Telephone Operators Salary
Office and Administrative Support Occupations · 3.4K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$41,740
Median hourly
$20
Average annual
$44,970
Typical range
$31,510–$62,950
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Telephone Operators is $41,740 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $20 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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.
Most earn between $31,510 and $62,950 a year. There are roughly 3.4K people employed as telephone operators in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Telephone Operators.
- Hourly
- $20.07
- Daily
- $161
- Weekly
- $803
- Bi-weekly
- $1,605
- Monthly
- $3,478
- Annual
- $41,740
$41,740 a year is around the 50th percentile for Telephone Operatorss. The median is $41,740.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1California$57,170
- 2New York$50,220
- 3District of Columbia$49,330
- 4Massachusetts$47,940
- 5Wisconsin$46,590
- 6Maryland$42,460
- 7Virginia$42,350
- 8New Jersey$41,960
- 9Texas$41,250
- 10North Carolina$40,360
- 11Michigan$37,550
- 12Oklahoma$37,320
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$58,900
- 2New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$51,410
- 3Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$47,940
- 4Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$47,410
- 5Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$45,000
- 6Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX$44,980
- 7Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$42,460
- 8Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$40,400
- 9Cleveland, OH$39,570
- 10Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$38,620
- 11Columbus, OH$37,890
- 12Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN$37,600
Related job titles
Employers advertise Telephone Operators roles under these titles.
- Central Office Operator (CO Op)
- Change Number Operator (Change Number Op)
- Directory Assistance Operator (Directory Assistance Op)
- Directory Operator (Directory Op)
- Information Operator (Information Op)
- Inward Toll Operator (Inward Toll Op)
- Live Source Operator (Live Source Op)
- Local Operator (Local Op)
- Local Telephone Operator (Local Phone Op)
- Long Distance Operator (LD Operator)
- Long Lines Operator (Long Lines Op)
- Phone Operator (Telephone Operator)
- Phone Secretary (Telephone Secretary)
- Rate Quoting Operator (Rate Quoting Op)
- Switchboard Op (Switchboard Operator)
- TELECOM Op (Telecommunications Operator)
Related occupations
- Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service$38,630
- Telemarketers$35,450
- Customer Service Representatives$44,770
- Receptionists and Information Clerks$38,010
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel$69,990
- Public Safety Telecommunicators$53,040
- Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers$63,890
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance$50,340
What a Telephone Operators does
- Update directory information.
- 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.
- Offer special assistance to persons such as those who are unable to dial or who are in emergency situations.
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Telephone Operators make?
- The median annual wage for Telephone Operators is $41,740 ($20 per hour). Pay ranges from about $31,510 at the 10th percentile to $62,950 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Telephone Operators?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $44,970, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Telephone Operatorss the most?
- California has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $57,170.
- Is Telephone Operators a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 3.4K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Telephone Operators do?
- Update directory information.; 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..