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The differences between call center specialists and call center representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a call center specialist and a call center representative. Additionally, a call center specialist has an average salary of $33,289, which is higher than the $31,549 average annual salary of a call center representative.
The top three skills for a call center specialist include strong customer service, patients and customer service. The most important skills for a call center representative are strong customer service, customer service, and patients.
| Call Center Specialist | Call Center Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $33,289 | $31,549 |
| Hourly rate | $16.00 | $15.17 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 228,936 | 133,579 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | High School Diploma, 37% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A call center specialist is responsible for providing the customers with the highest quality service by responding to their inquiries and concerns and resolving their complaints. Call center specialists assist the customers in taking their orders, processing payments, and verifying transaction details. They may also sell new goods and services to the customers according to their needs and budget limitations to generate more revenue resources for the business and enhance the brand's image. A call center specialist must have excellent communication and computer skills to navigate databases and update customer's information accurately.
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.
Call center specialists and call center representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Call Center Specialist | Call Center Representative | |
| Average salary | $33,289 | $31,549 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $43,000 | Between $25,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Hospice of Marion County | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a call center specialist and a call center representative in terms of educational background:
| Call Center Specialist | Call Center Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | High School Diploma, 37% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between call center specialists' and call center representatives' demographics:
| Call Center Specialist | Call Center Representative | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.7% Female, 69.3% | Male, 27.4% Female, 72.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 6.4% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% Asian, 6.1% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |