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The differences between service agents and customer service desks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a service agent and a customer service desk. Additionally, a customer service desk has an average salary of $34,599, which is higher than the $29,769 average annual salary of a service agent.
The top three skills for a service agent include regular maintenance, customer service and credit card. The most important skills for a customer service desk are service desk, customer service, and strong customer service.
| Service Agent | Customer Service Desk | |
| Yearly salary | $29,769 | $34,599 |
| Hourly rate | $14.31 | $16.63 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 218,795 | 233,256 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
The responsibilities of working in a customer service desk primarily revolves around ensuring customer satisfaction by responding to their inquiries and concerns. There are instances when it is required to provide directions, locate products, make reservations, and resolve various issues. There may also be administrative tasks such as handling and making calls, assisting customers in filling out forms, preparing paperwork and reports, arranging records, and coordinating with various staff members to ensure that a customer receives quality service.
Service agents and customer service desks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Service Agent | Customer Service Desk | |
| Average salary | $29,769 | $34,599 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $38,000 | Between $25,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Atwater, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Vestas Blades America | SAIC |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a service agent and a customer service desk in terms of educational background:
| Service Agent | Customer Service Desk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between service agents' and customer service desks' demographics:
| Service Agent | Customer Service Desk | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.5% Female, 38.5% | Male, 28.8% Female, 71.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% Asian, 6.7% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.3% Asian, 6.5% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |