Salary by Metro

SOC 43-2021 · Office and Administrative Support Occupations

Telephone Operators wages by metro

National median annual wage

$41,740

10th percentile
$31,510
25th percentile
$36,920
Median
$41,740
75th percentile
$51,510
90th percentile
$62,950
Mean
$44,970

Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.

National employment in May 2025: 3,430.

That median is 18.1% lower than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.

The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.

A public high school teacher standing in a classroom in the United States
A public high school classroom in the United States. Photograph by Harrison Keely. Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0

Highest published medians

Metros with the highest published annual medians for Telephone Operators.
OccupationEmployment10thMedian90th
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA110$45,950$58,900$63,510
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJNot available$37,840$51,410$60,710
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHNot available$47,930$47,940$79,300
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV60$37,490$47,410$64,140
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD140$36,980$45,000$81,850
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX100$39,500$44,980$51,600
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD80$41,730$42,460$52,600
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA40$36,920$40,400$53,700
Cleveland, OH70$34,320$39,570$62,710
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY30$34,890$38,620$78,070
Columbus, OH30$33,920$37,890$46,780
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN50$36,570$37,600$44,790
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI50$35,650$37,550$44,820
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TXNot available$37,150$37,150$37,150

Where employment is largest

Metros with the most Telephone Operators jobs in the May 2025 tables.
OccupationEmployment10thMedian90th
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD140$36,980$45,000$81,850
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA110$45,950$58,900$63,510
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX100$39,500$44,980$51,600
Charleston-North Charleston, SC90Not availableNot availableNot available
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD80$41,730$42,460$52,600
Cleveland, OH70$34,320$39,570$62,710
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV60$37,490$47,410$64,140
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN50$36,570$37,600$44,790
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI50$35,650$37,550$44,820
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN50Not availableNot availableNot available
Pittsburgh, PA50Not availableNot availableNot available
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA40$36,920$40,400$53,700
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY30$34,890$38,620$78,070
Columbus, OH30$33,920$37,890$46,780

States and territories

State estimates for Telephone Operators, May 2025.
OccupationEmployment10thMedian90th
California230$44,120$57,170$66,670
New YorkNot available$37,840$50,220$70,810
District of Columbia50$37,490$49,330$72,090
MassachusettsNot available$43,900$47,940$79,300
Wisconsin60$38,940$46,590$48,520
Maryland110$40,980$42,460$49,980
VirginiaNot available$37,220$42,350$48,710
New Jersey190$37,120$41,960$55,000
Texas280$34,550$41,250$56,900
North Carolina40$29,330$40,360$47,750
Michigan80$35,640$37,550$49,070
Oklahoma40$37,250$37,320$37,320
Florida70$36,130$37,180$52,680
Ohio220$31,990$36,970$50,500
Georgia160$33,080$36,920$50,360
Louisiana50$25,040$31,400$38,410
South Carolina170Not availableNot availableNot available
Tennessee150Not availableNot availableNot available

Other office and administrative support occupations

Questions this page answers

What is the national median wage for Telephone Operators?

In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Telephone Operators is $41,740. Employment is 3,430.

How does Telephone Operators pay compare with all occupations?

The national median for Telephone Operators is 18.1% lower than the all-occupations median of $50,980.

Which metro has the highest published median for Telephone Operators?

Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA is highest on this page's list at $58,900.