Telephone Operators — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$41,740
United States, 2025
Employment
3,430
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
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.
- O*NET code
- 43-2021.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Operate paging systems or other systems of bells or buzzers to notify recipients of incoming calls.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$31,510
25th percentile
$36,920
75th percentile
$51,510
90th percentile
$62,950
Most important skills
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Service Orientation3.5
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Monitoring2.8
- Complex Problem Solving2.6
- Time Management2.5
- Coordination2.5
- Writing2.3
- Active Learning2.3
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 6 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
6
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.0 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Speaking | 4.0 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Service Orientation | 3.5 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $49,230
Compare with Telephone OperatorsSupplemental
National median $76,220
Compare with Telephone OperatorsSupplemental
National median $45,920
Compare with Telephone OperatorsSupplemental
National median $47,540
Compare with Telephone OperatorsSupplemental
National median $45,930
Compare with Telephone OperatorsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | $58,900 | 110 | 2025 |
| CA | $57,170 | 230 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $51,410 | — | 2025 |
| NY | $50,220 | — | 2025 |
| DC | $49,330 | 50 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $47,940 | — | 2025 |
| MA | $47,940 | — | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $47,410 | 60 | 2025 |
| WI | $46,590 | 60 | 2025 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $45,000 | 140 | 2025 |
| Austin, TX | $44,980 | 100 | 2025 |
| MD | $42,460 | 110 | 2025 |
| Baltimore, MD | $42,460 | 80 | 2025 |
| VA | $42,350 | — | 2025 |
| NJ | $41,960 | 190 | 2025 |
| TX | $41,250 | 280 | 2025 |
| Atlanta, GA | $40,400 | 40 | 2025 |
| NC | $40,360 | 40 | 2025 |
| Cleveland, OH | $39,570 | 70 | 2025 |
| Buffalo, NY | $38,620 | 30 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Telephone Operators to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.