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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

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:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
68,050 2.8 % $15.88 $33,030 1.0 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $10.51 $12.34 $14.72 $18.17 $23.06
Annual Wage (2) $21,870 $25,670 $30,610 $37,790 $47,970


Industry profile for this occupation:

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 15,910 1.78 $14.59 $30,350
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 13,740 0.25 $15.76 $32,780
Offices of Physicians 5,170 0.20 $15.11 $31,430
Traveler Accommodation 4,770 0.23 $16.73 $34,800
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 2,290 0.04 $19.91 $41,400

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Business Support Services 15,910 1.78 $14.59 $30,350
Electronics and Appliance Stores 1,250 0.26 $14.07 $29,270
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 13,740 0.25 $15.76 $32,780
Traveler Accommodation 4,770 0.23 $16.73 $34,800
Outpatient Care Centers 2,080 0.22 (8) (8)

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities 30 (7) $20.88 $43,440
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 2,290 0.04 $19.91 $41,400
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services 180 0.02 $19.75 $41,080
Civic and Social Organizations 50 0.01 $19.71 $41,000
Truck Transportation 320 0.02 $19.04 $39,610


Geographic profile for this occupation:

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 11,960 0.69 1.48 $19.72 $41,010
Texas 5,380 0.43 0.93 $13.44 $27,950
Florida 5,060 0.58 1.24 $13.93 $28,970
New York 3,100 0.33 0.70 $19.08 $39,680
Ohio 2,770 0.51 1.10 $13.97 $29,050




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 1,550 1.11 2.40 $15.60 $32,450
Louisiana 1,860 0.97 2.09 $12.55 $26,110
South Carolina 1,550 0.73 1.58 $14.15 $29,430
Hawaii 440 0.70 1.51 $19.57 $40,700
California 11,960 0.69 1.48 $19.72 $41,010




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Connecticut 880 0.53 1.14 $20.90 $43,470
District of Columbia 240 0.33 0.71 $20.50 $42,640
California 11,960 0.69 1.48 $19.72 $41,010
Hawaii 440 0.70 1.51 $19.57 $40,700
New York 3,100 0.33 0.70 $19.08 $39,680





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)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 5,030 0.81 1.74 $17.25 $35,870
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 3,350 0.35 0.75 $19.09 $39,710
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 1,950 0.74 1.59 $14.58 $30,320
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 1,850 0.40 0.85 $17.25 $35,870
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,840 0.67 1.45 $16.28 $33,870
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,660 0.45 0.98 $13.55 $28,190
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 1,350 0.90 1.95 $20.16 $41,930
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 1,340 1.31 2.84 $15.74 $32,740
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,110 0.36 0.79 $14.83 $30,850
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,080 0.38 0.81 $16.09 $33,460




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

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Monroe, LA 120 1.53 3.30 $12.21 $25,400
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ 90 1.52 3.28 $14.42 $30,000
Dothan, AL 80 1.45 3.13 $12.09 $25,140
Redding, CA 100 1.43 3.08 $15.50 $32,240
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 1,340 1.31 2.84 $15.74 $32,740
Lawton, OK 50 1.21 2.61 $9.86 $20,520
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 160 1.21 2.62 $11.97 $24,890
Charleston-North Charleston, SC 430 1.19 2.58 $14.33 $29,810
Gainesville, GA 100 1.10 2.37 $16.44 $34,200
Lansing-East Lansing, MI 230 1.06 2.30 $14.51 $30,190




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 480 0.42 0.91 $24.93 $51,860
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 970 0.39 0.85 $23.83 $49,560
Modesto, CA 40 0.23 0.49 $22.01 $45,790
Olympia-Tumwater, WA 110 0.98 2.12 $21.19 $44,070
Ann Arbor, MI 70 0.32 0.69 $20.85 $43,380
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 70 0.89 1.92 $20.84 $43,340
Salinas, CA 100 0.56 1.22 $20.73 $43,110
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 1,350 0.90 1.95 $20.16 $41,930
New Haven, CT 250 0.88 1.90 $20.01 $41,630
Binghamton, NY 80 0.78 1.68 $20.01 $41,610

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 730 10.29 22.21 $12.57 $26,150
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area 150 1.08 2.32 $13.34 $27,740
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 120 0.52 1.12 $12.26 $25,510
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 110 0.41 0.89 $12.39 $25,770
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 110 0.70 1.52 $14.74 $30,650

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

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 730 10.29 22.21 $12.57 $26,150
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area 150 1.08 2.32 $13.34 $27,740
Central Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 60 0.78 1.69 $11.76 $24,470
South Florida nonmetropolitan area 60 0.78 1.68 $13.98 $29,070
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 70 0.74 1.60 $13.33 $27,720

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 50 0.51 1.11 $20.02 $41,630
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 70 0.66 1.42 $18.26 $37,980
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 50 0.29 0.63 $16.67 $34,670
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area 40 0.46 0.99 $16.57 $34,460
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 60 0.58 1.25 $16.45 $34,210


About May 2019 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.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(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 OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020