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The differences between support agents and support representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a support agent, becoming a support representative takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a support agent has an average salary of $36,045, which is higher than the $33,372 average annual salary of a support representative.
The top three skills for a support agent include reservations, customer service and data entry. The most important skills for a support representative are patients, customer service, and troubleshoot.
| Support Agent | Support Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $36,045 | $33,372 |
| Hourly rate | $17.33 | $16.04 |
| Growth rate | 10% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 106,016 | 246,710 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
As the name entails, the job of a customer support agent is to provide excellent support and assistance to both new and existing customers. You will provide customers with information on products or services, oversee and resolve customer complaints, cancellations, errors, and other issues, assist in maintaining customer satisfaction and retention. Additionally, a customer support agent is responsible for encouraging customers to purchase a product or service and educating them about the product. You are also expected to accurately process emails and fax communications with customers.
The primary job of technical support representatives is to answer incoming calls and resolve customer problems or complaints related to computer hardware and software. They typically work in team environments and report directly to the technical department manager. Aside from answering phone calls, they also maintain the solutions database and respond to online chat requests and technical support emails. A successful technical support representative should have an in-depth knowledge of diagnosing and fixing computer problems, customer service skills, and problem-solving skills.
Support agents and support representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Support Agent | Support Representative | |
| Average salary | $36,045 | $33,372 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $59,000 | Between $26,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Hamilton, NJ | Santa Barbara, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Salesforce | Accenture |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a support agent and a support representative in terms of educational background:
| Support Agent | Support Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | - |
Here are the differences between support agents' and support representatives' demographics:
| Support Agent | Support Representative | |
| Average age | 42 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.2% Female, 52.8% | Male, 44.4% Female, 55.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 19.6% Asian, 7.0% White, 55.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 7% |