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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

43-2021 Telephone Operators

Provide information by accessing alphabetical, geographical, or other directories. Assist customers with special billing requests, such as charges to a third party and credits or refunds for incorrectly dialed numbers or bad connections. May handle emergency calls and assist children or people with physical disabilities to make telephone calls.


National estimates for Telephone Operators
Industry profile for Telephone Operators
Geographic profile for Telephone Operators

National estimates for Telephone Operators:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Telephone Operators:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
3,870 7.3 % $ 18.93 $ 39,370 2.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for Telephone Operators:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 11.39 $ 14.09 $ 18.09 $ 23.00 $ 28.90
Annual Wage (2) $ 23,690 $ 29,300 $ 37,630 $ 47,830 $ 60,120


Industry profile for Telephone Operators:

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

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Telephone Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 1,020 0.02 $ 19.02 $ 39,570
Offices of Physicians 620 0.02 $ 15.66 $ 32,560
Telecommunications 550 0.08 $ 25.01 $ 52,020
Traveler Accommodation 470 0.03 $ 17.37 $ 36,130
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 190 0.00 $ 20.49 $ 42,630

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Telephone Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Telecommunications 550 0.08 $ 25.01 $ 52,020
Traveler Accommodation 470 0.03 $ 17.37 $ 36,130
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 70 0.02 $ 16.20 $ 33,700
Offices of Physicians 620 0.02 $ 15.66 $ 32,560
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 1,020 0.02 $ 19.02 $ 39,570

Top paying industries for Telephone Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Telecommunications 550 0.08 $ 25.01 $ 52,020
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 30 0.01 $ 24.91 $ 51,820
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 50 (7) $ 21.89 $ 45,520
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 190 (7) $ 20.49 $ 42,630
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 1,020 0.02 $ 19.02 $ 39,570


Geographic profile for Telephone Operators:

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



Map of employment of telephone operators by state, May 2021


States with the highest employment level in Telephone Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 660 0.08 2.75 $ 23.67 $ 49,230
California 510 0.03 1.11 $ 23.06 $ 47,950
Texas 260 0.02 0.76 (8) (8)
Ohio 220 0.04 1.51 $ 14.40 $ 29,950
Missouri 170 0.06 2.26 $ 17.97 $ 37,370


Map of location quotient of telephone operators by state, May 2021


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Telephone Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 70 0.12 4.32 $ 21.71 $ 45,150
District of Columbia 70 0.11 3.93 $ 22.31 $ 46,410
Rhode Island 40 0.10 3.46 $ 20.24 $ 42,090
West Virginia 60 0.09 3.27 $ 14.87 $ 30,920
Delaware 40 0.08 2.94 $ 19.05 $ 39,610


Map of annual mean wages of telephone operators by state, May 2021


Top paying states for Telephone Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Jersey 60 0.02 0.61 $ 23.74 $ 49,370
Pennsylvania 40 0.01 0.26 $ 23.72 $ 49,340
New York 660 0.08 2.75 $ 23.67 $ 49,230
California 510 0.03 1.11 $ 23.06 $ 47,950
Massachusetts 120 0.03 1.24 $ 22.56 $ 46,910



Map of employment of telephone operators by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Telephone Operators:

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 510 0.06 2.13 $ 24.11 $ 50,140
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 90 0.03 0.95 (8) (8)
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 90 0.07 2.45 $ 20.56 $ 42,770
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 90 0.03 1.16 $ 21.51 $ 44,740
Kansas City, MO-KS 80 0.08 2.81 $ 17.14 $ 35,640
St. Louis, MO-IL 80 0.06 2.16 $ 20.41 $ 42,440
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 70 0.03 1.03 $ 23.43 $ 48,740
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 70 0.03 1.00 $ 16.73 $ 34,790
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 70 0.03 1.12 $ 24.41 $ 50,770
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 50 0.09 3.36 $ 20.75 $ 43,160


Map of location quotient of telephone operators by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Telephone Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Trenton, NJ 30 0.13 4.86 $ 24.35 $ 50,640
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 50 0.09 3.40 $ 12.53 $ 26,050
Urban Honolulu, HI 40 0.09 3.40 $ 22.15 $ 46,070
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 50 0.09 3.36 $ 20.75 $ 43,160
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 40 0.09 3.18 $ 18.82 $ 39,150
Kansas City, MO-KS 80 0.08 2.81 $ 17.14 $ 35,640
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 40 0.07 2.50 $ 19.79 $ 41,170
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 90 0.07 2.45 $ 20.56 $ 42,770
St. Louis, MO-IL 80 0.06 2.16 $ 20.41 $ 42,440
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 510 0.06 2.13 $ 24.11 $ 50,140


Map of annual mean wages of telephone operators by area, May 2021


Top paying metropolitan areas for Telephone Operators:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 70 0.03 1.12 $ 24.41 $ 50,770
Trenton, NJ 30 0.13 4.86 $ 24.35 $ 50,640
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 510 0.06 2.13 $ 24.11 $ 50,140
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 70 0.03 1.03 $ 23.43 $ 48,740
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (8) (8) (8) $ 22.64 $ 47,090
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 50 0.02 0.65 $ 22.56 $ 46,930
Urban Honolulu, HI 40 0.09 3.40 $ 22.15 $ 46,070
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 90 0.03 1.16 $ 21.51 $ 44,740
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 50 0.09 3.36 $ 20.75 $ 43,160
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 90 0.07 2.45 $ 20.56 $ 42,770

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Telephone Operators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 40 0.31 11.17 $ 14.07 $ 29,270

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Telephone Operators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 40 0.31 11.17 $ 14.07 $ 29,270

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Telephone Operators:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 40 0.31 11.17 $ 14.07 $ 29,270


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.

(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 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