Career
Telephone operators
Help callers reach the people and services they need.
$41,740
Median pay
-27.6%
Job growth, 2025–35
200
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Observe signal lights on switchboards, and dial or press buttons to make connections.
- Operate telephone switchboards and systems to advance and complete connections, including those for local, long distance, pay telephone, mobile, person-to-person, and emergency calls.
- Listen to customer requests, referring to alphabetical or geographical directories to answer questions and provide telephone information.
- Update directory information.
- Suggest and check alternate spellings, locations, or listing formats to customers lacking details or complete information.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on information & systems, then people & care?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Observe signal lights on switchboards, and dial or press buttons to make connections.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Speaking, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though short-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $41,740 a year and 200 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- NO MATCHCIP 99.9999
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service$38,630 · -26.0%
- Receptionists and Information Clerks$38,010 · -1.7%
- Telemarketers$35,450 · -21.4%
- Office Clerks, General$45,010 · -6.0%
- Customer Service Representatives$44,770 · -5.3%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →
Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.