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The differences between customer support specialists 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 customer support specialist and a customer care associate. Additionally, a customer support specialist has an average salary of $39,470, which is higher than the $33,115 average annual salary of a customer care associate.
The top three skills for a customer support specialist include customer support, phone calls and compassion. The most important skills for a customer care associate are customer care, patients, and customer service.
| Customer Support Specialist | Customer Care Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $39,470 | $33,115 |
| Hourly rate | $18.98 | $15.92 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 259,592 | 250,296 |
| Job satisfaction | 1 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A customer support specialist is responsible for assisting a customer's inquiries and concerns regarding the goods and services the organization offers. Customer support specialists handle customer issues and resolve them promptly, escalating high-level complaints to the immediate supervisors. A support specialist will also replace products or process payment refunds as needed. Their goal is to maintain the highest customer satisfaction and keep a good reputation for the company while driving revenues and increasing profitability. A customer support specialist must have outstanding communication skills, as well as the ability to multi-task to record customer complaint cases while providing resolution.
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.
Customer support specialists and customer care associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Customer Support Specialist | Customer Care Associate | |
| Average salary | $39,470 | $33,115 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $55,000 | Between $24,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Diego, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Micron Technology | Centennial Bank |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a customer support specialist and a customer care associate in terms of educational background:
| Customer Support Specialist | Customer Care Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between customer support specialists' and customer care associates' demographics:
| Customer Support Specialist | Customer Care Associate | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.4% Female, 62.6% | Male, 30.1% Female, 69.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 7.2% White, 55.4% 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% |