Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
Customer service representative
Customer service representatives answer questions, resolve problems, and process orders and claims by phone, chat, and email. It is one of the largest occupations in the country and the most common remote entry-level job.
By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET
What a customer service representative makes
Median pay, May 2025, United States
$44,770
$21.53 an hour, median
- 25th percentile
- $36,870
- 75th percentile
- $51,780
- 90th percentile
- $63,590
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- BLS
- Workers without a bachelor's
- 86%
- O*NET
- Growth, 2025 to 2035
- -5.3%
- BLS projections
- Openings a year
- 289,500
- BLS projections
How people get in without a degree
A high school diploma is the typical requirement and employers train on their systems. Remote roles usually want a quiet workspace, reliable internet, and experience with any customer-facing job; a short certificate from a large employer shows the workflow and helps a thin resume.
The work, as O*NET defines it: 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.
The next step
CVS Health Call Center Customer Service Professional Certificate (optional)
- Typical cost
- $49 per month on Coursera, typically under $100 total
- Time to complete
- About 1 to 2 months
Where to start CVS Health Call Center Customer Service Professional Certificate
Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.
Pay by state
Median pay for customer service representatives by state, May 2025, sorted by annual median. States without a published estimate are omitted.
| State | Hourly median | Annual median | 25th to 75th | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $24.20 | $50,330 | $44,780 to $61,330 | 39,760 |
| California | $23.83 | $49,560 | $44,200 to $61,510 | 176,850 |
| Massachusetts | $23.61 | $49,120 | $41,500 to $61,090 | 49,990 |
| Minnesota | $23.46 | $48,800 | $41,330 to $59,810 | 53,340 |
| District of Columbia | $23.20 | $48,250 | $40,400 to $62,560 | 7,550 |
| Delaware | $23.17 | $48,190 | $39,310 to $59,910 | 7,470 |
| Connecticut | $23.12 | $48,090 | $40,460 to $60,010 | 24,490 |
| New York | $23.08 | $48,000 | $40,360 to $60,280 | 141,090 |
| New Jersey | $22.95 | $47,740 | $39,410 to $59,070 | 59,690 |
| Rhode Island | $22.86 | $47,550 | $41,600 to $57,530 | 7,890 |
| Colorado | $22.86 | $47,540 | $40,380 to $57,420 | 38,770 |
| Vermont | $22.84 | $47,500 | $40,630 to $58,340 | 2,870 |
| Oregon | $22.81 | $47,450 | $41,360 to $55,660 | 19,440 |
| New Hampshire | $22.74 | $47,300 | $38,040 to $58,310 | 12,750 |
| Maine | $22.67 | $47,160 | $38,340 to $51,420 | 7,560 |
| Wisconsin | $22.58 | $46,970 | $38,780 to $56,600 | 50,840 |
| Illinois | $22.18 | $46,130 | $37,680 to $58,050 | 100,970 |
| Iowa | $22.16 | $46,090 | $37,880 to $54,880 | 30,100 |
| Arizona | $21.97 | $45,690 | $37,880 to $51,610 | 87,020 |
| Hawaii | $21.95 | $45,650 | $38,120 to $51,620 | 8,010 |
| Ohio | $21.93 | $45,610 | $37,440 to $52,510 | 85,930 |
| Montana | $21.77 | $45,290 | $39,500 to $50,120 | 4,910 |
| Alaska | $21.71 | $45,150 | $38,560 to $52,730 | 2,410 |
| North Dakota | $21.48 | $44,670 | $38,580 to $54,060 | 5,750 |
| Pennsylvania | $21.46 | $44,630 | $36,760 to $51,750 | 94,340 |
| Missouri | $21.24 | $44,190 | $36,480 to $51,040 | 50,530 |
| Michigan | $21.13 | $43,950 | $36,150 to $50,060 | 71,310 |
| Nebraska | $21.13 | $43,940 | $37,250 to $49,810 | 15,340 |
| Idaho | $20.77 | $43,200 | $36,110 to $49,340 | 18,770 |
| Indiana | $20.74 | $43,140 | $36,090 to $50,320 | 44,630 |
| Utah | $20.74 | $43,140 | $37,120 to $49,370 | 44,490 |
| Maryland | $20.59 | $42,830 | $36,430 to $50,490 | 37,740 |
| Tennessee | $20.59 | $42,830 | $36,130 to $48,670 | 59,730 |
| Virginia | $20.54 | $42,730 | $35,940 to $49,940 | 59,850 |
| Wyoming | $20.35 | $42,340 | $36,610 to $49,130 | 2,110 |
| South Dakota | $19.54 | $40,650 | $36,470 to $48,290 | 6,120 |
| Nevada | $19.50 | $40,560 | $35,740 to $47,390 | 32,110 |
| Florida | $19.44 | $40,440 | $36,400 to $47,860 | 228,000 |
| Texas | $19.44 | $40,420 | $35,420 to $48,300 | 337,170 |
| Kansas | $19.39 | $40,320 | $34,860 to $48,410 | 29,200 |
| North Carolina | $19.35 | $40,240 | $34,960 to $48,590 | 89,510 |
| Georgia | $19.06 | $39,630 | $34,460 to $48,120 | 97,850 |
| New Mexico | $18.77 | $39,030 | $35,890 to $47,070 | 16,950 |
| South Carolina | $18.69 | $38,860 | $34,940 to $47,090 | 51,000 |
| Kentucky | $18.61 | $38,700 | $35,290 to $47,800 | 38,630 |
| Oklahoma | $18.58 | $38,650 | $34,400 to $46,920 | 34,460 |
| West Virginia | $18.48 | $38,430 | $34,440 to $48,500 | 9,860 |
| Alabama | $18.46 | $38,400 | $34,370 to $46,500 | 33,290 |
| Arkansas | $18.19 | $37,840 | $33,830 to $46,630 | 20,680 |
| Louisiana | $17.95 | $37,330 | $31,960 to $44,770 | 25,780 |
| Mississippi | $17.49 | $36,380 | $31,520 to $44,510 | 20,860 |
Questions
Do you need a degree to be a customer service representative?
No. BLS lists "high school diploma or equivalent" as the typical education for entry, and 86% of workers in the occupation report less than a bachelor's degree (O*NET). The usual credential is CVS Health Call Center Customer Service Professional Certificate (optional).
How much does a customer service representative make?
The median pay was $44,770 a year ($21.53 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $36,870 and $51,780, and the top 10 percent earned more than $63,590.
How long does it take to become a customer service representative?
About 1 to 2 months. The typical cost is $49 per month on Coursera, typically under $100 total.
Is customer service representative work growing?
BLS projects employment to decline 5.3% from 2025 to 2035 with about 289,500 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 43-4051.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
- O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile