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Customer supportLesson 1 of 3

Part 1 of 3, 0 done

13 min

What customer support does

Every company that sells something hears back from its customers: a late box, a double charge, a question at midnight. The support team answers. Here's how they keep up, and what goes first when the inbox is full.

Ticket 01 · The guess

How many people answer customers for a living?

Customer service representatives answer customers' questions and complaints, by phone, email and chat. How many of these jobs were there in the US in 2025?

1 million jobs
0 jobs5 million

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Tell us what looks off. No name or email needed.

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0 / 1000

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Sources and every number (1)

Sources

  • Occupational Outlook Handbook: Customer Service Representatives (median pay May 2025, jobs 2025, projections 2025 to 2035, industries that employ them) · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

Every number

  • 2.7 million jobsbls.gov ·2025 · Customer service representative jobs in the US, 2025 (one BLS occupation; computer support specialists are counted separately).
  • $21.53/hourbls.gov ·2025 · Median hourly pay for customer service representatives, May 2025.
  • $44,770/yearbls.gov ·2025 · Median yearly pay for customer service representatives, May 2025.
  • 5%bls.gov ·2025 · How much BLS projects employment of customer service representatives to fall from 2025 to 2035. A projection, not a count.
  • 289,500 openings a yearbls.gov ·2025 · Openings BLS projects each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035, mostly to replace people who move to other jobs or leave work.
  • 15%bls.gov ·2025 · Share of customer service representative jobs in retail trade, 2025.
  • 12%bls.gov ·2025 · Share of customer service representative jobs at insurance carriers and related activities, 2025.
  • 24 hoursexample (example number: Our example: the pet food company promises a first reply from a person within this many hours.) · Our example: the pet food company promises a first reply from a person within this many hours.
  • 46 casesexample (example number: Our example: cases waiting in the queue at 8 a.m.) · Our example: cases waiting in the queue at 8 a.m.
  • 19 hoursexample (example number: Our example: how long the oldest case in the queue has waited.) · Our example: how long the oldest case in the queue has waited.
  • 5 hoursexample (example number: Our example: worked out: the 24 hours promise minus the 19 hours the oldest case has waited.) · Our example: worked out: the 24 hours promise minus the 19 hours the oldest case has waited.
  • 31 casesexample (example number: Our example: cases waiting that came in by email.) · Our example: cases waiting that came in by email.
  • 9 casesexample (example number: Our example: cases waiting that came in by chat after the chat team went home.) · Our example: cases waiting that came in by chat after the chat team went home.
  • 6 casesexample (example number: Our example: voicemail messages waiting for a call back.) · Our example: voicemail messages waiting for a call back.
  • 64%example (example number: Our example: share of yesterday's cases solved with the first reply.) · Our example: share of yesterday's cases solved with the first reply.
  1. Lessons›
  2. Inside a business›
  3. Customer support
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