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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

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 Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service
Industry profile for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service
Geographic profile for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service

National estimates for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
47,430 2.8 % $ 17.90 $ 37,230 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 12.33 $ 14.26 $ 16.67 $ 19.27 $ 25.34
Annual Wage (2) $ 25,640 $ 29,650 $ 34,670 $ 40,070 $ 52,710


Industry profile for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 12,430 0.22 $ 18.41 $ 38,290
Business Support Services 11,250 1.41 $ 14.90 $ 30,990
Offices of Physicians 3,690 0.13 $ 16.52 $ 34,350
Traveler Accommodation 2,120 0.13 $ 20.34 $ 42,300
Outpatient Care Centers 1,870 0.18 $ 26.83 $ 55,810

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Business Support Services 11,250 1.41 $ 14.90 $ 30,990
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 12,430 0.22 $ 18.41 $ 38,290
Outpatient Care Centers 1,870 0.18 $ 26.83 $ 55,810
Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events 210 0.15 $ 19.97 $ 41,550
Taxi and Limousine Service 70 0.14 $ 12.20 $ 25,380

Top paying industries for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Outpatient Care Centers 1,870 0.18 $ 26.83 $ 55,810
Legal Services 180 0.02 $ 23.81 $ 49,520
Insurance Carriers 140 0.01 $ 22.00 $ 45,760
Facilities Support Services 90 0.05 $ 21.64 $ 45,010
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 200 0.02 $ 21.10 $ 43,890


Geographic profile for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of switchboard operators, including answering service by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 9,300 0.53 1.64 $ 23.34 $ 48,550
Texas 4,050 0.31 0.97 $ 14.39 $ 29,940
Florida 3,680 0.40 1.25 $ 15.05 $ 31,310
New York 3,650 0.40 1.25 $ 19.71 $ 40,990
Pennsylvania 1,810 0.31 0.97 $ 15.77 $ 32,810


Map of location quotient of switchboard operators, including answering service by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Louisiana 1,270 0.69 2.15 $ 15.71 $ 32,670
Hawaii 360 0.60 1.89 $ 23.23 $ 48,310
Delaware 250 0.55 1.72 $ 16.35 $ 34,000
Maryland 1,460 0.55 1.72 $ 16.56 $ 34,440
California 9,300 0.53 1.64 $ 23.34 $ 48,550


Map of annual mean wages of switchboard operators, including answering service by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 9,300 0.53 1.64 $ 23.34 $ 48,550
Hawaii 360 0.60 1.89 $ 23.23 $ 48,310
District of Columbia 150 0.22 0.70 $ 22.37 $ 46,540
Oregon 310 0.16 0.51 $ 20.86 $ 43,390
New York 3,650 0.40 1.25 $ 19.71 $ 40,990



Map of employment of switchboard operators, including answering service by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 3,760 0.41 1.28 $ 19.89 $ 41,370
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,750 0.45 1.40 $ 20.92 $ 43,520
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 1,250 0.48 1.48 $ 15.10 $ 31,410
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 1,050 0.24 0.74 $ 17.37 $ 36,130
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,040 0.43 1.35 $ 26.42 $ 54,950
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,040 0.27 0.85 $ 14.89 $ 30,960
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,000 0.36 1.12 $ 17.50 $ 36,410
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 870 0.28 0.89 $ 14.79 $ 30,770
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 830 0.31 0.96 $ 19.56 $ 40,670
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 800 0.61 1.92 $ 16.21 $ 33,710


Map of location quotient of switchboard operators, including answering service by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Cumberland, MD-WV 80 2.31 7.19 $ 13.58 $ 28,250
Lafayette, LA 220 1.15 3.58 (8) (8)
Chico, CA 90 1.12 3.50 $ 18.25 $ 37,960
Carbondale-Marion, IL 60 1.11 3.46 $ 16.67 $ 34,680
Dothan, AL 50 0.93 2.91 $ 12.93 $ 26,900
Mobile, AL 150 0.89 2.78 $ 13.59 $ 28,270
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA 150 0.88 2.76 $ 15.32 $ 31,870
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 110 0.88 2.76 $ 16.67 $ 34,680
Kankakee, IL 40 0.84 2.61 $ 15.89 $ 33,060
Morristown, TN 40 0.76 2.36 $ 14.38 $ 29,910


Map of annual mean wages of switchboard operators, including answering service by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 530 0.47 1.46 $ 27.08 $ 56,320
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,040 0.43 1.35 $ 26.42 $ 54,950
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 40 0.59 1.84 $ 24.99 $ 51,990
Barnstable Town, MA 30 0.30 0.93 $ 23.94 $ 49,790
Modesto, CA 70 0.38 1.18 $ 23.41 $ 48,700
Urban Honolulu, HI 250 0.59 1.85 $ 23.07 $ 47,980
Napa, CA 40 0.52 1.63 $ 22.79 $ 47,400
Stockton-Lodi, CA 190 0.69 2.15 $ 22.51 $ 46,810
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 200 0.17 0.53 $ 21.39 $ 44,500
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 650 0.44 1.37 $ 21.00 $ 43,670

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 90 0.29 0.92 (8) (8)
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 80 0.32 0.99 $ 12.76 $ 26,540
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 70 0.68 2.13 $ 17.29 $ 35,960
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 70 0.67 2.08 $ 22.69 $ 47,190
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 60 0.23 0.72 $ 13.28 $ 27,620

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 60 0.87 2.73 $ 13.30 $ 27,650
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 70 0.68 2.13 $ 17.29 $ 35,960
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 70 0.67 2.08 $ 22.69 $ 47,190
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 50 0.55 1.70 $ 17.40 $ 36,180
Northeast Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 30 0.54 1.68 $ 14.16 $ 29,450

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 70 0.67 2.08 $ 22.69 $ 47,190
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 40 0.21 0.67 $ 18.83 $ 39,160
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 40 0.37 1.17 $ 18.69 $ 38,880
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 50 0.51 1.59 $ 18.56 $ 38,600
Central East New York nonmetropolitan area 50 0.33 1.03 $ 18.26 $ 37,990


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023