If you are interested in a career in consumer services, you’ll be happy to know many options are available. However, it’s not just about the versatile positions you can have but the fact that many of those jobs have a lot of potential and can help you earn a respectable paycheck.

Finding the right career choice is balancing your personality and job market conditions. In other words, you need to find something that’s exciting while ensuring you’ll be able to find employment fairly quickly.

Luckily, consumer services have many positions in demand and let you try other things. Are you ready to learn how many jobs in consumer services might interest you? After that, read about the best paying jobs in consumer services before you decide on a career path.

The consumer services industry explained

Consumer services focus on positions that require direct communication between a business representative and buying customer. Representatives try to sell or deliver services or goods to consumers as best as possible.

In other words, consumer and customer services don’t have many differences since they are both focused on one-on-one communication. This interaction between customers and company representatives is crucial as it can lead to sales or keep a loyal base of customers for a long time.

Even though many consumer service processes are automated, human interaction will always be invaluable. Customers love having the option to talk to a company representative and get a successful resolution to whatever problem they might be having.

Consumer services will always be important

Consumer services are more critical than ever. Customers are now the focal point of many industries, and companies invest lots of resources in keeping them happy. At the same time, customers know they can choose between dozens of brands and have high expectations of companies competing for their attention.

If you were wondering how many jobs are available in consumer services, the answer is “a lot.” There will always be people in these kinds of jobs because the connection between a seller and a buyer is a universally human thing.

The role of the consumer service industry

Consumers or customers are also people. Every person is an individual with likes and dislikes, but companies need to recognize their wishes and provide them with the right solutions. Customer or consumer services connect customers to companies, products, and services that can meet their goals in every way they expect.

Everyone wants to find the right services and products to solve their problems according to their needs, which is the role of the consumer service industry. When considering how many jobs are available in consumer services, you should also consider the role.

This industry will always have a plan for different businesses and sectors, but how do customer services help? First, this sector provides valuable information about products or services customers can’t get on a website, ad, or social media post.

On the other hand, many customers today want to hear from expert support before deciding. They want to ask as many questions as possible before making a judgment call and deciding whether a specific product or service is good for them.

Different sectors in consumer services

One of the reasons so many jobs are available in consumer services is the number of sectors they cover. Consumer services is basically a business model that is present in many different industries. That’s why it’s such an attractive career choice. Here are some of the largest sectors where you can find work:

Retail

Retail is a large company industry that sells services and products to customers. That includes businesses like clothing stores, groceries, specialty stores, etc. Retail is a great place to start, with many entry-level positions to learn about customer service. However, there is still room for climbing the corporate ladder and getting jobs like retail store manager.

Health

The healthcare industry includes private practices, clinics, and hospitals to help people with various medical issues and help with their well-being. This sector isn’t necessarily reserved for medical professionals, as some of these practices focus on improving the quality of life and having commercial value.

Social services

Social services is a government sector that falls into the consumer services category. The most obvious position in this sector is a social worker, but you can find work as a case worker, school counselor, family advocate, direct care specialist, addiction counselor, etc.

Education

Learning and teaching are standard services offered to students or employees with different backgrounds. You can find all kinds of teaching, tutoring, and training roles to provide education. These positions require storytelling, lecturing, experimentation, analysis, and communication skills. 

Hospitality and leisure

The hospitality industry includes resorts, motels, hotels, apartment renting, etc. This sector revolves around providing the best possible experience for your guests. That includes booking their stay, greeting them, cleaning facilities, giving guidance on local sights, etc.

Finance

The financial industry looks to provide investment guidance, improve savings, and facilitate transactions with organizations and individuals. Financial services involve loans, buying estates, or making asset investments. Consumer services roles in finance require financial knowledge, an understanding of the financial market, law, communication skills, etc.

Important statics (job market overview)

One of the best ways to understand how many jobs are available in consumer services is to look at the statistics. First, let’s start by saying that the consumer service industry currently has the third most available jobs in the market.

The current rate is 19%, while the labor market in consumer services is constantly evolving. The US Bureau of Labor and Statistics issued a report in 2020 showing there were almost 3 million jobs in consumer services. Over six million people are currently working in this field in the US.

BLS has also projected employment growth by around 10% until 2022, and the numbers were even higher. The future growth of jobs in this field is expected to continue with these numbers. In other words, there are many potential opportunities for creating a career in consumer services.

Most popular positions

The industry’s two most prominent job positions are retail salespeople and customer service representatives. At the moment, there are almost seven million jobs when combining these two positions. Some of these positions are taken while some are still available.

