How to hire a service agent

Service agent hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring service agents in the United States:

The median cost to hire a service agent is $1,633.
It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
Small businesses spend $1,105 per service agent on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
There are a total of 26,496 service agents in the US, and there are currently 218,795 job openings in this field.
Chicago, IL, has the highest demand for service agents, with 15 job openings.

How to hire a service agent, step by step

To hire a service agent, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a service agent, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step service agent hiring guide:

Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
Step 3: Make a budget
Step 4: Write a service agent job description
Step 5: Post your job
Step 6: Interview candidates
Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new service agent
Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a service agent do?

A service agent is an individual whose primary function is to provide a friendly service to internal and external customers about the organization's products and services. An agent should be people-oriented, highly motivated with a positive and friendly attitude. Although an agent usually works in a call center, an agent can communicate in various ways, such as the telephone or often face to face. The minimum educational requirement of being a service agent is a high school diploma; however, the customer service experience is a plus.

Learn more about the specifics of what a service agent does

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Identify your hiring needs

The service agent hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

Determine employee vs contractor status

Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

A service agent's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, service agents from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

The following list breaks down different types of service agents and their corresponding salaries.

Type of Service Agent	Description	Hourly rate
Service Agent	Customer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services.	$10-18
Bilingual Customer Service	In bilingual customer service, a representative specializes in responding to calls using English or another foreign language that the customer prefers. Among their primary responsibilities include assisting customers and addressing any inquiries, concerns, or issues that they may raise... Show more	$12-18
Customer Service Professional	A customer service professional is responsible for providing the highest customer service by responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns, resolving complaints, and updating the customers of goods and services for generating revenues and profitability to the company. Customer service professionals process order transactions, administering payment plans and adjusting service features in meeting customers' needs... Show more	$12-40

Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:
- Regular Maintenance
- Customer Service
- Credit Card
- Quality Standards
- PET
- Car Washes
- Telephone Calls
- Life Insurance
- Stain Removal
- Inbound Calls
- Vehicle Exterior
- Computer System
- Outbound Calls
- Body Damage
Check all skills
Responsibilities:
- Educate veterans and the college community on veteran's benefits and academic requirements need to accomplish academic goals.
- Work with technical support or various production departments as needed to effectively troubleshoot, analyze and resolve software issues.
- Answer billing inquiries, collect payments, sell products and troubleshoot customer's cable, high speed internet and phone issues.
- Inspect passenger identification and travel documents and process passenger baggage while following FAA and SCA guidelines.
- Maintain highly sensitive patient records following HIPAA compliance; utilize appropriate medical terminology of the specific environment.
- Enforce safety/security measures to protect sensitive zones, ensure FAA, ADA company and airport regulations/policies/procedures are follow.
More service agent duties

Make a budget

Including a salary range in your service agent job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A service agent salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

For example, the average salary for a service agent in Mississippi may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level service agent usually earns less than a senior-level service agent. Additionally, a service agent with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

Average service agent salary

$14.31hourly

$29,769 yearly

Entry-level service agent salary

$22,000 yearly salary

Updated January 21, 2026

Average service agent salary by state

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Massachusetts	$37,005	$18
2	Maine	$34,634	$17
3	New York	$32,652	$16
4	Maryland	$31,172	$15
5	California	$30,734	$15
6	Wisconsin	$29,149	$14
7	Minnesota	$29,073	$14
8	Colorado	$28,637	$14
9	Washington	$28,454	$14
10	Illinois	$27,984	$13
11	Utah	$27,157	$13
12	North Carolina	$26,934	$13
13	Oregon	$26,889	$13
14	Texas	$26,792	$13
15	North Dakota	$26,452	$13
16	Kansas	$26,349	$13
17	Indiana	$26,268	$13
18	Missouri	$26,037	$13
19	Nevada	$25,925	$12
20	Georgia	$25,518	$12

