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The differences between call center technicians and call center representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a call center technician, becoming a call center representative takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a call center technician has an average salary of $34,630, which is higher than the $31,549 average annual salary of a call center representative.
The top three skills for a call center technician include center management, patients and technical support. The most important skills for a call center representative are strong customer service, customer service, and patients.
| Call Center Technician | Call Center Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $34,630 | $31,549 |
| Hourly rate | $16.65 | $15.17 |
| Growth rate | 10% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 117,083 | 133,579 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | High School Diploma, 37% |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A call center technician is someone who handles quality-wise communication, product representation, and customer support for clients. Call center technicians research issues related to call quality and documentation. They plan and assist in the installation of hardware, maintenance agreements, and software to maximize the compatibility, integration, and continuing operations of applications or systems. Also, they provide end-users with technical support and respond through telephone or email requests.
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 technicians and call center representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Call Center Technician | Call Center Representative | |
| Average salary | $34,630 | $31,549 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $52,000 | Between $25,000 And $39,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jacksonville, NC | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Washington |
| Best paying company | Ciena Healthcare | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a call center technician and a call center representative in terms of educational background:
| Call Center Technician | Call Center Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | High School Diploma, 37% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | - |
Here are the differences between call center technicians' and call center representatives' demographics:
| Call Center Technician | Call Center Representative | |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.5% Female, 43.5% | Male, 27.4% Female, 72.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 11% | 7% |