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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

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)
48,190 1.8 % $ 16.63 $ 34,590 0.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 11.11 $ 13.81 $ 14.50 $ 17.98 $ 22.76
Annual Wage (2) $ 23,120 $ 28,720 $ 30,150 $ 37,410 $ 47,330


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 12,300 0.22 $ 17.23 $ 35,840
Business Support Services 10,760 1.30 $ 14.27 $ 29,670
Offices of Physicians 4,040 0.15 $ 15.66 $ 32,580
Traveler Accommodation 1,800 0.13 $ 18.80 $ 39,110
Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,640 0.06 $ 16.66 $ 34,650

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 10,760 1.30 $ 14.27 $ 29,670
Electronics and Appliance Stores 1,270 0.30 $ 14.78 $ 30,740
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 12,300 0.22 $ 17.23 $ 35,840
Outpatient Care Centers 1,490 0.15 (8) (8)
Offices of Physicians 4,040 0.15 $ 15.66 $ 32,580

Top paying industries for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 410 0.04 $ 25.20 $ 52,410
Legal Services 200 0.02 $ 24.14 $ 50,220
Facilities Support Services (8) (8) $ 22.51 $ 46,810
Truck Transportation 170 0.01 $ 21.88 $ 45,510
Insurance Carriers 160 0.01 $ 21.06 $ 43,800


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 2021


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 7,640 0.46 1.35 $ 21.58 $ 44,880
Texas 4,030 0.33 0.96 $ 14.05 $ 29,210
New York 3,520 0.41 1.19 $ 18.35 $ 38,170
Florida 2,780 0.32 0.95 $ 14.70 $ 30,580
Pennsylvania 2,110 0.38 1.11 $ 15.96 $ 33,200


Map of location quotient of switchboard operators, including answering service by state, May 2021


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 1,300 0.72 2.12 $ 13.28 $ 27,620
Nevada 880 0.68 2.00 $ 15.52 $ 32,280
Alabama 1,120 0.58 1.69 $ 12.95 $ 26,940
Hawaii 310 0.56 1.65 $ 20.98 $ 43,640
Delaware 240 0.56 1.62 $ 15.37 $ 31,960


Map of annual mean wages of switchboard operators, including answering service by state, May 2021


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)
District of Columbia 180 0.28 0.81 $ 21.99 $ 45,750
California 7,640 0.46 1.35 $ 21.58 $ 44,880
Hawaii 310 0.56 1.65 $ 20.98 $ 43,640
Washington 910 0.28 0.83 $ 20.65 $ 42,950
Massachusetts 970 0.29 0.84 $ 18.63 $ 38,750



Map of employment of switchboard operators, including answering service by area, May 2021


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 3,640 0.42 1.23 $ 18.57 $ 38,630
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,620 0.46 1.34 $ 19.86 $ 41,310
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 1,350 0.32 0.93 $ 16.91 $ 35,160
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 1,030 0.42 1.23 $ 15.05 $ 31,300
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,020 0.38 1.12 $ 17.53 $ 36,450
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 970 0.27 0.79 $ 15.17 $ 31,550
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 870 0.34 0.98 $ 15.32 $ 31,870
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 860 0.30 0.86 $ 14.95 $ 31,100
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 810 0.36 1.06 $ 24.64 $ 51,250
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 780 0.85 2.48 $ 15.67 $ 32,580


Map of location quotient of switchboard operators, including answering service by area, May 2021


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)
Mobile, AL 210 1.27 3.72 $ 13.26 $ 27,590
Chico, CA 90 1.16 3.39 $ 15.99 $ 33,250
Carbondale-Marion, IL 60 1.15 3.35 $ 16.03 $ 33,330
Lafayette, LA 210 1.12 3.26 $ 13.48 $ 28,030
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA 180 1.10 3.21 $ 12.67 $ 26,360
Dothan, AL 60 1.09 3.19 $ 12.61 $ 26,220
Michigan City-La Porte, IN 40 1.07 3.12 $ 13.23 $ 27,510
Alexandria, LA 60 1.05 3.08 $ 12.42 $ 25,840
Johnson City, TN 70 0.96 2.81 $ 13.62 $ 28,330
Janesville-Beloit, WI 60 0.95 2.79 $ 18.14 $ 37,730


Map of annual mean wages of switchboard operators, including answering service by area, May 2021


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)
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 40 0.55 1.61 $ 24.81 $ 51,610
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 810 0.36 1.06 $ 24.64 $ 51,250
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 260 0.24 0.71 $ 22.81 $ 47,440
Modesto, CA 50 0.30 0.89 $ 22.59 $ 46,990
Barnstable Town, MA 30 0.33 0.97 $ 22.37 $ 46,540
Iowa City, IA 30 0.35 1.02 $ 22.25 $ 46,270
Stockton-Lodi, CA 180 0.71 2.08 $ 21.18 $ 44,060
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 430 0.22 0.66 $ 20.67 $ 42,990
Salinas, CA 80 0.49 1.45 $ 20.17 $ 41,950
Urban Honolulu, HI 230 0.59 1.72 $ 20.06 $ 41,720

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)
Upper Savannah South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 80 1.02 2.98 $ 13.08 $ 27,200
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 70 0.20 0.58 $ 13.92 $ 28,940
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 70 0.50 1.47 $ 13.38 $ 27,820
Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 70 1.11 3.24 $ 12.02 $ 25,000
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 60 0.24 0.70 $ 13.16 $ 27,360

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 70 1.11 3.24 $ 12.02 $ 25,000
Upper Savannah South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 80 1.02 2.98 $ 13.08 $ 27,200
Lower Savannah South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 40 0.73 2.14 $ 13.02 $ 27,080
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 60 0.58 1.69 $ 16.29 $ 33,890
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 30 0.55 1.61 $ 19.52 $ 40,600

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 40 0.47 1.36 $ 22.90 $ 47,630
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 30 0.55 1.61 $ 19.52 $ 40,600
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 30 0.36 1.05 $ 18.10 $ 37,660
West Central-Southwest New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 50 0.47 1.38 $ 17.50 $ 36,410
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 40 0.25 0.74 $ 17.25 $ 35,890


About May 2021 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 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022