Customer service representative salary in 2026
The median customer service representative in the United States earns $44,770 a year, or $21.53 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey, published this year. The middle half of customer service representatives earn between $36,870 and $51,780.
Where you work matters more than anything else: Washington pays a median of $50,330, California $49,560, and the highest paying metro area, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, $60,480. There are 2,595,750 customer service representatives in the country.
Liaison does the routine half of a customer service representative’s job for 12% of what one costs. See how.
Customer service representative salary by state
Median annual and hourly wage, the range the middle half earn, and how many customer service representatives work in each state. Click a state for its cities.
| State | Median annual | Median hourly | Middle half earns | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $50,330 | $24.20 | $44,780 to $61,330 | 39,760 |
| California | $49,560 | $23.83 | $44,200 to $61,510 | 176,850 |
| Massachusetts | $49,120 | $23.61 | $41,500 to $61,090 | 49,990 |
| Minnesota | $48,800 | $23.46 | $41,330 to $59,810 | 53,340 |
| District of Columbia | $48,250 | $23.20 | $40,400 to $62,560 | 7,550 |
| Delaware | $48,190 | $23.17 | $39,310 to $59,910 | 7,470 |
| Connecticut | $48,090 | $23.12 | $40,460 to $60,010 | 24,490 |
| New York | $48,000 | $23.08 | $40,360 to $60,280 | 141,090 |
| New Jersey | $47,740 | $22.95 | $39,410 to $59,070 | 59,690 |
| Rhode Island | $47,550 | $22.86 | $41,600 to $57,530 | 7,890 |
| Colorado | $47,540 | $22.86 | $40,380 to $57,420 | 38,770 |
| Vermont | $47,500 | $22.84 | $40,630 to $58,340 | 2,870 |
| Oregon | $47,450 | $22.81 | $41,360 to $55,660 | 19,440 |
| New Hampshire | $47,300 | $22.74 | $38,040 to $58,310 | 12,750 |
| Maine | $47,160 | $22.67 | $38,340 to $51,420 | 7,560 |
| Wisconsin | $46,970 | $22.58 | $38,780 to $56,600 | 50,840 |
| Illinois | $46,130 | $22.18 | $37,680 to $58,050 | 100,970 |
| Iowa | $46,090 | $22.16 | $37,880 to $54,880 | 30,100 |
| Arizona | $45,690 | $21.97 | $37,880 to $51,610 | 87,020 |
| Hawaii | $45,650 | $21.95 | $38,120 to $51,620 | 8,010 |
| Ohio | $45,610 | $21.93 | $37,440 to $52,510 | 85,930 |
| Montana | $45,290 | $21.77 | $39,500 to $50,120 | 4,910 |
| Alaska | $45,150 | $21.71 | $38,560 to $52,730 | 2,410 |
| North Dakota | $44,670 | $21.48 | $38,580 to $54,060 | 5,750 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,630 | $21.46 | $36,760 to $51,750 | 94,340 |
| Missouri | $44,190 | $21.24 | $36,480 to $51,040 | 50,530 |
| Michigan | $43,950 | $21.13 | $36,150 to $50,060 | 71,310 |
| Nebraska | $43,940 | $21.13 | $37,250 to $49,810 | 15,340 |
| Idaho | $43,200 | $20.77 | $36,110 to $49,340 | 18,770 |
| Indiana | $43,140 | $20.74 | $36,090 to $50,320 | 44,630 |
| Utah | $43,140 | $20.74 | $37,120 to $49,370 | 44,490 |
| Maryland | $42,830 | $20.59 | $36,430 to $50,490 | 37,740 |
| Tennessee | $42,830 | $20.59 | $36,130 to $48,670 | 59,730 |
| Virginia | $42,730 | $20.54 | $35,940 to $49,940 | 59,850 |
| Wyoming | $42,340 | $20.35 | $36,610 to $49,130 | 2,110 |
| South Dakota | $40,650 | $19.54 | $36,470 to $48,290 | 6,120 |
| Nevada | $40,560 | $19.50 | $35,740 to $47,390 | 32,110 |
| Florida | $40,440 | $19.44 | $36,400 to $47,860 | 228,000 |
| Texas | $40,420 | $19.44 | $35,420 to $48,300 | 337,170 |
| Kansas | $40,320 | $19.39 | $34,860 to $48,410 | 29,200 |
| North Carolina | $40,240 | $19.35 | $34,960 to $48,590 | 89,510 |
| Georgia | $39,630 | $19.06 | $34,460 to $48,120 | 97,850 |
| New Mexico | $39,030 | $18.77 | $35,890 to $47,070 | 16,950 |
| South Carolina | $38,860 | $18.69 | $34,940 to $47,090 | 51,000 |
| Kentucky | $38,700 | $18.61 | $35,290 to $47,800 | 38,630 |
| Oklahoma | $38,650 | $18.58 | $34,400 to $46,920 | 34,460 |
| West Virginia | $38,430 | $18.48 | $34,440 to $48,500 | 9,860 |
| Alabama | $38,400 | $18.46 | $34,370 to $46,500 | 33,290 |
| Arkansas | $37,840 | $18.19 | $33,830 to $46,630 | 20,680 |
| Louisiana | $37,330 | $17.95 | $31,960 to $44,770 | 25,780 |
| Virgin Islands | $37,140 | $17.85 | $34,680 to $40,320 | 320 |
| Mississippi | $36,380 | $17.49 | $31,520 to $44,510 | 20,860 |
| Guam | $30,350 | $14.59 | $25,030 to $37,060 | 720 |
| Puerto Rico | $26,700 | $12.84 | $22,760 to $31,200 | 20,330 |
Highest paying cities for customer service representatives
The ten metro areas with the highest median, out of the 392 where BLS publishes one.
