Occupations · Office and Administrative Support
Telephone Operators
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 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 43-2021.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 40% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $51,390 | 380 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $39,060 | 160 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $44,400 | 90 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $41,220 | 70 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $52,990 | 70 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $37,040 | 50 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $36,040 | 50 |
| Cleveland, OH | $38,460 | 50 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $42,440 | 50 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $39,470 | 40 |
| Trenton, NJ | $40,770 | 40 |
| Columbus, OH | $39,030 | 30 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Observe signal lights on switchboards, and dial or press buttons to make connections.
- Operate paging systems or other systems of bells or buzzers to notify recipients of incoming calls.
- 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.
- Monitor automated systems for placing collect calls and intervene for a callers needing assistance.
- Suggest and check alternate spellings, locations, or listing formats to customers lacking details or complete information.
- Update directory 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.
- Interrupt busy lines if an emergency warrants.
- Provide assistance for customers with special billing requests.
- Provide relay service for users who are deaf or hard of hearing.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2024-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2024-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 4
No longer listed 1
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| live chat operator | 4222.1.1 | close |
| telephone switchboard operator | 4223.1 | broader |
| call centre agent | 5244.1 | broader |
| emergency medical dispatcher | 4223.1.1 | broader |
| customer contact centre information clerk | 4222.1 | broader |
| crisis helpline operator | 3412.1 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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