Telephone Operators
Is telephone operators a good career?
It scores 7/100 and ranks #800 of 825 occupations on pay, growth, employment and openings. Here's what the federal data says, with no editorializing.
Advantages
- No college degree typically required to enter
Possible tradeoffs
- Pays below the U.S. median wage ($41,740 vs $61,390)
- Employment is projected to decline (-27.5% through 2034)
What telephone operators earn
Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025Pay is a range, not a number. Half of U.S. telephone operators earn between $36,920 and $51,510 a year.
Best-paying states
Best-paying metros
Strongest employment concentration
Live telephone operators jobs
No live telephone operators openings yet
When the jobs.best ATS feed launches, verified telephone operators openings will appear here — each shown against the $41,740 national median. Nothing here is placeholder.
No placeholder listings · nothing inventedHow to become a telephone operator
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Related occupations
How much do telephone operators make?
The national median wage is $41,740 a year, with the middle half earning between $36,920 and $51,510 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Is telephone operators a good career?
On the Jobs.best index it scores 7 of 100 and ranks #800 of 825 occupations, weighing pay, growth, employment and openings. Employment is projected to change -27.5% through 2034.
What education do you need to become a telephone operator?
The typical entry-level education is high school diploma or equivalent.
Where do telephone operators earn the most?
Among states, California pays the highest median ($57,170). Local pay for every state and metro is below.