Occupation salary profile

Telephone Operators

SOC 43-2021 BLS OEWS May 2025

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.

National median · BLS
$41,740
▲ +6.67% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$44,970
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
3,430
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Telephone Operators

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$31,510
25th$36,920
Median (50th)$41,740
75th$51,510
90th — top pay$62,950

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Telephone Operators

BLS projects employment of telephone operators to decline 27.6% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%. About 200 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
3,500 → 2,500
-1,000 jobs
Projected change
-27.6%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
200
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-declining jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Telephone Operators

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening4.0
  • Speaking4.0
  • Service Orientation3.5
  • Social Perceptiveness3.1
  • Critical Thinking3.0
  • Reading Comprehension3.0
  • Monitoring2.8
  • Complex Problem Solving2.6
  • Coordination2.5
  • Time Management2.5
Top knowledge areas
  • Customer and Personal Service4.2
  • Telecommunications3.8
  • Administrative3.6
  • English Language3.2
  • Computers and Electronics3.1
  • Administration and Management2.6
  • Public Safety and Security2.4
  • Education and Training2.3
Software and technology used
Microsoft Office softwareMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft WordComputer aided dispatch softwareHandheld computer device softwareVideo conference software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What telephone operators do

  • 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.
Also called
411 Directory Assistance Operator (411 Directory Assistance Op)Directory Assistance Operator (Directory Assistance Op)Phone Operator (Telephone Operator)TELECOM Op (Telecommunications Operator)Information SpecialistLive Source Operator (Live Source Op)Long Distance Operator (LD Operator)PBX Operator (Post Box Exchange Operator)Phone Secretary (Telephone Secretary)Toll Operator (Toll Op)
More job titles for this occupation (20)
Central Office Operator (CO Op)Change Number Operator (Change Number Op)Charge Operator (Charge Op)Communications Operator (Communications Op)Customer Service AssistantDirectory Operator (Directory Op)Emergency Operator (Emergency Op)Information Operator (Information Op)Inward Toll Operator (Inward Toll Op)Local Operator (Local Op)Local Telephone Operator (Local Phone Op)Long Lines Operator (Long Lines Op)Operator (Op)Rate Quoting Operator (Rate Quoting Op)Relief Operator (Relief Op)Switchboard Op (Switchboard Operator)Telephone Exchange Operator (Phone Exchange Op)Toll Relief Operator (Toll Relief Op)Toll Service ObserverTrouble Operator (Trouble Op)

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.