The best countries to hire remote call center agents

While most transactions take place online these days, call centers are still a crucial part of doing business. That’s because they perform many integral functions of creating a positive customer experience, such as responding to customer queries, offering customer care and technical support, and even conducting market research. And the global market for call centers is showing no signs of slowing down. Researchers estimate the industry will grow exponentially over the next few years, with some estimates suggesting the growth rate between 2022 and 2030 will be over 23%.

Call centers are one of the most commonly outsourced business operations for a few reasons. Outsourcing call center transactions cuts overhead costs considerably. And it makes your company more flexible and scalable, which helps your business grow unimpeded. 

So, what are the best countries in the world to find customer service representatives to staff your call center? Follow along as we highlight the top 10 nations for call center agents, and explain why these are the most advantageous places to recruit talent.

The top 10 best countries to hire call center agents

1. India

India has earned its spot as the number-one country to find top-quality call center agents. Its highly educated workforce stands out due to their IT training and their language skills: India has the second largest population of English-speaking individuals in the world. When you recruit call center agents in India, you’ll develop a workforce of college-educated individuals who are highly capable of both solving technical issues and communicating well with customers. Indian salaries are also known for being extremely competitive due to the lower cost of living in this South Asian nation.

Furthermore, India offers dedicated call center training programs. Perhaps the most notable is the program offered by the Indian Institute of Computer Science, a leading higher education institute known for its rigorous IT curriculum. In particular, its three- and six-month call center training programs teach students everything from listening and communication skills to conflict resolution, server and hardware installation, troubleshooting, and much more.

• Average call center representative salary:  ₹17,770 a month ($216.31 USD)
• Time zones: IST, UTC+5:30
• What sets it apart: While the majority of the nations on this list offer valuable IT troubleshooting services, India is one of the few countries that boasts healthcare call centers staffed by highly trained medical professionals. Their talented pool of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers, combined with their easy access to the latest medical technology, provides patients with effective help quickly.

2. The Philippines

The Philippines has worked hard to turn itself into a top location for call centers; in fact, the industry has grown so large that, on some lists, it unseats India as the world’s call center capital. Indeed, it’s home to some of the best call center outsourcing agencies available, and its long East-West cultural crossover uniquely positions the country to work with customers and companies from all cultural backgrounds. 

• Average call center representative base salary: ₱18,000 per month ($323.09 USD)
• Time zones: PHT, GMT+8
• What sets it apart: Not only do companies that outsource to the Philippines save a substantial 40%-50% on operating costs, but the nation is home to millions of young, college-educated workers who have helped to ensure call center outsourcing companies in the Philippines are world class. 

3. Brazil

Not only is Brazil cost-effective, but it also has four time zones (one of which is a mere hour ahead of business hubs like New York), making it easy for companies throughout the Americas to ensure their team members can easily communicate no matter where they are. Furthermore, Brazil is impressively multilingual: The top four languages spoken in the nation are Portuguese, Spanish, English, and German. This gives Brazilian customer support reps a competitive edge over their counterparts who usually speak only one or two languages.

• Average call center representative salary: R 1,472 per month ($306.31 USD)
• Time zones: ACT, UTC-5:00; AMT, UTC-4:00; BRT, UTC-3:00; FNT, UTC-2:00
• What sets it apart: Unlike many of its Latin American counterparts, the Brazilian economy has been experiencing steady growth that has shown promising signs of stability. As a result, companies and workers alike are prospering. Additionally, multinational giants like IBM have headquarters down in Brazil, further bolstering worldwide confidence in its forward trajectory. 

4. Poland

This one might surprise you, but Poland has been a European leader in call center outsourcing since the 1990s. As an EU member state, it enjoys good relations and special business agreements with the 27 other countries that make up the European Union. Additionally, as of January 24, 2023, Alorica, a major call center outsourcing service in Poland, announced its plans to expand its operations into Africa. This provides Alorica customers with access not only to the European market, but also to the African one, all through the same trusted company.

Outside of these advantages, Poland has another unique feature that gives it a competitive edge: Its citizens are ranked as one of the top 20 in English language proficiency in the world. Finally, this Eastern European country has exposure to both Western and Eastern European cultures—both of which require expertise to provide effective customer service.

• Average call center representative salary: PLN 4,427 per month ($1,106.37 USD)
• Time zones: CET, GMT+2
• What sets it apart: Information technology is essential to running an effective call center, and this is another area in which Poland shines. As of 2021, Poland held 7th place among European IT industries, and the revenue of their IT market was a whopping $9 billion.

5. Argentina

As one of the safest countries in Latin America, Argentina should absolutely be on your list when you’re considering staffing your new call center. The nation has a highly educated, bilingual workforce, and the government has taken the unusual steps of reducing the burden of double taxation US companies pay when they set up shop in another country. Furthermore, Argentina is known for its skilled software developers—a must-have when running a call center.

• Average call center representative salary: ARS 78,204 per month ($290.89 USD)
• Time zones: ART, UTC-3:00
• What sets them apart: Argentina has both the lowest salaries and the lowest tax rates in Latin America. 

