Telephone Operators
SOC code 43-2021 · Office and Administrative Support Occupations
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $31,510 | $15.15 |
| 25th percentile | $36,920 | $17.75 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $41,740 | $20.07 |
| 75th percentile | $51,510 | $24.76 |
| 90th percentile | $62,950 | $30.27 |
See where a wage ranks
Estimate only, based on linear interpolation between this occupation's BLS OEWS reported percentiles above.
Wages by state (May 2024)
State-level employment and wage estimates for Telephone Operators (SOC 43-2021), from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) State estimates, May 2024. Data available for 19 of 51 states/DC for this occupation.
| State | Employment | Mean annual | Median annual | 10th pctl annual | 25th pctl annual | 75th pctl annual | 90th pctl annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 190 | $57,410 | $56,770 | $41,490 | $48,360 | $66,130 | $72,640 |
| Connecticut | 30 | $44,380 | $40,620 | $38,010 | $38,010 | $48,210 | $61,260 |
| District of Columbia | — | $47,160 | $47,890 | $35,860 | $38,510 | $52,470 | $60,010 |
| Georgia | 140 | $38,450 | $36,510 | $30,680 | $34,180 | $43,820 | $48,930 |
| Hawaii | 40 | $56,620 | $52,160 | $52,150 | $52,150 | $66,070 | $66,070 |
| Kentucky | 100 | $36,780 | $38,100 | $31,530 | $33,580 | $38,650 | $40,710 |
| Louisiana | 80 | $32,040 | $34,050 | $25,100 | $27,040 | $36,300 | $38,020 |
| Maryland | 110 | $43,720 | $41,220 | $39,600 | $40,360 | $45,860 | $53,650 |
| Massachusetts | — | $47,920 | $46,370 | $42,620 | $43,770 | $46,460 | $50,980 |
| Michigan | 60 | $40,760 | $40,300 | $32,290 | $36,480 | $45,870 | $47,780 |
| Nevada | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | 230 | $44,480 | $40,770 | $31,550 | $38,420 | $49,910 | $56,400 |
| New York | 350 | $57,670 | $53,510 | $38,420 | $48,580 | $72,600 | $78,060 |
| Ohio | 190 | $38,170 | $38,110 | $30,090 | $35,140 | $39,060 | $44,440 |
| Oklahoma | 40 | $36,550 | $37,400 | $27,240 | $31,760 | $40,070 | $47,140 |
| Pennsylvania | 400 | $38,260 | $36,040 | $31,440 | $32,180 | $39,090 | $49,140 |
| South Carolina | 70 | $40,500 | $36,160 | $31,070 | $35,080 | $49,740 | $52,220 |
| Texas | 640 | $40,830 | $36,800 | $34,620 | $36,070 | $44,010 | $55,280 |
| Wisconsin | — | $37,530 | $37,830 | $23,390 | $36,430 | $40,670 | $48,160 |
Hourly by-state wages are in the source dataset but not rendered here (annual only, to keep this table a manageable width); see the source link below for the full file. BLS suppresses some state-level figures for reliability: an em dash (—) means BLS did not publish that figure for this state and occupation. Per BLS’s own field definitions: "*" = a wage estimate is not available; "**" = an employment estimate is not available; "#" = a wage equal to or greater than $115.00 per hour or $239,200 per year (all three are shown here as —, not guessed). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), State occupational employment and wage estimates, May 2024.
Similar-paying occupations in Office and Administrative Support Occupations
- Data Entry Keyers 43-9021$41,340/yr
- Office Machine Operators, Except Computer 43-9071$40,960/yr
- Tellers 43-3071$43,030/yr
- File Clerks 43-4071$43,600/yr
- Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service 43-9051$39,280/yr
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 estimates. Wage figures are BLS OEWS estimates and may not reflect current pay.