Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service Wages
SOC 43-2011 • Full occupation profile
The median annual wage for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service is $36,750 nationally (2023 BLS OEWS). The 10th percentile is $28,030 and the 90th percentile is $58,810, showing the wide spread of wages in this occupation.
National Wage Distribution (2023)
Employment
43,830
P10
$28,030
P25
$31,600
Median
$36,750
P75
$43,840
P90
$58,810
National Wage Trend
How national median and mean wages for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service have moved across BLS OEWS release years.
| Year | Median | Mean | P10 | P90 | Employment | YoY Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $36,750 | $40,020 | $28,030 | $58,810 | 43,830 | — |
| 2022 | $34,670 | $37,230 | $25,640 | $52,710 | 47,430 | -5.66% |
| 2021 | $30,150 | $34,590 | $23,120 | $47,330 | 48,190 | -13.04% |
| 2020 | $31,430 | $33,980 | $22,530 | $49,570 | 59,270 | +4.25% |
Wages by State (2023)
State-level OEWS wage estimates for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service. The highest median is in Hawaii at $49,790, 35% above the U.S. median.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Mean Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $49,790 | +35.5% | $49,760 | 340 |
| District of Columbia | $48,710 | +32.5% | $49,980 | 160 |
| California | $47,130 | +28.2% | $52,640 | 8,830 |
| Oregon | $44,810 | +21.9% | $44,920 | 300 |
| Minnesota | $42,640 | +16% | $41,190 | 230 |
| Washington | $41,180 | +12.1% | $43,640 | 340 |
| New York | $40,570 | +10.4% | $43,350 | 3,570 |
| Illinois | $40,110 | +9.1% | $42,820 | 2,290 |
| Massachusetts | $39,930 | +8.7% | $42,500 | 970 |
| New Hampshire | $39,740 | +8.1% | $40,300 | 170 |
| Maine | $38,600 | +5% | $38,090 | 140 |
| New Jersey | $38,540 | +4.9% | $41,090 | 880 |
| Delaware | $38,450 | +4.6% | $37,110 | 150 |
| Wisconsin | $37,960 | +3.3% | $39,800 | 600 |
| Michigan | $37,920 | +3.2% | $39,200 | 790 |
| Vermont | $37,880 | +3.1% | $37,380 | 120 |
| Utah | $37,350 | +1.6% | $37,140 | 180 |
| Colorado | $36,670 | -0.2% | $37,270 | 450 |
| Georgia | $36,610 | -0.4% | $37,340 | 990 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,610 | -0.4% | $35,540 | 1,860 |
| Montana | $36,520 | -0.6% | $35,350 | 50 |
| Connecticut | $35,950 | -2.2% | $38,430 | 400 |
| Nevada | $35,940 | -2.2% | $36,630 | 930 |
| Maryland | $35,860 | -2.4% | $36,860 | 940 |
| Arizona | $35,650 | -3% | $39,940 | 370 |
| Ohio | $35,370 | -3.8% | $35,170 | 1,030 |
| Rhode Island | $35,240 | -4.1% | $37,950 | — |
| Kansas | $34,850 | -5.2% | $34,500 | 260 |
| Nebraska | $34,810 | -5.3% | $37,020 | 270 |
| Missouri | $34,770 | -5.4% | $35,680 | 900 |
| North Carolina | $34,470 | -6.2% | $35,250 | 940 |
| Iowa | $34,450 | -6.3% | $34,620 | 310 |
| New Mexico | $34,450 | -6.3% | $35,720 | 290 |
| Louisiana | $33,850 | -7.9% | $35,030 | 1,170 |
| Kentucky | $33,750 | -8.2% | $35,470 | 310 |
| Alaska | $33,440 | -9% | $34,210 | 70 |
| Indiana | $33,060 | -10% | $32,540 | 800 |
| Florida | $32,870 | -10.6% | $33,860 | 3,490 |
| Virginia | $32,810 | -10.7% | $33,270 | 300 |
| Tennessee | $32,310 | -12.1% | $33,380 | 800 |
| Arkansas | $32,080 | -12.7% | $32,580 | 260 |
| South Carolina | $31,890 | -13.2% | $32,330 | 870 |
| Oklahoma | $31,730 | -13.7% | $32,570 | 390 |
| Mississippi | $29,970 | -18.4% | $30,060 | 270 |
| Texas | $29,970 | -18.4% | $31,050 | 3,710 |
| Alabama | $29,620 | -19.4% | $30,580 | 820 |
| West Virginia | $28,350 | -22.9% | $29,740 | 210 |
| Idaho | — | — | — | 50 |