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The differences between contact agents and call center agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a contact agent and a call center agent. Additionally, a call center agent has an average salary of $31,180, which is higher than the $28,301 average annual salary of a contact agent.
The top three skills for a contact agent include customer service, phone calls and patients. The most important skills for a call center agent are customer service, strong customer service, and data entry.
| Contact Agent | Call Center Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $28,301 | $31,180 |
| Hourly rate | $13.61 | $14.99 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 209,089 | 131,722 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | High School Diploma, 35% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Contact agents are customer service professionals who handle emails, phone calls, and live chat messages. The agents assist customers with order inquiries, bills and payments, and support questions and complaints. These agents deal with technical support, inbound and outbound sales, and appointment bookings. They must ensure to handle an appropriate number of calls per day, resolve calls on the primary contact or refer them to the correct department, and log the call accurately against the customer's account.
A call center agent is responsible for answering calls and assisting clients by responding to inquiries. They also handle complaints and resolve issues, troubleshoot errors, and process applications. The tasks of a call center agent will vary on the directives of supervisors. There are instances when they must make calls to gather or give information, sell products, and discuss a particular subject. Furthermore, most of the duties take place in a team setting, which is why it is essential to coordinate with colleagues and adhere to the company's policies and regulations at all times.
Contact agents and call center agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contact Agent | Call Center Agent | |
| Average salary | $28,301 | $31,180 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $36,000 | Between $23,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | Milwaukee, WI | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Minnesota |
| Best paying company | Idaho Central Credit Union | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a contact agent and a call center agent in terms of educational background:
| Contact Agent | Call Center Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | High School Diploma, 35% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between contact agents' and call center agents' demographics:
| Contact Agent | Call Center Agent | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.4% Female, 66.6% | Male, 30.8% Female, 69.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 6.6% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 21.0% Asian, 5.9% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |