Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service
Median $38,630
Occupation · SOC 43-2021
Telephone Operators: pay and where the jobs are
What telephone operators earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$41,740 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $44,970
- Median hourly wage
- $20.07
- Mean hourly wage
- $21.62
- Employment
- 3,430
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 43-2021.
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See where your pay falls among telephone operators nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do telephone operators make?
The median annual wage for telephone operators was $41,740 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $31,510 and the highest-paid 10% more than $62,950. As an hourly rate, the median is $20.07. About 3,430 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in California ($57,170), New York ($50,220) and District of Columbia ($49,330). California also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for telephone operators looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $31,510 | $15.15 | $2,626 | $2,292 |
| 25th percentile | $36,920 | $17.75 | $3,077 | $2,654 |
| Median | $41,740 | $20.07 | $3,478 | $2,977 |
| 75th percentile | $51,510 | $24.76 | $4,293 | $3,631 |
| 90th percentile | $62,950 | $30.27 | $5,246 | $4,397 |
Telephone Operators: pay by state
16 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$41,459 take-home in national prices
2
$40,604 take-home in national prices
3
$37,221 take-home in national prices
Where a median telephone operator paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 230 | $57,170 | $44,120 | $66,670 | $45,903 | $41,459 |
| New York | Not published | $50,220 | $37,840 | $70,810 | $40,169 | $37,221 |
| District of Columbia | 50 | $49,330 | $37,490 | $72,090 | $40,023 | $36,417 |
| Massachusetts | Not published | $47,940 | $43,900 | $79,300 | $38,302 | $36,217 |
| Wisconsin | 60 | $46,590 | $38,940 | $48,520 | $38,206 | $40,604 |
| Maryland | 110 | $42,460 | $40,980 | $49,980 | $34,646 | $33,009 |
| Virginia | Not published | $42,350 | $37,220 | $48,710 | $34,587 | $34,210 |
| New Jersey | 190 | $41,960 | $37,120 | $55,000 | $34,770 | $31,956 |
| Texas | 280 | $41,250 | $34,550 | $56,900 | $35,324 | $36,395 |
| North Carolina | 40 | $40,360 | $29,330 | $47,750 | $33,508 | $35,523 |
| Michigan | 80 | $37,550 | $35,640 | $49,070 | $31,006 | $32,225 |
| Oklahoma | 40 | $37,320 | $37,250 | $37,320 | $31,033 | $35,327 |
| Florida | 70 | $37,180 | $36,130 | $52,680 | $32,054 | $30,996 |
| Ohio | 220 | $36,970 | $31,990 | $50,500 | $31,319 | $33,758 |
| Georgia | 160 | $36,920 | $33,080 | $50,360 | $30,751 | $31,935 |
| Louisiana | 50 | $31,400 | $25,040 | $38,410 | $26,854 | $30,444 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 43-2021. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.