How much does a call centre operator earn? Pay examples and what drives them
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
A call centre operator’s pay depends on five things: the shift (nights and weekends cost more), languages, the type of calls (sales come with a bonus), experience and the city. Many companies pay a base salary plus a bonus. Salary isn’t the whole cost: taxes, the workstation, training and cover are added on top. For a real figure, check job posts in your city, then work out what one call costs you. All amounts below are only examples.
How pay is built: four schemes
| Scheme | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Base only | The same amount every month, for example 5 million so‘m | Answering questions, support |
| Base + bonus | For example, a 4 million so‘m base plus a bonus per sale or booking | Sales, appointment booking |
| Per shift | A fixed amount for each shift | Short shifts, students, peak season |
| Commission only | Only a share of sales | Rarely: people leave fast |
Amounts are only examples. Tie the bonus to what the operator controls: a booked appointment, a confirmed order, a sale. Pay a bonus for the number of calls and conversations get shorter while quality drops.
What drives the pay
- Shift. Nights and weekends usually cost more: few people agree to them.
- Languages. Operators fluent in both Uzbek and Russian are paid more.
- Type of calls. Sales operators get a bonus; operators answering questions often get only a base.
- Product complexity. Banking, insurance or technical calls need longer training.
- City and format. Pay differs between Tashkent and the regions, and remote work cuts workstation costs.
To see the market, open 10–15 job posts in your city and put base, bonus, shifts and languages into one table. You’ll see the range and can set your own offer: pay too little and strong candidates won’t come; pay too much and costs rise for nothing.
What you pay on top of the salary
An operator costs the company noticeably more than their salary. Count in:
- Employer taxes and mandatory contributions. Ask your accountant for the exact rates.
- The workstation: desk, computer, headset, internet, phone line.
- Software: CRM, phone system, call recording.
- Training: a new operator is slower for the first weeks, and another employee teaches them.
- Holidays, sick days and replacing people who leave.
What one call costs: a worked example
- Write down an operator’s full monthly cost. For example, a 6 million so‘m salary plus 2 million so‘m of other costs: 8 million so‘m.
- Count the calls they take a month. For example, 60 a day over 22 working days: 1,320 calls.
- Divide: 8,000,000 ÷ 1,320 ≈ 6,060 so‘m. That is the cost of one call.
- Check the quiet hours. The operator is still at the desk and still paid, so a call in those hours costs even more.
These numbers are only an example. Put your own salaries and calls into the calculator on the home page.
Comparing with an AI operator
Sado has no salary, no monthly fee and no setup fee: you pay only 800 so‘m per talked minute. For example, a two-minute call costs 1,600 so‘m, at night and at weekends too. Hours without calls cost nothing.
You can give routine and night calls to the AI operator and keep your operators on sales and complex conversations. Prices: Sado pricing. Comparison: call centre vs AI operator. The full calculation: what a call centre costs. Try it live or call 78 778 01 23.
Questions
Should night-shift operators be paid more?
Usually yes: few people agree to work nights, and labour law has separate rules for night work. Check the exact terms with your accountant or a lawyer.
What should the bonus be tied to?
To a result the operator controls: a booked appointment, a confirmed order, a sale. Paying only for the number of calls makes conversations rushed and short.
How much does one AI operator call cost?
Sado charges 800 so‘m per talked minute, whatever the call length. For example, a 2-minute call is 1,600 so‘m. There is no monthly fee and no setup fee.