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Insurance giant Geico has announced plans to hire at least 600 more people for its Tucson service center over the next 15 months.

The company's Tucson location has grown to 550 employees since opening in 2003 and led Geico in sales growth in 2005.

Starting pay for the customer-service jobs is $12.64 an hour while claims representatives start at $15.80 an hour. All jobs feature a benefits package that includes medical and dental insurance, profit-sharing and 401(k) plans, said Martha Furnas, assistant vice president for Geico's Tucson location at 930 N. Finance Center Drive.

"We've been the fastest-growing major auto insurance company in the country, and this is the fastest-growing location within the company," Furnas said. "We feel like we made the right choice coming to Tucson and are very happy with the quality of the work force."

While the company has drawn from a local work force that includes many with call-center experience, that's not an essential criterion for the new positions, said Charlotte Fick, human-resources manager for the Tucson office.

Geico, which stands for Government Employees Insurance Co., celebrated its 70th anniversary this week with 12 locations nationwide, Furnas said.

Two other companies recently announced expansion plans for their Tucson call centers. Convergys Corp. will add 300 people to its 600-person work force at 3760 N. Commerce Drive by December, while Citigroup Inc., which employs 1,450 people at its Southeast Side call centers at the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park, plans to hire 1,000 more workers in the next two years.