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Career overview · SOC 43-4051

Customer Service Representatives

Interact with customers to provide basic or scripted information in response to routine inquiries about products and services. May handle and resolve general complaints. Excludes individuals whose duties are primarily installation, sales, repair, and technical support.

Also called: Account Representative · Call Center Representative · Client Services Representative · Customer Care Representative (CCR) · Customer Service Agent · Customer Service Representative (CSR)

Median pay (national)
$42,830
$30,690–$62,730 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
2,725,930
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-5.5%
~341,700 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent

What the numbers say

Refit analysis ·Pay for customer service representatives shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $62,730 versus $30,690 at the bottom 10% — 2.0x. The median of $42,830 leaves roughly 46% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change -5.5% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 341,700 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 54 states with released data, District of Columbia pays the most for this role (median $49,210, +15% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $25,580 — a 92% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook as in-demand technologies for this role.

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Top skills employers ask for

Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.

  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Critical Thinking
  • Writing
  • Monitoring
  • Active Learning
  • Learning Strategies
  • Mathematics
  • Science

What they actually do

Core O*NET tasks for this role.

  • Confer with customers by telephone or in person to provide information about products or services, take or enter orders, cancel accounts, or obtain details of complaints.
  • Keep records of customer interactions or transactions, recording details of inquiries, complaints, or comments, as well as actions taken.
  • Check to ensure that appropriate changes were made to resolve customers' problems.
  • Contact customers to respond to inquiries or to notify them of claim investigation results or any planned adjustments.
  • Determine charges for services requested, collect deposits or payments, or arrange for billing.
  • Complete contract forms, prepare change of address records, or issue service discontinuance orders, using computers.
  • Refer unresolved customer grievances to designated departments for further investigation.
  • Solicit sales of new or additional services or products.
  • Compare disputed merchandise with original requisitions and information from invoices and prepare invoices for returned goods.
  • Obtain and examine all relevant information to assess validity of complaints and to determine possible causes, such as extreme weather conditions that could increase utility bills.

Tools & technology

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Adobe Creative Cloud software
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Apple macOS
  • Facebook
  • Intuit QuickBooks
  • Kronos Workforce Timekeeper
  • MEDITECH software
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Oracle Database
  • Oracle PeopleSoft
  • Salesforce software

Knowledge areas

  • Customer and Personal Service
  • English Language
  • Administration and Management
  • Sales and Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Administrative
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Economics and Accounting