Post job

What is a call center technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted expert
Kate Marek Ph.D.
introduction image

A call center technician provides technical support and assistance to customers via phone, email, or chat. They troubleshoot and resolve issues related to products or services offered by the company they work for. Their responsibilities include diagnosing technical problems, providing solutions, and documenting customer interactions. Call center technicians must possess excellent communication skills, patience, and technical knowledge to assist customers effectively. They may also be required to escalate complex issues to higher-level support teams.

What general advice would you give to a call center technician?

Kate Marek Ph.D.Kate Marek Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Director and Professor, Dominican University

Choose an organization in tune with one's values. Look for a job in growth areas, such as data asset management, data analysis, etc.
ScoreCall Center TechnicianUS Average
Salary
2.7

Avg. Salary $34,630

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.7

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.41%

Asian 10.55%

Black or African American 11.24%

Hispanic or Latino 16.47%

Unknown 5.39%

White 55.94%

Gender

female 43.50%

male 56.50%

Age - 41
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 - 41
Stress level
6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
7.4

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a call center technician?

Pros

  • Opportunity to learn about different products and services

  • Chance to improve communication and problem-solving skills

  • Competitive salary and benefits packages

  • Opportunities for bonuses or commission based on performance

  • Ability to work from home in some cases

Cons

  • High-stress job due to high call volume and customer demands

  • Limited opportunities for creativity or independent decision-making

  • May require working long hours, weekends, or holidays

  • Strict adherence to scripts and protocols can feel restrictive or impersonal

  • Constant monitoring and evaluation can feel invasive or stressful

Call center technician career paths

Key steps to become a call center technician

  1. Explore call center technician education requirements

    Most common call center technician degrees

    Bachelor's

    35.5 %

    Associate

    29.3 %

    High School Diploma

    20.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific call center technician skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Center Management31.62%
    Patients7.85%
    Technical Support5.49%
    Phone Calls5.34%
    Customer Service4.98%
  3. Complete relevant call center technician training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New call center technicians 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 technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real call center technician resumes.
  4. Research call center technician duties and responsibilities

    • Manage backups, replications and disaster recovery plans of company mission critical servers and database files to ensure redundancy.
    • Test equipment (servers, PCs, laptops, peripherals, telephony).
    • Provide local support for PCs, servers, mainframes, and web base applications.
    • Maintain and monitor the security of the wireless LAN on the 802.11b Cisco environment.
  5. Prepare your call center technician resume

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

    Build a professional call center technician 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 technician resume.
    Call Center Technician Resume
    Call Center Technician Resume
    Call Center Technician Resume
    Call Center Technician Resume
    Call Center Technician Resume
    Call Center Technician Resume
    Call Center Technician Resume
    Call Center Technician Resume
    Call Center Technician Resume
  6. Apply for call center technician jobs

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

Zippi

Are you a call center technician?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average call center technician salary

The average call center technician salary in the United States is $34,630 per year or $17 per hour. Call center technician salaries range between $22,000 and $52,000 per year.

Average call center technician salary
$34,630 Yearly
$16.65 hourly

What am I worth?

salary-calculator

How do call center technicians rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Call center technician reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2023
Pros

You get to help a lot of people in many different ways as well as learning new things about technology

Cons

I have aids now due to the painfulness of sitting down all day


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2020
Pros

I decided to go to technical support because I've been fascinated by technology all my life and I love working with the people as well. I want to use my technical know-how to solve directly the problems that customers have. I want to be the person who makes life easier and more enjoyable for people who have had a problem. This is what I like most as a technical Support.

Cons

I don't like sitting around being inactive. So I'll keep my self always busy


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020
Pros

I enjoy the challenges and learning new things . Technology is always evolving.

Cons

Customer is unwilling to provide you with necessary information in order to assist them.


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

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 computer and mathematical jobs