Careers in Consumer Services: Lucrative Jobs That Reward Your Skills

Consumer services are filled with numerous job opportunities. Companies in different industries always look to provide one form of assistance or another to their consumers to improve overall customer satisfaction.

What this means for you is that your skillset can find useful applications in many industries.

Despite the numerous opportunities available, this article will focus on the best-paying jobs guaranteeing a decent yearly average salary.

If you're looking to explore the various career paths in consumer service, this article briefly describes what's expected from you on each job and an estimate of the potential average salary.

But before we get into all that, let's ensure we're all on the same page by understanding the consumer services industry. So...

What Are Consumer Services Jobs?

Consumer services are a wide range of intangible services, experiences, and assistance companies provide their customers to improve customer satisfaction.

This category of services contrasts sharply with closely related categories like Business Services, which are aimed at businesses, and Public Services, which are aimed at general members of the public.

Many people confuse the meaning of consumer services and customer services. I also did at some point.

However, consumer services differ from customer services in that consumer services are directed at the consumers (end-users of a product who may or may not have purchased the product), while customer services are directed at the customers (the purchaser of a product).

The range of jobs and careers in consumer services spans various sectors, such as the media, educational, medical, leisure, hospitality, wholesale, and retail businesses. One of the biggest advantages of consumer-service jobs is that many of them are recession-proof.

How Much Do Consumer Services Jobs Pay?

You can expect to take home an average of $19 per hour or $30,000 - $250,000 annually. Since there is a wide range of jobs in consumer services, there is also a correspondingly wide range of average salaries across the sector.

On the lower end of the spectrum, consumer services roles in the retail, wholesale, and customer service industries pay less compared to other consumer services roles in education, health care, and legal career paths.

11 Best-Paying Jobs in the Consumer Services Industry

To give you a more granular look at how well jobs in consumer services pay, let's look at some high-paying jobs in consumer services. Some of them include the following:

1. Healthcare Worker

Healthcare workers in consumer services include doctors, nurses, OB/GYN, therapists, and drug therapy professionals with different specialties.

These professionals perform medical services using an evidence-based approach. They study, diagnose, treat, and prevent human sickness, injury, or diseases to ensure that patients are healthy.

In general, healthcare workers perform the following activities on a day-to-day basis:

• Performing physical examinations on patients and administering medications
• Providing emotional support and educating patients on how to manage their health conditions
• Maintaining accurate patient records
• Performing medical procedures and treatment. Surgeons carry out surgical operations, pharmacists dispense medications, and radiologists conduct imaging studies.

We've categorized these workers into one giant group because they represent one of the highest-earning jobs in consumer services.

Annual Wage

Physicians and surgeons earn more than or equal to $239,200. 

Registered nurses take home an average of $86,070 per year.

The average salary of a physical therapist is about $99,710 per year.

2. Concierge

A concierge is usually a guest's first point of contact at a resort, hotel, or other type of organization in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry.

From offering local recommendations and arranging transportation to making reservations, concierges ensure a guest has a nice stay at a hospitality outfit.

Their day-to-day activities include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

• Receiving guests
• Making reservations
• Arranging transportation
• Offering local recommendations
• Managing hotel check-ins and check-outs
• Maintaining customer relationships
• Monitoring guest requests for housekeeping and maintenance

You'll need excellent customer service, local knowledge, and communication skills to be a concierge.

More so, most employers expect employees to have a diploma or a degree in hospitality or a related field in addition to some work experience, although this isn't always compulsory.

Annual Wage

The average concierge salary typically varies by location and establishment. However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage of a concierge in the United States is $37,150.

3. Customer Experience Strategist

Customer Experience Strategists are professionals in charge of strategic thinking in consumer services. Their aim is simply to implement strategies that improve customer experience.

They identify areas for improvement by thoroughly analyzing customer interactions and feedback.

On a day-to-day basis, a customer experience strategist does the following:

• Analyzes customer data to identify patterns, trends, preferences, and pain points in the customer journey
• Creating detailed customer journey maps
• Developing feedback collection systems and analyzing customer feedback
• Summarizing findings in reports
• Developing long-term plans to improve customer satisfaction.

