Telephone Operators Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for telephone operators in the U.S. is $41,740 ($20.07 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $41,740
- Mean annual wage
- $44,970
- Median hourly wage
- $20.07
- Employment
- 3,430
3,430 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $31,510 | $15.15 |
| 25th percentile | $36,920 | $17.75 |
| Median (50th) | $41,740 | $20.07 |
| 75th percentile | $51,510 | $24.76 |
| 90th percentile | $62,950 | $30.27 |
Highest-paying states for telephone operators
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $57,170 | 230 |
| New York | $50,220 | — |
| District of Columbia | $49,330 | 50 |
| Massachusetts | $47,940 | — |
| Wisconsin | $46,590 | 60 |
| Maryland | $42,460 | 110 |
| Virginia | $42,350 | — |
| New Jersey | $41,960 | 190 |
| Texas | $41,250 | 280 |
| North Carolina | $40,360 | 40 |
Lowest-paying states
- Louisiana: $31,400 median annual wage
- Georgia: $36,920 median annual wage
- Ohio: $36,970 median annual wage
- Florida: $37,180 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $37,320 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Provide relay service for users who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Keep records of calls placed and received, and of related toll charges.
- Promote company products, services, and savings plans when appropriate.
- 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.
- 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.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 4.6% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 34.3% |
| Some college, no degree | 29.6% |
| Associate's degree | 17.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | 9.8% |
| Master's degree | 4.3% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Customer Service Representatives$44,770
- Office Clerks, General$45,010
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive$47,540
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers$69,500
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks$50,670
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants$45,930
- Receptionists and Information Clerks$38,010
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks$45,260
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.