Call and contact centre occupations

Also called: Call handler, 111 call handler, Call centre agent, Call centre staff, Call centre worker, Call centre adviser, Call centre handler, Contact centre agent, Call centre operator, Call centre assistant, Call centre associate, Call centre operative

Call and contact centre occupations receive and respond to telephone calls from potential clients and existing customers regarding the products and services offered by an organisation.

Main tasks

• Answers incoming telephone calls from existing or prospective customers
• Interviews caller to establish the nature of any complaint or the requirements of the client
• Informs existing and potential customers on any immediate action to be taken, and refers the matter to a more senior member of staff if necessary
• Advises on services available and sells additional products or services
• Maintains details of calls received, the action taken as a result of a call and updates customer database as required
• Arranges for field staff to visit the caller if further assistance is required

How to become one

There are no formal academic entry requirements, although many employers expect candidates to possess GCSEs/S grades. Training is typically provided on-the-job, supplemented by specialist short courses.

Pay · Outlook

• Median full-time pay: £27,035 a year The middle half earn £24,282 to £32,536.
• About 141,800 people work in this job now, and about 162,100 are projected by 2035. (+14.3%)

Related jobs

• Telephonists
• Communication operators
• Market research interviewers

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Sources

• Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03