Telephone Operators pay in the U.S.
$44,970avg. a year
$21.62 an hour · 3,430 employed
Telephone Operators in the U.S. earn an average of $44,970 a year and a median of $41,740. Pay is highest in California ($55,910) and lowest in Louisiana ($32,390).
$41,740Median pay
$21.62Average hourly
+14%Avg. pay since 2020
3,430Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for telephone operators
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1230 jobs
California
$55,910
$26.88 an hour
2
New York
$52,290
$25.14 an hour
350 jobs
District of Columbia
$50,960
$24.50 an hour
4
Massachusetts
$50,890
$24.47 an hour
560 jobs
Wisconsin
$45,260
$21.76 an hour
6110 jobs
Maryland
$44,290
$21.29 an hour
7190 jobs
New Jersey
$44,130
$21.22 an hour
8
Virginia
$43,100
$20.72 an hour
9280 jobs
Texas
$43,060
$20.70 an hour
1070 jobs
Florida
$40,730
$19.58 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Telephone Operators pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $40k$40k–$43k$43k–$51k$51k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $55,510 | $26.69 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $49,150 | $23.63 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $44,020 | $21.16 |
Related jobs
- Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service$42,300
- Communications Equipment Operators, All Other$62,130
- Customer Service Representatives$46,590
- Office Clerks, General$46,420
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive$49,350
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers$73,490
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Telephone Operators pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $55,910 | $57,170 | 230 |
| District of Columbia | $50,960 | $49,330 | 50 |
| Florida | $40,730 | $37,180 | 70 |
| Georgia | $39,210 | $36,920 | 160 |
| Louisiana | $32,390 | $31,400 | 50 |
| Maryland | $44,290 | $42,460 | 110 |
| Massachusetts | $50,890 | $47,940 | – |
| Michigan | $40,590 | $37,550 | 80 |
| New Jersey | $44,130 | $41,960 | 190 |
| New York | $52,290 | $50,220 | – |
| North Carolina | $39,850 | $40,360 | 40 |
| Ohio | $38,730 | $36,970 | 220 |
| Oklahoma | $37,570 | $37,320 | 40 |
| Texas | $43,060 | $41,250 | 280 |
| Virginia | $43,100 | $42,350 | – |
| Wisconsin | $45,260 | $46,590 | 60 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$49,150
140 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$55,510
110 jobsAustin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
$44,020
100 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do telephone operators make?
The average is $44,970 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $41,740 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $21.62, and the median is $20.07 an hour.
Which state pays telephone operators the most?
California, with an average of $55,910 a year. The best-paying metro area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA at $55,510.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $31,510 a year, and the top 10% earn over $62,950.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 43-2021. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.