6. Singapore

Companies seeking call centers experienced in providing financial services turn to Singapore. The island nation boasts a high quality of life, the third-highest GDP per capita in the world, a AAA sovereign credit rating (the only Asian country to have achieved that honor), an excellent education system, and one of the world’s lowest levels of corruption. Its highly skilled workforce’s financial acumen has made it the top choice for companies seeking call centers who can effectively boost their sales and grow their financial advisory businesses. And this niche has given call centers in Singapore a competitive edge against other nations. 

• Average call center representative salary: Because the staff in Singapore’s call centers provide specialized advice that requires a distinguished education, the salaries are much higher than those of other countries and strongly depend on the person’s position. For example, a Customer Success Manager could make as much as SGD $163,636.16 ($122,000 USD) annually, while IT support associates make around SGD $67,063.10 ($50,000 USD) per year.
• Time zones: Singapore (GMT+8)
• What makes them stand out: Singapore’s entire infrastructure is technologically advanced. It also holds an important role as a bridge between the East and West, giving it an unparalleled advantage and a corner on the market of clients seeking to grow their financial consulting businesses.

7. South Africa

South Africa earned its place as one of the top 10 countries to recruit call center agents during the pandemic, when they demonstrated an unparalleled ability to quickly adapt to the sudden upheaval with the help of their highly educated staff and agile IT infrastructure. A McKinsey Report published in September 2020 praised South Africa’s quick response, citing call centers’ abilities to turn in-office jobs into remote ones, and operate remote call centers while ensuring their clients’ business continued undisturbed. 

This attention to customer needs, combined with an educated workforce and a strong position as one of Africa’s most stable countries, make South Africa a no-brainer for companies looking to expand to the African market.

• Average call center representative salary:  ZAR 6,688 per month ($372.72 USD) 
• Time zones: SAST, GMT+2
• What sets them apart: Not only does South Africa have over 300,000 call center reps and counting—a sizable workforce that demonstrates the country’s ability to accommodate large and small companies alike–but it’s attracted the attention of business powerhouses like the US, Australia, and Canada, in part due to its bilingualism and its economic stability. 

8. Mexico

The US’s southern neighbor has long been a popular choice for call center outsourcing. The cost of living is cheap, making Mexico an extremely cost-effective choice for companies looking to cut down on overhead costs. Furthermore, Mexico has an excellent public university system, and many skilled workers speak both English and Spanish, which allows them to communicate with customers throughout the Americas. Additionally, Mexico City is only an hour behind New York, which makes working cross-border extremely convenient.

• Average call center representative salary: MXN 8,000 per month ($474.42 USD)
• Time zones: PT, UTC-7:00; MT, UTC-6:00; CT, UTC-5:00
• Why it stands out: The close proximity and short flights between Mexico and the US make face-to-face meetings between team members and executives easily doable, in contrast to the rest of the countries on this list. This allows team members to get to know each other in person, makes site visits possible, and even opens up the possibility of team-building events. Finally, Mexico cuts the US a generous tax break for outsourcing to their country.

9. Colombia

Colombia has worked hard to stabilize itself, make its cities safer, and improve crucial infrastructure over the last several decades—and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by companies looking to outsource call center duties to low-cost Latin American countries. Not only does it have the fourth largest call center market, but it has the fourth largest economy in Latin America. Furthermore, its call center industry is growing at a rate of 9% per year. 

• Average call center representative salary: COP 1,108,277 per month ($276.89 USD)
• Time zones: CET, UTC+1:00
• What sets it apart: Colombia was actually one of the first Latin American nations to welcome the outsourcing wave as a way of attracting foreign investment to the country. And while it was eclipsed by Asian countries eventually, it’s had impressive staying power: Since 2019, the Colombian government has raked in over $1 billion in investments just from outsourcing.

10. The United States

Bet you weren’t expecting the US to be on this list! However, according to Forbes magazine, the exodus of call center companies from the expensive United States started to reverse itself. Why? 

The answer is interesting. First, the desire of American companies to save money went so far it actually turned out to be a detriment to their business. US consumers were unimpressed by the laser focus on saving money rather than providing great customer service, and American call centers were faced with a choice: Either continue seeking the lowest operational costs possible and risk going out of business, or invest in better customer service. They chose the latter, which has put the US back on the map as a nation with sought-after IT skills.

• Average call center representative salary: $35,752 USD per year
• Time zones: PST, CST, MST, EST
• What sets it apart: With the switch to telehealth brought on by the pandemic, the United States is quickly becoming known for its call centers staffed with highly trained medical professionals. US call centers are also known for their reliability and familiarity with local regulations, giving them a competitive edge over other countries.

*Note: Salary data is gathered from Glassdoor. The salaries listed are base pay and do not include benefits or any additional pay. Exact values vary depending on updated currency exchange rates, seniority levels, and geographical location within each country. 

Hiring remote call center agents across the globe with Ripping

From onboarding to offboarding, Rippling helps you streamline the entire employee lifecycle—globally, and all in one place. 

Just click "hire" and Rippling can support your global workforce right out of the box:

• Set up localized employment agreements.
• Pay employees and contractors around the world—without waiting for bank transfers or conversions.
• Easily stay compliant with overtime, leave, and termination requirements.

Catch Rippling in action and learn how Rippling EOR can monitor the tangled web of global termination requirements—so you don’t have to.