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The differences between call center specialists and office specialists 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 specialist, becoming an office specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an office specialist has an average salary of $33,477, which is higher than the $33,289 average annual salary of a call center specialist.
The top three skills for a call center specialist include strong customer service, patients and customer service. The most important skills for an office specialist are customer service, data entry, and patients.
| Call Center Specialist | Office Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $33,289 | $33,477 |
| Hourly rate | $16.00 | $16.09 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 228,936 | 98,760 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
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.
An office specialist is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support the organization's daily operations. Office specialists must be highly organizational, as well as having excellent time-management skills to handle work units. They have duties including data entry procedures, greeting visitors, responding to customers' inquiries through phone calls and e-mails, and filing and sorting documents. Office specialists are responsible for creating meeting reports, scheduling appointments, evaluating financial statements, coordinating with other staff for event planning, and assisting the senior management with complex functions.
Call center specialists and office specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Call Center Specialist | Office Specialist | |
| Average salary | $33,289 | $33,477 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $43,000 | Between $25,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Hospice of Marion County | Brookhaven National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a call center specialist and an office specialist in terms of educational background:
| Call Center Specialist | Office Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between call center specialists' and office specialists' demographics:
| Call Center Specialist | Office Specialist | |
| Average age | 40 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.7% Female, 69.3% | Male, 18.3% Female, 81.7% |
| 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, 8.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 8.4% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |