Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2010

43-2011 Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service

Operate telephone business systems equipment or switchboards to relay incoming, outgoing, and interoffice calls. May supply information to callers and record messages.

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
138,200 1.2 % $12.63 $26,280 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $8.53 $9.93 $11.98 $14.63 $17.82
Annual Wage (2) $17,740 $20,650 $24,920 $30,420 $37,060

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Business Support Services 20,020 2.42 $11.32 $23,540
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 19,610 0.38 $12.67 $26,350
Automobile Dealers 10,960 1.09 $11.52 $23,970
Offices of Physicians 9,730 0.42 $12.69 $26,390
Traveler Accommodation 6,760 0.41 $13.50 $28,090

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Satellite Telecommunications 360 3.30 $14.48 $30,120
Business Support Services 20,020 2.42 $11.32 $23,540
Automobile Dealers 10,960 1.09 $11.52 $23,970
Taxi and Limousine Service 520 0.76 $11.14 $23,170
Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds 290 0.67 $14.03 $29,180

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Natural Gas Distribution 50 0.05 $22.29 $46,360
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing (8) (8) $19.63 $40,830
Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events 130 0.13 $16.49 $34,310
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 670 0.03 $16.30 $33,910
Other Telecommunications (8) (8) $15.97 $33,210

Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 17,520 1.25 1.15 $13.70 $28,490
Texas 11,100 1.10 1.01 $11.73 $24,410
New York 10,160 1.22 1.12 $14.21 $29,560
Illinois 7,310 1.32 1.22 $12.44 $25,880
Florida 6,500 0.92 0.84 $11.52 $23,970




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada 2,400 2.16 1.99 $13.82 $28,750
Louisiana 2,880 1.57 1.45 $11.11 $23,100
Maine 900 1.56 1.43 $11.97 $24,910
New Mexico 1,210 1.55 1.43 $11.83 $24,600
Connecticut 2,280 1.43 1.31 $14.66 $30,500




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 670 1.05 0.97 $16.89 $35,130
Hawaii 790 1.39 1.28 $14.90 $30,980
Connecticut 2,280 1.43 1.31 $14.66 $30,500
Washington 2,190 0.82 0.75 $14.60 $30,370
Massachusetts 3,200 1.03 0.94 $14.27 $29,690

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 5,280 1.06 0.97 $15.96 $33,190
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 4,520 1.18 1.09 $13.78 $28,670
Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL Metropolitan Division 4,260 1.20 1.11 $13.27 $27,600
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 2,410 0.97 0.89 $12.32 $25,630
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 2,370 1.73 1.59 $12.89 $26,810
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 2,270 1.13 1.04 $12.92 $26,880
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 2,240 1.02 0.93 $13.38 $27,820
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 2,000 1.11 1.02 $13.32 $27,710
Las Vegas-Paradise, NV 1,880 2.33 2.14 $14.21 $29,550
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 1,840 1.10 1.01 $13.06 $27,170