Customer Service Representatives
Customer Service Representatives (SOC 43-4051) earn a median $44,770 a year ($21.53 an hour) in the United States, with 2,595,750 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What customer service representatives do
Customer service representatives deal with customers to give basic or scripted information in response to routine questions about products and services. They talk with customers by telephone or in person to explain products or services, take or enter orders, cancel accounts, or get the details of a complaint. Each contact is recorded, including the inquiry, complaint, or comment and the action taken, and the representative checks afterward that the right changes were made to resolve the problem. Duties can include determining charges for services requested, collecting deposits or payments, arranging billing, completing contract forms, preparing change of address records, and issuing service discontinuance orders on a computer. Representatives contact customers to answer inquiries or report the results of a claim investigation, and they refer unresolved grievances to the designated department. Workers whose duties are mainly installation, sales, repair, or technical support are excluded and classified in other groups.
Typical entry: O*NET survey respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the education level for this occupation.
Also called: Account Adjuster, Account Representative, Adjustment Clerk, Automotive Service Advisor, Automotive Service Writer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $15.27 | $17.72 | $21.53 | $24.89 | $30.57 | $22.40 | 2,595,750 |
| Annual | $31,750 | $36,870 | $44,770 | $51,780 | $63,590 | $46,590 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where customer service representatives earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $18.89 | $21.53 | $24.20 | $29.49 | $35.39 | $26.03 | 39,760 | 11.20 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $39,290 | $44,780 | $50,330 | $61,330 | $73,610 | $54,140 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $18.32 | $21.25 | $23.83 | $29.57 | $36.39 | $26.27 | 176,850 | 9.71 | 0.58 |
| Annual | $38,110 | $44,200 | $49,560 | $61,510 | $75,700 | $54,640 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $17.04 | $19.95 | $23.61 | $29.37 | $36.00 | $25.36 | 49,990 | 13.74 | 0.82 |
| Annual | $35,440 | $41,500 | $49,120 | $61,090 | $74,880 | $52,750 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $17.18 | $19.87 | $23.46 | $28.76 | $35.02 | $24.88 | 53,340 | 18.08 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $35,730 | $41,330 | $48,800 | $59,810 | $72,830 | $51,750 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $18.00 | $19.43 | $23.20 | $30.08 | $37.08 | $25.89 | 7,550 | 10.76 | 0.64 |
| Annual | $37,440 | $40,400 | $48,250 | $62,560 | $77,120 | $53,850 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $14.10 | $17.03 | $19.44 | $23.22 | $28.65 | $20.78 | 337,170 | 23.96 | 1.44 |
| Annual | $29,320 | $35,420 | $40,420 | $48,300 | $59,590 | $43,220 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $15.20 | $17.50 | $19.44 | $23.01 | $28.73 | $21.13 | 228,000 | 22.96 | 1.38 |
| Annual | $31,620 | $36,400 | $40,440 | $47,860 | $59,770 | $43,950 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $18.32 | $21.25 | $23.83 | $29.57 | $36.39 | $26.27 | 176,850 | 9.71 | 0.58 |
| Annual | $38,110 | $44,200 | $49,560 | $61,510 | $75,700 | $54,640 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $17.44 | $19.41 | $23.08 | $28.98 | $36.67 | $25.36 | 141,090 | 14.56 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $36,270 | $40,360 | $48,000 | $60,280 | $76,280 | $52,740 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $16.15 | $18.11 | $22.18 | $27.91 | $34.33 | $23.53 | 100,970 | 16.56 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $33,590 | $37,680 | $46,130 | $58,050 | $71,400 | $48,950 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $21.01 | $23.16 | $29.08 | $35.90 | $42.75 | $30.72 | 8,860 | 7.81 | 0.47 |
