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How to hire a call center representative

Call center representative hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring call center representatives in the United States:

  • There are a total of 397,272 call center representatives in the US, and there are currently 133,579 job openings in this field.
  • The median cost to hire a call center representative is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per call center representative on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Dallas, TX, has the highest demand for call center representatives, with 57 job openings.

How to hire a call center representative, step by step

To hire a call center representative, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a call center representative:

Here's a step-by-step call center representative hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a call center representative job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new call center representative
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a call center representative do?

Call center representatives are employees who take customer calls in the company's contact center. They answer incoming calls related to their account. Call center representatives are trained on the company's products, policies, and guidelines. They are expected to know the ins and outs of every company product under their account before they are assigned to the operations floor. Once they are deemed efficient enough to handle calls, they begin to take customer inquiries and try to resolve them during the call. Call center representatives are expected to follow company policies and procedures and to meet the goals set by the company.

Learn more about the specifics of what a call center representative does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you start hiring a call center representative, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    Hiring the perfect call center representative also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

    Here's a comparison of call center representative salaries for various roles:

    Type of Call Center RepresentativeDescriptionHourly rate
    Call Center RepresentativeCustomer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services.$12-18
    Customer Relations RepresentativeA customer relations representative is responsible for providing the highest customer service by interacting with customers to respond to their inquiries and concerns, process their requests, and resolve their complaints. Customer relations representatives assist the customers with their needs by offering products and services according to their requirements and budget limitations... Show more$13-24
    Business RepresentativeTypically working as a member of a company's sales team, a business representative offers products and services to customers through appointments or calls and correspondence, securing sales and customer satisfaction. Among their responsibilities include answering inquiries, processing payments, assisting clients in filling out forms, negotiating contracts, developing sales strategies, researching new business and client opportunities, and producing sales reports... Show more$17-35
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Strong Customer Service
    • Customer Service
    • Patients
    • Data Entry
    • Troubleshoot
    • Inbound Phone Calls
    • Health Insurance
    • Customer Interaction
    • Schedule Appointments
    • Telephone Calls
    • Call Handling
    • Computer System
    • Credit Card
    • HIPAA
    Check all skills
    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.
    • Navigate several screens and windows.
    • Install windows, doors, cabinets, flooring.
    More call center representative duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your call center representative job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A call center representative can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, call center representatives' average salary in mississippi is 39% less than in washington.
    • Seniority. Entry-level call center representatives 36% less than senior-level call center representatives.
    • Certifications. A call center representative with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a call center representative's salary.

    Average call center representative salary

    $15.17hourly

    $31,549 yearly

    Entry-level call center representative salary
    $25,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 18, 2025

    Average call center representative salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Washington$39,901$19
    2Hawaii$37,352$18
    3Minnesota$36,682$18
    4Massachusetts$35,413$17
    5Oregon$35,393$17
    6California$35,299$17
    7Wisconsin$34,517$17
    8New York$34,508$17
    9New Jersey$32,972$16
    10Illinois$32,627$16
    11Colorado$32,456$16
    12Maine$32,247$16
    13Maryland$31,731$15
    14Delaware$31,482$15
    15Arizona$31,418$15
    16Michigan$30,910$15
    17Pennsylvania$30,656$15
    18Iowa$30,571$15
    19Missouri$30,547$15
    20Ohio$30,532$15

    Average call center representative salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1University of California-Berkeley$42,444$20.41
    2University of California$40,319$19.3817
    3Uline$39,746$19.1111
    4National Grid plc$39,357$18.927
    5Affinity Credit Union$39,058$18.783
    6New York State Restaurant Association$38,592$18.55
    7Oregon Community Credit Union$38,561$18.54
    8GEICO$38,399$18.4631
    9Amica Insurance$38,394$18.465
    10Oregon Health & Science University$38,324$18.433
    11NW Natural$38,155$18.34
    12Homework$38,155$18.34
    13Long Island, FQHC, Inc$38,050$18.29
    14Genisys Credit Union$37,954$18.255
    15AEG$37,933$18.2414
    16Northrop Grumman$37,741$18.1412
    17Crawford & Company$37,719$18.138
    18Student Conservation Association$37,677$18.112
    19Arrowhead Credit Union$37,652$18.10
    20PMA Companies$37,604$18.08
  4. Writing a call center representative job description

    A call center representative job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a call center representative job description:

    Call center representative job description example


    At Providence, our strength lies in Our Promise of “Know me, care for me, ease my way.” Working at our family of organizations means that regardless of your role, we’ll walk alongside you in your career, supporting you so you can support others. We provide best-in-class benefits and we foster an inclusive workplace where diversity is valued, and everyone is essential, heard and respected. Together, our 120,000 caregivers (all employees) serve in over 50 hospitals, over 1,000 clinics and a full range of health and social services across Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington. As a comprehensive health care organization, we are serving more people, advancing best practices and continuing our more than 100-year tradition of serving the poor and vulnerable.


    About the Team


    Providence has a long history of serving Alaska, beginning when the Sisters of Providence first brought health care to Nome in 1902 during the Gold Rush. This pioneering spirit set the standard for modern health care in Alaska and formed the foundation for Providence's growth as the state's largest private employer and leading health care provider.


    Our award-winning and comprehensive medical centers are located in Anchorage, Eagle River, Kodiak Island, Mat-Su, Seward, and Valdez. Our not-for-profit network also provides a full spectrum of care with leading-edge diagnostics and treatment, outpatient health centers, physician groups and clinics, outreach programs, and hospice and home care.


    We are committed to the principle that every workforce member has the right to work in surroundings that are free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment.


    We are committed to cultural diversity and equal employment for all individuals. It is our policy to recruit, hire, promote, compensate, transfer, train, retain, terminate, and make all other employment-related decisions without regard to race, color, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin (including certain language use restrictions), ancestry, disability (mental and physical including HIV and AIDS), medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, age, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, and military and veteran status or any other applicable legally protected status. We will also provide reasonable accommodation to known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified caregiver or applicant for employment, unless the accommodation would impose undue hardship on the operation of our business.


    We are a community where all people, regardless of differences, are welcome, secure, and valued. We value respect, appreciation, collaboration, diversity, and a shared commitment to serving our communities. We expect that all workforce members in our community will act in ways which reflect a commitment to and accountability for, racial and social justice and equality in the workplace. As such, we will maintain a workplace free of discrimination and harassment based on any applicable legally protected status. We also expect that all workforce members will maintain a positive workplace free from any unacceptable conduct which creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.


    Requsition ID: 101516

    Company: Providence Jobs

    Job Category: Customer Service

    Job Function: Administration

    Job Schedule: Full time

    Job Shift: Variable

    Career Track: Admin Support

    Department: 1017 AK PAMC FOOD NUTRITION

    Address: AK Anchorage 3200 Providence Dr

    Providence is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Providence does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, disability, veteran, military status, religion, age, creed, national origin, sexual identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by local, state, or federal law.


  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find call center representatives for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your call center representative job on Zippia to find and recruit call center representative candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting call center representatives requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new call center representative

    Once you've decided on a perfect call center representative candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new call center representative. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a call center representative?

There are different types of costs for hiring call center representatives. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new call center representative employee.

The median annual salary for call center representatives is $31,549 in the US. However, the cost of call center representative hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a call center representative for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $12 and $18 an hour.

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