Customer Service Representatives pay in the United States

Goes furthest in Iowa
·Office and Administrative Support·
2.6M jobs
Figures from US Bureau of Labor StatisticsOccupational Employment and Wage Statistics
$21.53/hr median
2,595,750 employed
-5% to 2035
45% AI exposure
High school diploma or equivalent
54 states reported
and more...

What this work is

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.

Where the money actually goes furthest

Washington pays the highest headline figure at $50,330. Adjusted for what things cost there it is worth $47,032 — less than Iowa, where $46,090 is worth $52,518.

Pay by state

54 states and territories publish a median for this occupation. Switch the ranking to see how much the order changes.

Adjusted for what things cost in that state.

Median pay for Customer Service Representatives by state, ranked by what it is worth locally
StateHourlyAnnualWorth locallyAfter state taxJobs
Iowa$22.16/hr$46,090$52,518$44,89330,100
North Dakota$21.48/hr$44,670$50,213$44,6705,750
Wisconsin$22.58/hr$46,970$49,914$45,57850,840
Minnesota$23.46/hr$48,800$49,482$46,94453,340
Ohio$21.93/hr$45,610$49,164$45,07285,930
Nebraska$21.13/hr$43,940$48,768$42,55815,340
Missouri$21.24/hr$44,190$48,656$42,96950,530
Maine$22.67/hr$47,160$48,593$45,2167,560
Vermont$22.84/hr$47,500$48,489$46,1432,870
Delaware$23.17/hr$48,190$48,281$46,0827,470
Montana$21.77/hr$45,290$47,849$43,7324,910
Washington$24.20/hr$50,330$47,032$50,33039,760
Tennessee$20.59/hr$42,830$46,620$42,83059,730
Rhode Island$22.86/hr$47,550$46,490$46,1627,890
Massachusetts$23.61/hr$49,120$46,444$46,66449,990
Connecticut$23.12/hr$48,090$46,414$46,17524,490
Indiana$20.74/hr$43,140$46,223$41,87544,630
Illinois$22.18/hr$46,130$46,148$43,983100,970
Colorado$22.86/hr$47,540$46,132$46,14038,770
Oregon$22.81/hr$47,450$45,907$43,83919,440
South Dakota$19.54/hr$40,650$45,885$40,6506,120
Pennsylvania$21.46/hr$44,630$45,741$43,25994,340
Wyoming$20.35/hr$42,340$45,679$42,3402,110
Michigan$21.13/hr$43,950$45,676$42,32071,310
New Hampshire$22.74/hr$47,300$45,406$47,30012,750
Arizona$21.97/hr$45,690$45,381$44,91287,020
Idaho$20.77/hr$43,200$45,240$41,68418,770
Kansas$19.39/hr$40,320$44,765$38,35829,200
California$23.83/hr$49,560$44,761$48,341176,850
New York$23.08/hr$48,000$44,477$45,965141,090
Alaska$21.71/hr$45,150$44,109$45,1502,410
Oklahoma$18.58/hr$38,650$44,000$37,30434,460
District of Columbia$23.20/hr$48,250$43,903$46,4317,550
New Jersey$22.95/hr$47,740$43,874$46,59459,690
Utah$20.74/hr$43,140$43,637$41,17744,490
Arkansas$18.19/hr$37,840$43,524$36,54120,680
Alabama$18.46/hr$38,400$43,233$36,67033,290
West Virginia$18.48/hr$38,430$42,938$37,3169,860
Kentucky$18.61/hr$38,700$42,923$37,27838,630
North Carolina$19.35/hr$40,240$42,658$39,07189,510
New Mexico$18.77/hr$39,030$42,327$38,21116,950
Louisiana$17.95/hr$37,330$42,319$36,58525,780
Virginia$20.54/hr$42,730$42,265$41,01959,850
Mississippi$17.49/hr$36,380$41,840$34,88020,860
Texas$19.44/hr$40,420$41,644$40,420337,170
Hawaii$21.95/hr$45,650$41,518$43,5968,010
South Carolina$18.69/hr$38,860$41,450$38,03351,000
Georgia$19.06/hr$39,630$41,156$38,19697,850
Maryland$20.59/hr$42,830$40,806$40,97637,740
Nevada$19.50/hr$40,560$40,568$40,56032,110
Florida$19.44/hr$40,440$39,106$40,440228,000
Virgin Islands$17.85/hr$37,140Not publishedNot published320
Guam$14.59/hr$30,350Not publishedNot published720
Puerto Rico$12.84/hr$26,700Not publishedNot published20,330

National median for comparison: $44,770. “Worth locally” divides pay by the area’s price level, so a figure above the headline means money goes further there than the US average.

$44,770/year

$21.53/hr an hour, national median

Across the states

$22,760$62,560

25th to 75th percentile, lowest and highest state

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How much of this job could software do?

45%Moderate exposure
Hands, places, peopleLanguage and information

The two methods broadly agree.

Method 1 — ability mix54%

Cognitive share of O*NET ability importance (element families 1.A.1–1.A.4), O*NET 31.0

Method 2 — task content36%

Importance-weighted share of O*NET tasks classed as language or information work, O*NET 31.0

What this does and does not mean

Exposure means a model could plausibly do a meaningful share of the tasks in this job. It is not a forecast that the job disappears, and it says nothing about whether any employer will actually automate it.

For what the labour market expects, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in this occupation to change by -5% between 2025 and 2035, with about 289,500 openings a year.

Which parts are exposed

  • 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.
  • Resolve customers' service or billing complaints by performing activities such as exchanging merchandise, refunding money, or adjusting bills.
  • Determine charges for services requested, collect deposits or payments, or arrange for billing.

Amber marks language and information work. Green marks tasks that need a person in a place.

Where customer service representatives move next

Occupations that share most of this one’s skills, with the pay difference and the change in AI exposure.

Location

San Diego, CA, United States of America (SAN-San Diego Intl.)

Photograph by Mikhail Nilov.