Telephone Operators
Telephone Operators is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. While facing some shifts, the field is adapting to changes in the job market. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Telephone Operators workforce.
Employment Over Time
190 Workforce in 2023
The Telephone Operators workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Telephone Operators.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$58,646 Average Wage
In 2023, Telephone Operators earned an average of $58,646.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Telephone Operators.
Salary distribution for Telephone Operators.
Employment Growth Projections
-12.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
301 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -48.0%
156 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -73.0%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Telephone Operators.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Telephone Operators and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Telephone Operators employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Telephone Operators.
Wage Trends by Industry
3.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -2.3% growth (Current: $62,415)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Telephone Operators.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Telephone Operators.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 100 employees, $57,253 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Telephone Operators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 60 employees, $54,261 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 20 employees, $61,067 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 20 employees, $62,415 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Telephone Operators.
Diversity
Demographic information on Telephone Operators in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Telephone Operators in 2023 was 190 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Telephone Operators.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Telephone Operators.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Telephone Operators.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Telephone Operators in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Telephone Operators.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Telephone Operators workers.
Education level distribution for Telephone Operators.
Skills
Telephone Operators need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Active Listening, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Telephone Operators.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Telephone Operators.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Telephone Operators include Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Telecommunications, Communications and Media, Administrative.
Knowledge areas required for Telephone Operators.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Telephone Operators include Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Speech Clarity, Speech Recognition, Written Comprehension.
Required abilities for Telephone Operators.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Telephone Operators.
Daily Activities
Telephone Operators spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others, Getting Information, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships.
Most important work activities for Telephone Operators.
About
Telephone Operators
The average yearly wage for Telephone Operators was $58,646 in 2023.
SOC Code
43-2021 - Telephone Operators
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Telephone Operators reports an average salary of $58,646.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 190 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -12.3%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.