Call center jobs allow you to act as a customer service agent or provide sales pitches via phone. These professionals are an essential part of any business and play a significant role in customer acquisition, satisfaction, and retention. If you are looking for a career in customer service and have a heart for helping dissatisfied customers, this would be a great career opportunity.
If you’re interested in a career with plenty of customer interaction, then you might be wondering what options are out there for you. To find top call center jobs that pay well, look no further. This guide takes you through various call center career opportunities that you can apply for today.
How Much Does a Call Center Job Pay?
Glassdoor states that the average salary for a call center representative is about $31,000 annually, but salaries vary depending on the hiring company and your level of expertise. They also vary according to the role. For instance, call center supervisors, call center specialists, and email chat representatives have slightly different job functions and salaries.
How to Get a High-Paying Call Center Job
Getting a high-paying call center job can be an uphill battle, especially with the increasing number of job seekers. Below are a few tips that can help you secure a spot in this field.
Step 1: Learn a New Language
Call center jobs revolve around verbal communication, so you must have strong language skills. While English is a globally recognized language, a local call center or telemarketing job will often require you to talk to non-English speakers. If you or the company you’re applying to is located in India, for example, you need to be able to speak the languages in common use there.
Step 2: Develop Computer Literacy
Working as a call center representative involves taking calls, rerouting tickets, recording calls, and creating databases with computer-based tools. While company professionals will train you to utilize different tools, software, and applications, you’ll still need basic computer skills before joining a call center team.
Step 3: Gain Work Experience in Sales
If you’re interested in working as a telemarketer, previous experience in sales will help you effectively communicate with clients and close deals. This experience is also crucial for other roles in call center or customer service jobs, as it improves your ability to execute your responsibilities effectively.
Step 4: Develop Communication Skills
A customer support executive job requires you to sharpen your conversational and communication skills. Since you won’t always follow a fixed script, you need to integrate wit or charm to convince customers to respond positively. This role also demands proficient listening skills, negotiation skills, and maintaining professionalism while handling any issues with clients.
Step 5: Earn Certificates
One thing that doesn’t seem to go stale is the value of academic experience. Suppose you don’t have prior experience in sales. You can take a short-term course that will present you as the perfect candidate for a call center job. Many online sales courses and telemarketing and customer support classes come with certificates of completion that you can add to your resume.
What Call Center Jobs Pay the Most? The Highest-Paying Call Center Jobs You Should Consider
If you plan to pursue a customer service career, you want the best working environment and pay. However, finding the proper customer service role can be challenging since there are many opportunities in the call center industry. According to ZipRecruiter, call center wages range between $12.02 in the 25th percentile and $18.51 in the 75th percentile. Below are some of the highest-paying call center career opportunities open to applicants.
Call Center Director
A call center director is a sales manager who monitors remote customer service facilities. Responsibilities include managing the call center staff and maintaining the company’s production level. You will also recruit new call center agents and plan training courses for the other staff members. Some companies may require you to develop business policies and operational strategies.
Work From Home Call Center Representative
To work in this role, you will need previous experience in customer care. You will be expected to handle client complaints professionally. Some of the necessary skills are communication, listening, and client skills. You will be working from the comfort of your home, and you will receive benefits such as flexible working hours to help you grow financially and personally.
Computer Support Specialist
A computer support specialist advises computer users or organizations, offering guidance on different contact center processes. Most of them work full-time, and since they have to provide their advice around the clock, they often nights and weekends. Depending on the company that employs you, you may receive medical insurance or perks such as free food and gym access.
Call Center Operations Manager
- Average salary: $61,174
- Job growth: 7%
- Companies hiring: Centene Corporation, PRA Group
This type of sales manager is primarily tasked with monitoring system performance, preparing and completing action plans, identifying and fixing problems, and executing installation upgrades. You will also assess needs, conduct staff performance reviews, and analyze costs and benefits.
Senior Call Center Manager
As a manager in charge of the call center facility, you will hire, train, and prepare staff members for their roles. Other responsibilities include answering call center reps and guiding them on complex issues, leading customer service team meetings, coaching workers on various processes and practices, and identifying trends to set the call center’s objectives.
Benefits differ from one company to another. For instance, the benefits of working at Deloitte include medical insurance and travel insurance.
Technical Support Specialist
- Average salary: $45,941
- Job growth: 9%
- Companies hiring: UnitedHealth Group
In this role, you will be helping the contact center solve technical issues. When the devices pose challenges, you will be expected to offer solutions or fix them. You might also guide the contact center employees on using new tools or appliances as they are incorporated into the system. Depending on the company, benefits may include gym access, free food, and nap pods.
Call Center Reporting Analyst
- Average salary: $61,552
- Job growth: -1%
- Companies hiring: MAXIMUS
As a reporting analyst, you will help analyze the contact center metrics to drive business decisions. You will then provide the results and suggestions to help improve performance and reach the set objectives. To secure this job, you may need a degree in information systems or a related field. One of the main advantages of this career opportunity is that you can secure a managerial position after a few years.
Call Center Quality Assurance Specialist
As a quality control expert, you will assess the call center associates’ performance. You will also coordinate and facilitate the call calibration sessions for the contact center staff. Once you’ve completed the evaluation, you will provide feedback to the team leaders and managers.
Call Center Representative
- Average salary: $35,830
- Job growth: -1%
- Companies hiring: UnitedHealth Group, CVS Health, Centene
Call center representatives take calls from clients and answer their questions. This duty mainly involves handling numerous inbound and outbound calls with clients, listening to their needs, and offering helpful solutions. Some of the benefits you will enjoy in this position include a retirement plan, loan repayment program, and health insurance.