| Metro area | Median annual | Median hourly | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $60,480 | $29.08 | 8,860 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $57,830 | $27.80 | 19,930 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $53,550 | $25.75 | 25,840 |
| Napa, CA | $53,360 | $25.65 | 640 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $51,810 | $24.91 | 1,750 |
| Vallejo, CA | $51,210 | $24.62 | 1,130 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $50,160 | $24.12 | 1,250 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $49,990 | $24.03 | 2,650 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $49,970 | $24.02 | 5,660 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $49,940 | $24.01 | 11,510 |
The lowest medians in the 50 states and DC: Albany, GA ($33,190), Jacksonville, NC ($33,980), Hot Springs, AR ($34,150), Sebring, FL ($34,330) and Laredo, TX ($34,420).
What it pays where you are
Pick your state or metro area. The wage is the median there; the cost line is what an employer pays once benefits are added.
Customer service representative, the United States, 40 hours a week
$60,459 a year
$5,038 a month. Wages $44,782 at the median of $21.53 an hour, plus $15,677 in benefits. The middle half of customer service representatives here earn $36,870 to $51,780 in wages.
The routine half of a customer service representative’s job, for 12% of what one costs.
- Answers routine customer questions from the actual record: the order, the invoice, the appointment.
- Handles the reschedule and the status check in your voice; a complaint goes to a person.
- Logs every exchange against the customer, so nothing is asked twice.
Professional is $629 a month, $7,548 a year, against about $60,400 a year for a customer service representative at the median once benefits are added. On Professional we connect your tools, bring your data in and set up the first rules with you. Anything that moves money waits for your yes.
“Cut our month-end close from 4 days to 4 hours.” Marcus C., owner
$629 a month, or $500 a month on a 12-month term. Prefer to start on your own? Starter is $149 a month, self-serve, with a free trial first: 7 days, no card. More: AI office manager.
What customer service representatives do
Customer service representatives answer customers by phone, email and chat: orders, billing questions, complaints and account changes. BLS counts them under occupation 43-4051, which is the definition every figure on this page uses.
For an employer, the wage is the start: benefits at a small employer add 35%, so a customer service representative at the median costs about $60,400 a year. The employer’s numbers, by state and metro, are on what a customer service representative costs. The routine part of the job, the follow-ups, the reconciling, the scheduling, is the part Liaison does inside the tools a business already runs.
Questions
What is the average customer service representative salary?
The median customer service representative in the United States earned $44,770 a year, or $21.53 an hour, in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey. The middle half earned between $36,870 and $51,780. The median is the wage half of customer service representatives earn more than and half earn less than, which is a steadier guide than an average.
How much does a customer service representative make an hour?
The median customer service representative earns $21.53 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey. At 2,080 hours a year that is $44,770. The middle half earn between $17.73 and $24.89 an hour.
Which states pay customer service representatives the most?
Washington ($50,330), California ($49,560), Massachusetts ($49,120), Minnesota ($48,800) and District of Columbia ($48,250).
Which cities pay customer service representatives the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($60,480), San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($57,830), Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($53,550), Napa, CA ($53,360) and Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA ($51,810), out of the 392 metro areas where BLS publishes a median for customer service representatives.
How many customer service representatives are there?
BLS counted 2,595,750 customer service representatives employed in the United States in May 2025.
What does a customer service representative cost an employer?
Wages are only part of it. At employers with fewer than 50 workers, benefits add 35% on top of wages (BLS, June 2026), so a customer service representative at the median costs about $60,400 a year. The employer’s view, by state and metro, is at useliaison.com/back-office-costs/customer-service-representative.
Other roles
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Annual figures assume 2,080 hours a year. Updated 2026-10-02.
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