How to become a Customer Service Representative

Official title: Customer Service Representatives

Also called: Account Representative, Call Center Representative, Client Services Representative, Customer Care Representative (CCR), Customer Service Agent, Customer Service Representative (CSR), Customer Service Specialist, Customer Support Representative (Customer Support Rep), Guest Service Agent, Member Services Representative (Member Services Rep)

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.

Main tasks

• 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.

How to become one

Customer service representatives typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation and are trained on the job. They should be good at communicating and interacting with people.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Customer Service Representative.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $44,770 a year The middle half earn $36,870 to $51,780.
• About 2,666,000 people work in this job now, and about 2,524,100 are projected by 2035. (-5.3%)
• People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Related jobs

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Customer Service Representative?

Customer service representatives typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation and are trained on the job. They should be good at communicating and interacting with people.

How much does a Customer Service Representative earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $44,770 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $36,870 to $51,780.

Is a Customer Service Representative a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 5% by 2035, from about 2,666,000 to about 2,524,100 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Customer Service Representative?

Not always. 29% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Customer Service Representative.

Will AI change the work of a Customer Service Representative?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.