| Annual | $43,700 | $48,180 | $60,480 | $74,670 | $88,910 | $63,890 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $20.38 | $22.63 | $27.80 | $34.13 | $40.76 | $29.48 | 19,930 | 8.39 | 0.50 |
| Annual | $42,390 | $47,070 | $57,830 | $70,990 | $84,780 | $61,320 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $19.81 | $22.14 | $25.75 | $29.49 | $36.67 | $27.09 | 25,840 | 12.39 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $41,200 | $46,060 | $53,550 | $61,330 | $76,280 | $56,350 | ||||
| Napa, CA | Hourly | $19.67 | $22.79 | $25.65 | $30.12 | $35.39 | $26.89 | 640 | 8.24 | 0.49 |
| Annual | $40,910 | $47,400 | $53,360 | $62,640 | $73,610 | $55,930 | ||||
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | Hourly | $19.22 | $22.15 | $24.91 | $29.92 | $37.49 | $27.01 | 1,750 | 8.54 | 0.51 |
| Annual | $39,990 | $46,080 | $51,810 | $62,240 | $77,970 | $56,180 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $17.75 | $20.70 | $23.84 | $29.78 | $37.16 | $26.16 | 125,570 | 13.23 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $36,930 | $43,060 | $49,590 | $61,940 | $77,290 | $54,410 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $15.08 | $17.62 | $21.63 | $24.75 | $29.80 | $22.22 | 96,930 | 23.93 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $31,370 | $36,660 | $44,990 | $51,470 | $61,980 | $46,210 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $16.58 | $18.40 | $22.65 | $28.34 | $34.39 | $23.94 | 75,240 | 16.67 | 1.00 |
| Annual | $34,480 | $38,260 | $47,100 | $58,950 | $71,530 | $49,800 | ||||
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | Hourly | $17.00 | $18.54 | $22.31 | $25.29 | $30.84 | $23.34 | 68,930 | 29.01 | 1.74 |
| Annual | $35,350 | $38,550 | $46,410 | $52,600 | $64,150 | $48,550 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $18.24 | $20.71 | $23.48 | $28.99 | $35.99 | $25.72 | 66,590 | 10.62 | 0.64 |
| Annual | $37,950 | $43,090 | $48,840 | $60,300 | $74,860 | $53,500 | ||||
Top industries employing customer service representatives
Business Support Services employ 8.3% of customer service representatives nationally (215,440 jobs) at a median $36,770 a year ($17.68 an hour), followed by Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (6.7%) and General Merchandise Retailers (5.2%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Support Services NAICS 561400 | 215,440 | 8.3% | $36,770 | $17.68 |
| Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities NAICS 524200 | 172,880 | 6.7% | $46,240 | $22.23 |
| General Merchandise Retailers NAICS 455000 | 135,600 | 5.2% | $37,590 | $18.07 |
| Insurance Carriers NAICS 524100 | 119,950 | 4.6% | $47,170 | $22.68 |
| Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) NAICS 5220A1 | 118,670 | 4.6% | $48,360 | $23.25 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (2,595,750). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $36,920 for customer service representatives in May 2021 and $44,770 in May 2025, with employment of 2,787,070 and 2,595,750.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $36,920 | $17.75 | 2,787,070 |
| May 2022 | $37,780 | $18.16 | 2,879,840 |
| May 2023 | $39,680 | $19.08 | 2,858,710 |
| May 2024 | $42,830 | $20.59 | 2,725,930 |
| May 2025 | $44,770 | $21.53 | 2,595,750 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington profile | $24.20 | $50,330 | $39,290 | $73,610 | 39,760 | 11.20 | 0.67 |
| 2 | California profile | $23.83 | $49,560 | $38,110 | $75,700 | 176,850 | 9.71 | 0.58 |
| 3 | Massachusetts profile | $23.61 | $49,120 | $35,440 | $74,880 | 49,990 | 13.74 | 0.82 |
| 4 | Minnesota profile | $23.46 | $48,800 | $35,730 | $72,830 | 53,340 | 18.08 | 1.08 |
| 5 | District of Columbia profile | $23.20 | $48,250 | $37,440 | $77,120 | 7,550 | 10.76 | 0.64 |
| 6 | Delaware profile | $23.17 | $48,190 | $36,080 | $75,970 | 7,470 | 15.41 | 0.92 |
| 7 | Connecticut profile | $23.12 | $48,090 | $37,290 | $73,650 | 24,490 | 14.44 | 0.86 |
| 8 | New York profile | $23.08 | $48,000 | $36,270 | $76,280 | 141,090 | 14.56 | 0.87 |
| 9 | New Jersey profile | $22.95 | $47,740 | $35,520 | $72,040 | 59,690 | 13.93 | 0.83 |
