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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

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)
4,030 7.3 % $ 19.99 $ 41,590 1.9 %

Percentile wage estimates for Telephone Operators:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 13.19 $ 15.01 $ 18.43 $ 23.80 $ 30.96
Annual Wage (2) $ 27,430 $ 31,220 $ 38,330 $ 49,510 $ 64,390


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 720 0.01 $ 19.17 $ 39,880
Offices of Physicians 620 0.02 $ 16.47 $ 34,270
Traveler Accommodation 540 0.03 $ 20.53 $ 42,690
Telecommunications 380 0.06 $ 32.15 $ 66,880
Automobile Dealers 230 0.02 $ 19.22 $ 39,970

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 380 0.06 $ 32.15 $ 66,880
Traveler Accommodation 540 0.03 $ 20.53 $ 42,690
Automobile Dealers 230 0.02 $ 19.22 $ 39,970
Offices of Physicians 620 0.02 $ 16.47 $ 34,270
Insurance Carriers 70 0.01 $ 20.45 $ 42,530

Top paying industries for Telephone Operators:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Telecommunications 380 0.06 $ 32.15 $ 66,880
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 50 (7) $ 22.54 $ 46,870
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 200 (7) $ 21.38 $ 44,480
Traveler Accommodation 540 0.03 $ 20.53 $ 42,690
Insurance Carriers 70 0.01 $ 20.45 $ 42,530


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 2022


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 480 0.05 1.93 $ 25.66 $ 53,370
California 470 0.03 0.97 $ 25.64 $ 53,320
Pennsylvania 220 0.04 1.37 $ 20.02 $ 41,640
Hawaii 180 0.31 11.39 $ 24.34 $ 50,620
Massachusetts 150 0.04 1.55 $ 23.34 $ 48,540


Map of location quotient of telephone operators by state, May 2022


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 180 0.31 11.39 $ 24.34 $ 50,620
Nevada 120 0.09 3.19 $ 16.76 $ 34,850
Louisiana 130 0.07 2.63 $ 12.61 $ 26,240
New York 480 0.05 1.93 $ 25.66 $ 53,370
Missouri 130 0.05 1.71 $ 18.46 $ 38,410


Map of annual mean wages of telephone operators by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Telephone Operators:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 480 0.05 1.93 $ 25.66 $ 53,370
California 470 0.03 0.97 $ 25.64 $ 53,320
Hawaii 180 0.31 11.39 $ 24.34 $ 50,620
Virginia 70 0.02 0.63 $ 23.46 $ 48,790
Massachusetts 150 0.04 1.55 $ 23.34 $ 48,540



Map of employment of telephone operators by area, May 2022


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 350 0.04 1.41 $ 26.14 $ 54,380
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 130 0.02 0.81 $ 26.60 $ 55,330
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 130 0.05 1.81 $ 16.15 $ 33,590
Urban Honolulu, HI 130 0.30 11.14 $ 23.73 $ 49,360
Memphis, TN-MS-AR 120 0.19 6.98 $ 16.94 $ 35,240
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 110 0.04 1.50 $ 23.60 $ 49,090
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 90 0.03 1.24 $ 21.30 $ 44,310
Kansas City, MO-KS 70 0.06 2.34 $ 18.08 $ 37,600
Knoxville, TN 60 0.16 5.91 $ 16.47 $ 34,260
St. Louis, MO-IL 60 0.04 1.64 $ 20.34 $ 42,320


Map of location quotient of telephone operators by area, May 2022


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)
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 40 0.60 22.10 $ 25.95 $ 53,970
Urban Honolulu, HI 130 0.30 11.14 $ 23.73 $ 49,360
Memphis, TN-MS-AR 120 0.19 6.98 $ 16.94 $ 35,240
Knoxville, TN 60 0.16 5.91 $ 16.47 $ 34,260
Trenton, NJ 40 0.15 5.48 $ 23.22 $ 48,290
Chattanooga, TN-GA 30 0.13 4.80 $ 19.01 $ 39,530
Tucson, AZ 30 0.09 3.29 $ 18.13 $ 37,710
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 40 0.08 3.09 $ 20.53 $ 42,690
Kansas City, MO-KS 70 0.06 2.34 $ 18.08 $ 37,600
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 130 0.05 1.81 $ 16.15 $ 33,590


Map of annual mean wages of telephone operators by area, May 2022


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)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 130 0.02 0.81 $ 26.60 $ 55,330
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 350 0.04 1.41 $ 26.14 $ 54,380
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 40 0.60 22.10 $ 25.95 $ 53,970
Urban Honolulu, HI 130 0.30 11.14 $ 23.73 $ 49,360
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 110 0.04 1.50 $ 23.60 $ 49,090
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 40 0.03 1.02 $ 23.22 $ 48,300
Trenton, NJ 40 0.15 5.48 $ 23.22 $ 48,290
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 50 0.02 0.62 $ 22.90 $ 47,630
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 90 0.03 1.24 $ 21.30 $ 44,310
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 40 0.08 3.09 $ 20.53 $ 42,690


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.

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

(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