Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$31,750
- 25th Percentile — Junior$36,870
- 50th Percentile — Median$44,770
- 75th Percentile — Senior$51,780
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$63,590
The top 10% of Customer Service Representatives earn $63,590 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $31,750, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
What Customer Service Representatives Do
Role, training and entry requirements
Customer service representatives answer questions, resolve complaints, process orders and account changes, and explain products and policies by phone, chat, email, or in person. They work in call centers, insurance companies, banks, utilities, telecom, retailers, and healthcare organizations.
How to become one
A high school diploma is typical, with training provided by the employer on its products, systems, and policies. Roles in insurance or finance may require a state license or additional training.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| California | $54,640 | +17.3% |
| Washington | $54,140 | +16.2% |
| District of Columbia | $53,850 | +15.6% |
| Massachusetts | $52,750 | +13.2% |
| New York | $52,740 | +13.2% |
| Connecticut | $51,860 | +11.3% |
| Minnesota | $51,750 | +11.1% |
| Delaware | $51,700 | +11.0% |
| New Jersey | $51,030 | +9.5% |
| Vermont | $50,250 | +7.9% |
| Colorado | $50,230 | +7.8% |
| Rhode Island | $49,730 | +6.7% |
| New Hampshire | $49,560 | +6.4% |
| Oregon | $49,390 | +6.0% |
| Illinois | $48,950 | +5.1% |
| Wisconsin | $48,770 | +4.7% |
| Maine | $48,300 | +3.7% |
| Iowa | $47,740 | +2.5% |
| North Dakota | $47,640 | +2.3% |
| Arizona | $47,550 | +2.1% |
| Alaska | $47,440 | +1.8% |
| Hawaii | $47,130 | +1.2% |
| Montana | $47,000 | +0.9% |
| Ohio | $46,870 | +0.6% |
| Missouri | $46,470 | -0.3% |
| Pennsylvania | $46,260 | -0.7% |
| Maryland | $46,100 | -1.1% |
| Michigan | $45,870 | -1.5% |
| Indiana | $45,360 | -2.6% |
| Nebraska | $45,100 | -3.2% |
| Virginia | $44,960 | -3.5% |
| Idaho | $44,820 | -3.8% |
| Utah | $44,570 | -4.3% |
| Tennessee | $44,300 | -4.9% |
| Wyoming | $44,080 | -5.4% |
| Florida | $43,950 | -5.7% |
| North Carolina | $43,450 | -6.7% |
| Texas | $43,220 | -7.2% |
| Kansas | $43,100 | -7.5% |
| Georgia | $42,940 | -7.8% |
| South Dakota | $42,940 | -7.8% |
| Nevada | $42,720 | -8.3% |
| New Mexico | $42,600 | -8.6% |
| Kentucky | $42,440 | -8.9% |
| West Virginia | $42,430 | -8.9% |
| South Carolina | $42,390 | -9.0% |
| Oklahoma | $41,740 | -10.4% |
| Arkansas | $41,390 | -11.2% |
| Alabama | $41,290 | -11.4% |
| Louisiana | $39,340 | -15.6% |
| Mississippi | $38,820 | -16.7% |
What Factors Affect Customer Service Representatives Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Customer Service Representatives is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: California pays an average of $54,640, while Mississippi pays $38,820 — a gap of $15,820 per year.
Industry is the main pay driver: representatives at insurance carriers, banks, and utilities usually earn more than those in retail or outsourced call centers. Bilingual skills, technical support duties, and performance bonuses can raise pay, and many representatives advance into team lead or account management roles.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Customer Service Representatives?
The average salary for Customer Service Representatives in the United States is $46,590 per year, with a median of $44,770.
What is the starting salary for Customer Service Representatives?
Entry-level Customer Service Representatives typically earn between $31,750 and $36,870 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Customer Service Representatives the most?
California pays Customer Service Representatives the most at $54,640 per year on average, followed by Washington ($54,140) and District of Columbia ($53,850).
How much do Customer Service Representatives make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $46,590, Customer Service Representatives earn approximately $22.4 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Customer Service Representatives a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 2,595,750 Customer Service Representatives jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $46,590 and a median of $44,770 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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