Apart from having great numbers, the consumer sector is also related to several other professions commonly required within those organizations. Companies with consumer services positions often hire market research analysts, office workers, cashiers, etc.

In other words, even if you decide that the consumer services industry isn’t for you, there are many alternatives available you can try out. If you’re wondering how many jobs are available in consumer services, you don’t have to worry since this is a healthy industry with many opportunities.

How many jobs are available in consumer services?

There’s no definitive answer to how many jobs are available in consumer services, but one thing is for sure, there are a lot of jobs. As we’ve mentioned earlier, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest data shows almost three million jobs available in 2020.

However, this isn’t even an accurate representation of the total number of jobs. The BLS focused on and categorized these jobs as customer service representatives using broad criteria. However, the roles in consumer services aren’t only focused on these tasks – there are many more positions.

The consumer services industry is part of many sectors with thousands of workers, and until there are official statistics tracking this category, we can’t have accurate numbers. However, compared to other jobs and career opportunities, consumer service is one of the top three markets as far as jobs go.

Now let’s go over some of the most popular jobs in this industry:

• Account managers (over 1,100,000 jobs in the US);
• Receptionist workers (Over 1,750,000 jobs in the US);
• Call center employees (over 440,000 jobs in the US);
• Hostess/host workers (Over 420,000 Jobs in the US);
• Technical support workers (over 350,000 jobs in the US);
• Customer service manager (over 230,000 jobs in the US);
• Stewardess/flight attendant (over 120,000 jobs in the US);
• Hotel concierge (over 10,000 jobs in the US).

Starting a career in consumer services

You can start a career in consumer services in many different ways. Now that you know how many jobs are available in consumer services, it doesn’t get any easier as there are so many choices. Many people start in customer service, but many start in sales and marketing.

Regardless of your experience, background, and education, you’ll be happy to know there are many options. You can always work in retail as a seller and get a job without any experience. On the other hand, many companies offer other entry-level positions and paid internships where you can quickly learn about the job.

It is an excellent opportunity to get experience and learn how the industry works. Probably the best way to find employment immediately is to get a certificate or degree in sales, marketing, communications, or some related field.

Apart from getting the necessary knowledge and experience, you need to network with relevant people like in any other industry. Attend essential events and talk to people. Connect with peers on social media and potential contact mentors. Developing relationships lets you grab opportunities you never even knew were there.

Education isn’t crucial

As you’re reading this post, many of you probably think you don’t have the education necessary to work in consumer services. Unlike some industries where a degree is a must, consumer services are all about having experience and knowing how to do the job.

There’s a “people” requirement to the industry; if you know people, you might be good at the work. Of course, if we are talking about healthcare professionals, they will need a degree because they have to know the best treatments and practices for keeping their patients healthy.

However, as a retail manager, you don’t need any educational knowledge just as long as you do the job correctly.

Where to look for jobs

You can discover consumer service jobs in your local area. For example, there are a lot of retail stores, schools, clinics, education centers, and other businesses that always put signs on their doors that they’re looking for employees.

You can also make the most of various job-search engines, websites, job platforms, and job boards you can find online to look for employment. Be sure to check your local business association or Chamber of Commerce, as well – if you really like a particular company, you can contact them directly and offer your services.

Here are some of the places you can look for consumer services jobs:

• BestBuy
• CareerBuilder
• Target
• Walmart
• Craigslist
• Indeed
• Amazon
• Monster

Is it worth pursuing a career in consumer services?

Now that you know how many jobs are available in consumer services, you probably already understand this is a great career path. Consumer services offer many entry options you can use to learn and get valuable experience to build your career in various fields like product management, sales, or marketing.

Many people in significant positions like customer success VPs, retail chain managers, or directors have started in consumer services. These positions will always be in demand as long as humans exist. Regardless of technological advancements, people like to interact amongst themselves and get successful resolutions.

That’s why consumer services are essential. On the other hand, we just have to look at some of the largest brands that offer consumer services and quickly realize that this is a secure career choice. Multi-billion corporations make big money in this industry and are your “security” when it comes to employment.

Conclusion

Ultimately, it’s not about how many jobs are available in consumer services but understanding yourself and what kind of career you would like. If you enjoy working with people and solving their problems, finding a job in this industry might be the best option for you.

You won’t need to worry about job security and opportunities for progressing in your career as long as you’re dedicated. Millions of positions require interchangeable skills that you can learn fairly quickly.