Skip to Main Content

Telephone Operators

Earnings

The wages paid to telephone operators vary by city, state, and region. The types of duties performed by the employee also affect the salary.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, median annual earnings of switchboard operators, including answering service, were $30,610 in May 2019. Median annual earnings of telephone operators were $35,750, with salaries ranging from less than $23,360 to more than $57,620. The median annual earnings for all other communications equipment operators were $42,790; salaries ranged from $23,510 or less to $72,840 or more.

Operators are usually paid time-and-a-half for Sunday work and may receive an extra day's pay for working on legal holidays. Some additional remuneration is usually paid when employees work split shifts or shifts that end after 6:00 P.M. Time-and-a-half pay is generally given if operators work more than a five-day week. Choice of work hours is usually determined on the basis of seniority. Pay increases in most instances are determined on the basis of periodic pay scales.

Fringe benefits for these employees usually include paid annual vacations and group insurance plans for sickness, accident, and death; the majority also have retirement and disability pension plans available.

Featured Companies