To secure a customer experience strategist role, you'll likely need a college degree in marketing, business administration, or a related field.

Employers also prioritize candidates with experience and a skillset in customer service roles, such as strong analytical skills, excellent communication skills, problem-solving capabilities, and the ability to use customer relationship management tools.

Annual Wage

Customer experience strategists earn approximately $73,250 to around $96,541 annually.

4. Flight Attendant

Flight attendants are vital members of the airline crew. They're responsible for maintaining order among flight passengers and ensuring safety and comfort.

These consumer services specialists operate in and out of the aircraft for private and commercial airlines. Their role encompasses various duties, from safety and compliance to customer service.

Flight attendants do the following:

• Maintains safety compliance
• Provides instructions during emergencies
• Monitores cabin safety
• Greets customers or passengers

This role's typical entry-level education requirement is a high school diploma. However, it might be advantageous to have between 2 and 5 years of experience in a related job to get your foot through the door.

Nonetheless, employers still provide moderate on-the-job training.

Annual Wage

Employment estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal that flight attendants earn a median annual salary of $68,370. Factors such as seniority, specific airline policies, and additional benefits like travel perks can influence overall compensation.

5. Event Planners

Anytime you see a successful and structured wedding, corporate meeting, party, or conference, chances are that an event planner was responsible for putting it together. Event planners plan, organize, and execute various events to meet client expectations.

Event planning is more than just orchestrating gatherings; it is more about creating different types of unforgettable experiences that people truly value.

That's why it is one of the best-paying jobs in consumer services.

Event planners perform the following activities:

• Take client consultations to understand their needs, preferences, and event budget
• Research and book appropriate event venues
• Organize and partner with vendors like caterers, decorators, and entertainment providers to ensure a successful event.
• Develop and manage event budgets
• Oversee event logistics

If you love organizing events and would like to work in event planning, you might need a bachelor's degree in hospitality or a related field and some relevant event planning work experience to get started.

Annual Wage 

Event planners have an annual median wage of $56,920.

6. Customer Service Manager

The main role of a customer services manager is to establish and maintain a close working relationship between customers and customer service representatives.

They're concerned with improving customer satisfaction and maintaining client relationships. More importantly, all their activities revolve around understanding client expectations and ensuring the business matches those expectations.

As such, the day-to-day operations of a client service manager include the following:

• Communicating with clients and building strong relationships with them as their main point of contact
• Managing teams of customer service representatives for efficient service quality
• Addressing and resolving client inquiries
• Aligning company services with consumer goals to improve customer satisfaction
• Creating and implementing customer service policies

To qualify for a customer service representative position, you might need a Bachelor's degree in business administration, marketing, or other related fields.

Annual Wage

With an average salary of $92,371 annually in the United States, customer service management is one of the best-paying jobs in consumer services.

Furthermore, this amount varies from organization to organization depending on the specific roles you're taking on in that organization.

7. Front Desk Manager

As the name implies, the front desk manager oversees all reception or front desk operations at any service-oriented business, such as hotels and resorts.

They manage the activities of all front desk staff, such as the receptionist, concierge, and night auditor.

The front desk manager is at the forefront of everything, from maintaining a clean and orderly environment to handling complex and escalated customer inquiries.

Their day-to-day operations include the following:

• Supervising all front desk administrative tasks and staff
• Receiving guests upon arrival and managing check-ins and check-outs
• Taking and managing reservations
• Handling escalated customer queries

Like most consumer services jobs described above, securing this role often requires a bachelor's degree in hospitality, a high school diploma, and some work experience.

You also need a customer-centric mindset, strong communication skills, and leadership qualities.

Annual Wage 

Front desk managers earn an impressive average salary of $73,377 per year.

8. Retail Store Manager

Otherwise known as a retail manager, this person oversees the day-to-day operations of retail businesses. They monitor sales, oversee the performance of other sales representatives, and keep an eye on inventory.

As such, retail store management is one of the most crucial roles in consumer services. The day-to-day activities of a retail store manager include:

• Training, supervising, and assisting other employees and sales representatives
• Developing relationships and schedules for employees and promotions
• Maintaining inventory levels
• Responding to and handling customer complaints and issues
• Managing budgets

Annual Wage

Retail store managers are among the highest-paying jobs in the consumer services industry, with a mean annual wage of $52,030.

