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The differences between contact agents and customer care associates 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 customer care associate. Additionally, a customer care associate has an average salary of $33,115, 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 customer care associate are customer care, patients, and customer service.
| Contact Agent | Customer Care Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $28,301 | $33,115 |
| Hourly rate | $13.61 | $15.92 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 209,089 | 250,296 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| 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 customer care associate's role focuses on providing customer support and service, ensuring optimal services and client satisfaction. Their responsibilities typically revolve around assisting walk-in customers by answering inquiries, offering recommendations or alternatives, and informing them of any promos or discounts. It is essential to devise strategies to identify customer needs, providing them as needed. Furthermore, a customer care associate may answer inquiries made through calls or correspondence, make reservations, handle complaints or concerns, and resolve them according to the company's policies and regulations.
Contact agents and customer care associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contact Agent | Customer Care Associate | |
| Average salary | $28,301 | $33,115 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $36,000 | Between $24,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Milwaukee, WI | San Diego, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Idaho Central Credit Union | Centennial Bank |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a contact agent and a customer care associate in terms of educational background:
| Contact Agent | Customer Care Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between contact agents' and customer care associates' demographics:
| Contact Agent | Customer Care Associate | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.4% Female, 66.6% | Male, 30.1% Female, 69.9% |
| 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, 12.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 6.7% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |