Telephone Operators: Career Overview
Provide information by accessing alphabetical, geographical, or other directories. Assist customers with special billing requests, such as charges to a third party and credits or refunds for incorrectly dialed numbers or bad connections. May handle emergency calls and assist children or people with physical disabilities to make telephone calls.
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The Daily Work of Telephone Operators Do?
Typical responsibilities of telephone operators span:
- Observe signal lights on switchboards, and dial or press buttons to make connections.
- Operate telephone switchboards and systems to advance and complete connections, including those for local, long distance, pay telephone, mobile, person-to-person, and emergency calls.
- Listen to customer requests, referring to alphabetical or geographical directories to answer questions and provide telephone information.
- Update directory information.
- Suggest and check alternate spellings, locations, or listing formats to customers lacking details or complete information.
- Perform clerical duties such as typing, proofreading, and sorting mail.
- Offer special assistance to persons such as those who are unable to dial or who are in emergency situations.
Skills and Knowledge
Top telephone operators draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- 411 Directory Assistance Operator (411 Directory Assistance Op)
- Central Office Operator (CO Op)
- Change Number Operator (Change Number Op)
- Charge Operator (Charge Op)
- Communications Operator (Communications Op)
- Customer Service Assistant
- Directory Assistance Operator (Directory Assistance Op)
- Directory Operator (Directory Op)
How Many Telephone Operators Are There?
There are roughly 886,197 telephone operators working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +3.3% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Telephone Operators
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $53,949 |
| Hourly median | $25.94 |
| 10th percentile | $33,007 |
| 25th percentile | $43,478 |
| 75th percentile | $64,420 |
| 90th percentile | $74,891 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Telephone Operators Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $56,770 |
| New York | $53,510 |
| Hawaii | $52,160 |
| District of Columbia | $47,890 |
| Massachusetts | $46,370 |
| Maryland | $41,220 |
| New Jersey | $40,770 |
| Connecticut | $40,620 |
| Michigan | $40,300 |
| Ohio | $38,110 |
| Kentucky | $38,100 |
| Wisconsin | $37,830 |
| Oklahoma | $37,400 |
| Texas | $36,800 |
| Georgia | $36,510 |
| South Carolina | $36,160 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,040 |
| Louisiana | $34,050 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,410 |
Where Telephone Operators Earn the Most
Pay for telephone operators vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $49,510 | 9.5% | 0.82 |
| Middle Atlantic | $43,170 | 39.9% | 2.01 |
| New England | $40,620 | 1.1% | 0.74 |
| Great Lakes | $38,635 | 9.2% | 1.14 |
| Southwest | $36,835 | 24.9% | 1.74 |
| Southeast | $36,350 | 14.3% | 1.47 |
| Other U.S. Territories | $27,410 | 1.1% | 1.29 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Telephone Operators
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $52,990 | 70 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $51,390 | 380 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $46,370 | |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $44,400 | 90 |
| Worcester, MA | MA | $43,760 | |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | TX | $43,680 | |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | GA | $42,440 | 50 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | MD | $41,220 | 70 |
Top Industries Employing Telephone Operators
The bulk of telephone operators are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 2,170 | $39,030 |
| Information | 380 | $47,760 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 360 | $36,910 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 80 | $49,140 |
| Educational Services | 80 | $39,090 |
| Retail Trade | 70 | $37,710 |
| Finance and Insurance | 60 | $35,550 |
Below are examples of industries where telephone operators work:
Tech Stack
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for telephone operators is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Contact With Others
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Education and Training
Entry-level telephone operators positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Computer Network Support Specialists (Supplemental)
- Cashiers (Supplemental)
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel (Primary-Long)
- Telemarketers (Primary-Short)
- Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service (Primary-Short)
- Billing and Posting Clerks (Supplemental)
- Customer Service Representatives (Primary-Short)
- File Clerks (Supplemental)
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 43-2021.00 (Telephone Operators).
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