Bilingual Agent
- Average salary: $39,016
- Job growth: -1%
- Companies hiring: UCLA Health, MCI Careers
Bilingual call center agents provide customer service in two languages, including English and a second language. In this position, you will take phone calls, answer customer questions, offer solutions to their problems, and report to managers.
Best Call Center Jobs: Top Companies That Hire for Call Center Jobs
San Mateo and San Francisco are among the top-paying locations for call center operations jobs, according to ZipRecruiter. But this does not guarantee that all the companies in these places offer high annual salaries and a great working environment. So, where should you apply to get an entry-level job to develop your career? Let’s look at a few options.
- Liveops: Liveops is a virtual contact center that provides call center agents for all customer service needs. This company focuses on developing your skills and has been in this industry for 20 years. This means it has strong relationships that can connect you with the right career opportunity.
- Uber: This ever-expanding multinational company seeks top talent in the call center industry. According to Statista, Uber gave over five billion rides in 2020. The company has a high demand for call center professionals with excellent communication skills who can live up to its reputation for providing world-class services.
- Teleperformance: This company focuses on creating powerful connections to ensure digital business services run smoothly. Since it entails staffing and outsourcing, you are assured of great opportunities in the contact center field.
- Deloitte: Deloitte is a global company that focuses on auditing and financial advisory. If you get a job at Deloitte, you will have access to numerous perks and benefits, including medical insurance, compensation for sick leave, and travel insurance.
- Everise: Everise is a renowned company that deals with technological solutions, serving numerous clients. It has a great working environment and staff members who will encourage and guide you at work.
Where to Find a Call Center Job
Job hunting can be challenging, especially if you do not have a reliable source. Hence, it’s necessary to look for openings for customer service jobs on established websites, job boards, and career pages. Below are a few of the best ways to explore job opportunities on the Web.
Glassdoor
Glassdoor is an international platform that allows you to see call center job opportunities in different locations. Whether within your region or overseas, on-site or remote, you get to explore numerous possibilities. Moreover, Glassdoor provides information about salary, benefits, and pros and cons so that you can evaluate whether it’s the right job for you.
Indeed
Launched in 2004, Indeed offers comprehensive information on numerous career opportunities. With this platform, you can search for a suitable job whether you need an entry-level or senior-level job. You can also learn the job requirements and apply for the position.
Career Pages
Want to get information from the employer instead of a third party? Career pages offer you all the information you need to know about the call center position, including requirements, perks, and benefits. They also address any questions you may have about the role. In addition, you can learn about the company’s culture to decide whether it’s the right place for you.
Skills Required to Land Your First Call Center Job
Although the entry-level call center jobs do not require a lot from their candidates, you need some basic skills to secure such opportunities. Whether you are applying for a full-time position or not, below are the different skills you need to kickstart your professional journey in the contact center industry.
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Communication Skills
Generally, contact center jobs entail verbal communication with clients or other employees. If you get a customer service role, you have to talk and listen to people from multiple areas and meet all customer requests. Some dissatisfied clients will complain about the company’s products or services. Through it all, you must remain professional and try to rectify the situation.
Negotiation Skills
While negotiation skills are connected to communications skills, you have to be conversant with different ways of dealing with clients. You have to learn tactics that will help you acquire a client and close deals for the company that hires you. Your future employer is looking for a candidate who can propose irresistible offers without pressuring clients. This will earn you top jobs in the call center industry.
Interpersonal and Teamwork Skills
Do you acknowledge teamwork as an essential part of success? Call center jobs demand a high level of collaboration and interpersonal skills. For instance, if you work as a call center representative, you must consistently report to the call center manager. You may also need to coordinate with your colleagues to ensure that services to clients remain top-notch.
Can a Coding Bootcamp Help Me Get a Call Center Job?
Depending on your specialization, coding bootcamp can help you get a call center job. While it does not cover most contact center career opportunities, you can apply for positions such as technical support specialists. A bootcamp program will teach you the skills you need to provide technical support to the center agents or representatives during their shifts.
Is a Call Center Job for Me?
Speaking to different people and impacting their daily lives is an exciting opportunity. If you plan to pursue a career in the contact center industry, you can kickstart your journey by acquiring communication and negotiation skills. If you are more established, you can apply for more challenging positions, such as senior contact center manager.
Call Center Jobs That Pay Well FAQ
Call center jobs that pay more include call center director, customer support specialist, and contact center operations manager. Although these roles are high-paying, they require advanced skills and may demand you work on nights and weekends. You can also explore different senior-level call center positions to enjoy high pay.
If you are looking for an entry-level career opportunity with few barriers to entry, contact centers are right for you. According to recent research conducted by Clutch, over 90 percent of people prefer speaking to live customer service agents. This means that call center jobs are a worthy platform for developing your career.
Some of the main difficulties that call center agents or representatives face include customer dissatisfaction, agent attrition, working with numerous tools and technology, and low customer satisfaction rates. When setting goals, the call center manager and the rest of the employees devote resources and time to ensuring better reviews and satisfaction rates. But this is not always the case, as many factors determine whether a client is satisfied.
Working as a call center agent allows you to enjoy numerous benefits such as interaction with other people, reliable career advancement, and skills development. Depending on your employer, you may also enjoy incredible earnings and good benefits such as insurance coverage, gym access, and free food.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