9. Call Center Director

Call centers are vital to consumer services in the industry because they allow businesses to assist customers in need more effectively. They are set up specifically to handle inbound and outbound calls from customers.

However, since a call center receives multiple calls about several queries per time, the call center director ensures that all these calls are received, well-documented, and resolved as soon as possible.

Call center managers focus on running the call center efficiently, effectively, and productively regarding calls received, queries resolved, and the time needed to resolve these issues. Their daily activities include:

• Monitoring the performance of call center representatives
• Formulating standard procedures and policies for customer inquiries and interactions
• Facilitating smooth call center workflow
• Hiring, onboarding, and training call center personnel
• Analyzing call center data and preparing performance metrics reports for upper management

Annual Wage

Depending on the call center's scale of operation, location, and organization, a call center director may earn between $52,177 and $226,000 per year.

10. Marketing Manager

The popular consensus about marketing managers is that they are in charge of all processes through which a business sells and promotes its products to its consumers.

Although that is true, the marketing manager's job description also extends towards improving consumer experiences as this is the foundation of gaining their appeal.

Marketing managers:

• Plan, implement, and monitor marketing campaigns to promote products or services effectively
• Work with other teams to maximize customer satisfaction and ensure cohesive branding
• Focus on enhancing the consumer journey to improve satisfaction and loyalty.
• Conduct research to stay updated on market trends and competitor activities.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of marketing efforts, making data-driven adjustments as needed.
• Manage and mentor marketing teams, ensuring alignment with business objectives.

To secure a marketing manager role, you typically need a bachelor's degree in marketing, business, or related field. You must also demonstrate in-depth knowledge of core marketing and consumer behavior concepts.

Annual Wage

With a mean annual wage of $166,410, marketing managers rank very high on the list of best-paying jobs in consumer services.

11. Help Desk Analyst

Many businesses either sell technologies to their customers or sell their products or services via technologies to improve efficiency and productivity.

However, many customers often encounter glitches with these technologies or even find it difficult to use them correctly.

This is where help desk analysts come in. These consumer services and IT professionals provide technical assistance to customers and employees.

They work with the technical support director to resolve glitches, downtime, and other technical issues.

The day-to-day operations of a help desk analyst include the following:

• Troubleshooting, identifying, and diagnosing technical issues
• Recommending the appropriate course of action for users
• Recording and classifying queries.
• Serving as a first point of contact for users and customers
• Managing issue resolution processes from start to finish
• Delivering customer satisfaction

Annual Wage

The average salary of a help desk analyst ranges from $56,000 to $60,000, depending on the specific job descriptions, location, and other skill-related considerations.

Notable Mentions: Additional High-paying Roles to Consider

The following are additional key job roles (and their average salaries) in consumer services:

• Customer Success Manager: A customer success manager's yearly average salary is $84,473.
• Business Banking Relationship Manager: A business banking relationship manager earns an average salary of $162,712 annually.
• Customer Service Jobs: Customer service representatives earn a median pay of about $39,680 per year.
• Customer Success Director: A customer success director earns an average yearly salary of about $122,806.

Securing a High-Paying Role in the Consumer Services Sector

The consumer services field features numerous high-paying job opportunities, from healthcare professions to hospitality services.

Since all these roles involve providing services directly to final consumers, you must have strong interpersonal intelligence and a solid commitment to customer satisfaction.

Now that you know the available job prospects and the earning potential within this sector, you can start making informed decisions to set the course of your career and professional growth.

While some roles require specialized knowledge that can only be obtained through a college degree, others require the technical expertise that comes with hands-on practice.

Whatever the case, your focus revolves around resolving customer issues, building relationships, and improving processes.

With a lifelong commitment to skill development and continuous learning, your chances of career advancement in the consumer services sector are very high.

Every great career starts with knowing yourself. If you're still exploring your place in the consumer services sector, a career test can reveal which roles align with your natural strengths, making your job search more focused and effective. With a clear direction, you’re one step closer to a rewarding future in consumer services!