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Customer support specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Usually, customer support specialists don't need a college education. The most common degree for customer support specialists is bachelor's degree with 49% graduates, with only 22% customer support specialist graduates earning associate degree. Customer support specialists who decided to graduate from college often finish University of Phoenix or Strayer University. Some good skills to have in this position include customer support, phone calls and compassion.

Popular customer support specialist certifications include Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS), or Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM). To improve customer support specialist qualification and skills, we prepared some online courses to help in customer support specialist education paths.

What education do you need to become a customer support specialist?

What degree do you need to be a customer support specialist?

The most common degree for customer support specialists is bachelor's degree, with 49% of customer support specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 22% and associate degree degree at 16%.
  • Bachelor's, 49%
  • Associate, 22%
  • High School Diploma, 16%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a customer support specialist?

You should major in business to become a customer support specialist. 32% of customer support specialists major in business. Other common majors for a customer support specialist include psychology and communication.

Best majors for customer support specialists

RankMajorPercentages
1Business32.0%
2Psychology6.4%
3Communication6.2%
4General Studies5.1%
5Computer Science4.7%

20 best online courses for customer support specialists

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1. Customer Service Fundamentals

coursera

There are a growing number of exciting, well-paying jobs in today’s tech industry that do not require a traditional college degree, an one of the hottest areas with high demand is in IT customer service and support. Customer Service is a perfect entry point to start your career in IT, with a multitude of job openings ranging from onsite or remote help desk work to customer care or client support. We can help you get there with the Customer Service Fundamentals course. We will help you to build...

2. Introduction to Technical Support

coursera

Technical Support professionals are in great demand! This is the first course in the IBM IT Support Professional Certificate program, designed to prepare you for a rewarding career in technical support. You will begin this self-paced course by learning what Informational Technology (IT) support is all about. You'll find out the roles and responsibilities of Technical Support professionals and become familiar with all the different career paths you can take in Technical Support. You will also...

3. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience

udemy
4.6
(2,666)

Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...

4. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives

udemy
4.5
(941)

Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...

5. Akamai Customer Consulting and Support

coursera

Are you interested in end-to-end project management? Want to deliver the best solutions to our customers while collaborating with teams from all over the world? You will never stop learning in this fast-moving environment and across our cutting-edge technologies. This beginner level certificate is designed to provide you with in-demand skills that range from internet technology fundamentals, networking, operating systems and problem solving techniques.\n\nThis certificate program consists of...

6. Create Customer Support Data with Google Sheets

coursera

By the end of this project, you will create a Google Sheet that transforms a business’s raw customer support data into a useful data set that provides the business with an overview of past support requirements. You will be able to determine which areas of the business are exceeding standards and which departments are performing below standard. This course will include an introduction to Google Sheets, how to leverage formulas, how to link multiple tabs, and how to utilize Google Sheets to...

7. Customer Service Foundation

udemy
4.5
(290)

An introductory course about understanding the foundations of Customer Service...

8. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer

udemy
4.7
(18,204)

Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...

9. Start Improving Customer Service

udemy
4.8
(2,040)

Creating a Customer Service advantage in Your department or business through communication and Customer Management...

10. Brilliant Customer Service: How to Impress your Customers!

udemy
4.7
(12,891)

Enhance your customer support and truly differentiate yourself from your competition!...

11. [2023] Customer Service 2.0: Learn Digital Customer Service

udemy
4.5
(3,956)

Used by Chase®, Intel®, & more! Learn soft skills, social media customer service, diagnosing user problems, & more...

12. Customer Service

udemy
4.6
(11,267)

How to Approach New Customers and Maintain Existing Ones...

13. Customer Service Training: Dealing with Difficult Customers

udemy
4.5
(1,035)

Learn how to deal with difficult customers Master customer relationship management Gain conflict management skills...

14. The Customer: Build a Customer Service Strategy (BITE SIZE)

udemy
4.5
(10,168)

For you and your team to be successful in providing great customer service, start by putting your customer first...

15. Zendesk for Customer Service Agents Training Course

udemy
4.6
(1,065)

How to provide great customer support using Zendesk, a course for beginners...

16. Customer Service Fundamentals: Putting People First

udemy
4.4
(313)

Customer Care Listening Great Customer Service Concern for Others Company Culture Engaging People Responding...

17. Customer Service: 6 Keys To Exceptional Customer Service

udemy
4.6
(601)

Master Customer Satisfaction & Astonish Your Customers With A+ Customer Service...

18. Customer Service Success: Take Your Skills to the Next Level

udemy
4.5
(2,276)

3-in-1 Customer Service Training: Levels 1, 2, 3 Improve Your Soft Communication Skills, Customer Support & Experience...

19. Dealing With Angry Customers

udemy
4.3
(254)

Skills and Techniques for Handling Most Customer Situations...

20. Your Customer Service Toolbox: Best Practices for Beginners

udemy
4.5
(4,101)

Excel as a front-line customer service agent using problem-solving & relationship-building skills, etiquette, and more...

Average customer support specialist salary by education level

According to our data, customer support specialists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $48,317 annually. Customer support specialists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $45,900.
Customer support specialist education levelCustomer support specialist salary
Master's Degree$48,317
High School Diploma or Less$38,985
Bachelor's Degree$45,900
Some College/ Associate Degree$40,745

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.

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