Average service agent salary by company

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
1	Vestas Blades America	$43,648	$20.98	1
2	Chicago State University	$42,832	$20.59
3	Idaho Central Credit Union	$39,287	$18.89
4	GEICO	$37,897	$18.22	92
5	HUB International	$36,952	$17.77	21
6	Univest Financial Corporation	$36,551	$17.57	9
7	Aspen Snowmass	$36,478	$17.54	6
8	Farmers Insurance	$36,389	$17.49	221
9	Church Mutual Insurance	$36,135	$17.37
10	Interactive Brokers	$35,676	$17.15	8
11	BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee	$35,596	$17.11	4
12	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$35,418	$17.03	1
13	CarMax	$34,980	$16.82	115
14	Progressive	$34,897	$16.78
15	Hackensack Meridian Health	$34,841	$16.75	16
16	ARUP Laboratories	$34,318	$16.50	2
17	Fidelity National Information Solutions	$33,438	$16.08	4
18	HEI Hotels & Resorts	$33,352	$16.03	42
19	Mattel	$33,001	$15.87	1
20	ICONMA	$32,946	$15.84

Writing a service agent job description
A good service agent job description should include a few things:
- Summary of the role
- List of responsibilities
- Required skills and experience
Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a service agent job description:
Service agent job description example
What makes DHL great? Our People! We know each employee's individual contributions make us the #1 Express Delivery and Logistics Company in the world.

Distinguished as No. 1 World's Best Workplace™ by Great Place to Work and Fortune Magazine

DHL Express is committed to maintaining an environment that empowers every team member to make the greatest possible impact on our business. Our corporate culture is about personal commitment - to our business, to each other and to our global communities. DHL is dedicated to being a great place to work. In addition to competitive compensation packages, our employees enjoy a range of programs, services and benefits that bring the best to their personal lives.

Start YOUR career with DHL today…

DHL Express is currently hiring for a Casual (on Call) Servic e Agent at our station in our new West Denver, CO locaiton . Operation Agents provide operational management and support at service center location to ensure efficient and timely pick-up and delivery handling of customer materials and shipments. This position will also ensures compliance with safety, security, regulatory, and company policies.

The shift for this position is Monday through Friday 10:30am to 4:30pm.

Key Responsibilities:
- Provides customer service, sales and operational support for the Service Center
- Answers phone and greets visitors
- Resolves billing problems in relation to the Service Center
- Researches shipment tracking requests and provides feedback; attempts to resolve misplaced shipments
- Communicates with Sales/Service to resolve customer problems
- Assists with operational procedures including sorting, loading/unloading activities, shipment processing and documentation, manifesting, bagging, sending shipment status information, and accepting/securing over-the-counter payments
- Dispatches pick-up and delivery information in a timely and efficient manner; arranges daily pick-up schedules
- May process or prepare import/export documentation and assist in the customs clearance process in some markets
Post your job
To find service agents for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:
- Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
- Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any service agents they would recommend.
- Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level service agents with the right educational background.
- Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
Post your job online:
- Post your service agent job on Zippia to find and recruit service agent candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
Recruiting service agents requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.
You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Send a job offer and onboard your new service agent
Once you've decided on a perfect service agent candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.
You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.
After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new service agent. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.
Go through the hiring process checklist
- Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
- Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
- Define job responsibilities and requirements
- Establish budget and timeline
- Determine hiring decision makers for the role
- Write job description
- Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
- Promote the job internally
- Process applications through applicant tracking system
- Review resumes and cover letters
- Shortlist candidates for screening
- Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
- Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
- Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
- Conduct background checks on top candidates
- Check references of top candidates
- Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
- Extend offer to top candidate(s)
- Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
- Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
- Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
- Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a service agent?

Before you start to hire service agents, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire service agents pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

You can expect to pay around $29,769 per year for a service agent, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for service agents in the US typically range between $10 and $18 an hour.

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Updated January 21, 2026

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How to hire a service agent