| 10 | Rhode Island profile | $22.86 | $47,550 | $36,160 | $65,010 | 7,890 | 15.74 | 0.94 |
| 11 | Colorado profile | $22.86 | $47,540 | $36,510 | $66,040 | 38,770 | 13.49 | 0.81 |
| 12 | Vermont profile | $22.84 | $47,500 | $35,140 | $66,530 | 2,870 | 9.45 | 0.57 |
| 13 | Oregon profile | $22.81 | $47,450 | $36,710 | $64,130 | 19,440 | 9.88 | 0.59 |
| 14 | New Hampshire profile | $22.74 | $47,300 | $33,950 | $66,280 | 12,750 | 18.66 | 1.12 |
| 15 | Maine profile | $22.67 | $47,160 | $35,930 | $63,490 | 7,560 | 11.81 | 0.71 |
| 16 | Wisconsin profile | $22.58 | $46,970 | $34,260 | $63,650 | 50,840 | 17.29 | 1.04 |
| 17 | Illinois profile | $22.18 | $46,130 | $33,590 | $71,400 | 100,970 | 16.56 | 0.99 |
| 18 | Iowa profile | $22.16 | $46,090 | $32,450 | $64,540 | 30,100 | 19.30 | 1.16 |
| 19 | Arizona profile | $21.97 | $45,690 | $35,140 | $62,970 | 87,020 | 26.86 | 1.61 |
| 20 | Hawaii profile | $21.95 | $45,650 | $33,860 | $64,130 | 8,010 | 12.76 | 0.76 |
| 21 | Ohio profile | $21.93 | $45,610 | $31,340 | $63,210 | 85,930 | 15.48 | 0.93 |
| 22 | Montana profile | $21.77 | $45,290 | $35,100 | $62,250 | 4,910 | 9.60 | 0.57 |
| 23 | Alaska profile | $21.71 | $45,150 | $35,990 | $62,840 | 2,410 | 7.39 | 0.44 |
| 24 | North Dakota profile | $21.48 | $44,670 | $34,190 | $68,350 | 5,750 | 13.38 | 0.80 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania profile | $21.46 | $44,630 | $31,430 | $63,370 | 94,340 | 15.56 | 0.93 |
| 26 | Missouri profile | $21.24 | $44,190 | $31,980 | $63,890 | 50,530 | 17.21 | 1.03 |
| 27 | Michigan profile | $21.13 | $43,950 | $30,670 | $63,830 | 71,310 | 16.19 | 0.97 |
| 28 | Nebraska profile | $21.13 | $43,940 | $34,210 | $59,400 | 15,340 | 14.98 | 0.90 |
| 29 | Idaho profile | $20.77 | $43,200 | $29,990 | $62,190 | 18,770 | 21.89 | 1.31 |
| 30 | Indiana profile | $20.74 | $43,140 | $31,060 | $62,620 | 44,630 | 13.94 | 0.84 |
| 31 | Utah profile | $20.74 | $43,140 | $32,940 | $59,550 | 44,490 | 25.63 | 1.54 |
| 32 | Maryland profile | $20.59 | $42,830 | $32,600 | $64,000 | 37,740 | 13.66 | 0.82 |
| 33 | Tennessee profile | $20.59 | $42,830 | $31,100 | $60,070 | 59,730 | 18.22 | 1.09 |
| 34 | Virginia profile | $20.54 | $42,730 | $31,210 | $61,350 | 59,850 | 14.57 | 0.87 |
| 35 | Wyoming profile | $20.35 | $42,340 | $29,760 | $59,790 | 2,110 | 7.52 | 0.45 |
| 36 | South Dakota profile | $19.54 | $40,650 | $31,050 | $55,680 | 6,120 | 13.37 | 0.80 |
| 37 | Nevada profile | $19.50 | $40,560 | $29,340 | $57,930 | 32,110 | 20.70 | 1.24 |
| 38 | Florida profile | $19.44 | $40,440 | $31,620 | $59,770 | 228,000 | 22.96 | 1.38 |
| 39 | Texas profile | $19.44 | $40,420 | $29,320 | $59,590 | 337,170 | 23.96 | 1.44 |
| 40 | Kansas profile | $19.39 | $40,320 | $29,730 | $59,870 | 29,200 | 20.31 | 1.22 |
| 41 | North Carolina profile | $19.35 | $40,240 | $30,200 | $59,820 | 89,510 | 18.11 | 1.09 |
| 42 | Georgia profile | $19.06 | $39,630 | $29,340 | $60,270 | 97,850 | 20.01 | 1.20 |
| 43 | New Mexico profile | $18.77 | $39,030 | $31,060 | $56,480 | 16,950 | 19.46 | 1.17 |
| 44 | South Carolina profile | $18.69 | $38,860 | $29,720 | $59,300 | 51,000 | 22.13 | 1.33 |
| 45 | Kentucky profile | $18.61 | $38,700 | $29,440 | $59,810 | 38,630 | 19.31 | 1.16 |
| 46 | Oklahoma profile | $18.58 | $38,650 | $28,620 | $58,050 | 34,460 | 20.18 | 1.21 |
| 47 | West Virginia profile | $18.48 | $38,430 | $29,590 | $56,970 | 9,860 | 14.05 | 0.84 |
| 48 | Alabama profile | $18.46 | $38,400 | $29,920 | $55,670 | 33,290 | 15.75 | 0.94 |
| 49 | Arkansas profile | $18.19 | $37,840 | $30,150 | $56,630 | 20,680 | 15.86 | 0.95 |
| 50 | Louisiana profile | $17.95 | $37,330 | $28,440 | $51,010 | 25,780 | 13.33 | 0.80 |
| 51 | Mississippi profile | $17.49 | $36,380 | $28,970 | $49,540 | 20,860 | 17.94 | 1.07 |
Part of Office and Administrative Support Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 43-4051 Customer Service Representatives.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 43-4051, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 43-4051.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.