Telephone operators

Detailed Occupation

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2024 Workforce

24.3k

Average Age

42.7

Estimated Job Growth

−27.5%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$36,905

Average Male Salary

$44,517

Average Female Salary

$34,533

About

Telephone operators are most often employed by the General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals industry. The average yearly wage for Telephone operators was $36,905 in 2024.

The locations that employ the most Telephone operators are El Paso City (Southeast)--Socorro City PUMA, TX, Pittsburgh City (North) PUMA, PA, and Cattaraugus & Allegany Counties PUMA, NY. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Telephone operators are West Alabama PUMA, AL, Ramsey County--St. Paul City (East) PUMA, MN, and Anoka County (Southeast)--Blaine & Lino Lakes Cities PUMA, MN.

Sales & Office Occupations Office & Administrative Support Occupations

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Telephone operators workforce. Telephone operators workforce in 2024 was 24,287 people, of which 76.2% were women and 23.8% were men.

Telephone operators are paid most in Cattaraugus & Allegany Counties PUMA, NY but are relatively concentrated in West Alabama PUMA, AL.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

5,770

Male Workforce

± 1.86k

18,517

Female Workforce

± 3.34k

The Telephone operators workforce in 2024 was 24,287 people (76.2% women and 23.8% men). This implies an average annual growth of −43.5% between 2014 (42,952) and 2024 (24,287).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Telephone operators.

During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Maryland ($60,754), Arkansas ($57,498), and Minnesota ($51,913).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$36,905

AVERAGE WAGE

#384 in the ranking (2014)

$69,878

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2024, Telephone operators earned an average of $36,905, $32,973 less than the average national salary of $69,878

The graph shows the ranking of Telephone operators in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2014.

In 2024, Telephone operators had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.357, which is lower than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Telephone operators (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Telephone operators compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Telephone operators and on wages for those in the field. General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals is the industry that employs the most Telephone operators, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Telephone operators, by average wage, is Administration of human resource programs ($65,285).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

24.3k

2024 Workforce

± 3,826

−12.3%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 24.6%

This graphic shows the share of Telephone operators employed by various industries. General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals employs the largest share of Telephone operators at 39.9%, followed by Business support services with 31.2% and Wired telecommunications carriers with 15.7%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Telephone operators in the US. The workforce of Telephone operators in 2024 was 24,287 people, with 76.2% woman, and 23.8% men. The average age of male Telephone operators in the workforce is 39.7 and of female Telephone operators is 43.7, and the most common race/ethnicity for Telephone operators is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Telephone operators in 2024 was 24,287 people, with 76.2% woman, and 23.8% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 25 to 29 years (3,377 people), 20 to 24 years (2,912 people), and 30 to 34 years (2,791 people). Among them they concentrated 38% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2024, 21.1% of Telephone operators workers were Hispanic and 78.9% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (73.2%), Puerto Rican (16.9)%, and All Other Spanish/Hispanic/Latino (4.97)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2024, 48.7% of the Telephone operators workforce were White, of which 77.9% were women and 22.1% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Black (27.1%) and Two or More Races (14.6%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Telephone operators from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Telephone operators is Business but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2024 were Engineering Technologies.

Among the necessary skills for Telephone operators, Active Listening stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Telephone operators need more than the average amount of Service Orientation.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Telephone operators in 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Business (920 people), Health (436 people), and Social Sciences (367 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Telephone operators workers were High School or Equivalent (8,298 people), Some college (7,878 people), and Bachelors Degree (3,519 people).

The graphic shows the Telephone operators workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Telephone operators from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Telephone operators need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Speaking, Service Orientation.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Telephone Operators from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.07%, but Telephone Operators are expected to see a growth of −27.5% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow less than the national average.

Job Growth

−27.5%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.07%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Telephone operators. This profession is expected to grow less than than 3.07%, the average rate of national job growth.