Average Salary for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service
SOC 43-2011 · Office and Administrative Support Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service in the United States is $38,370 ($18.45/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $29,820 at the 10th percentile to $60,940 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 35,730 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 44.5% since 2014.
Median Annual
$38,370
Mean Annual
$42,130
10th Pct
$29,820
75th Pct
$46,330
Employment
35,730
Salary Distribution
$30k
10th
$34k
25th
$38k
Median
$46k
75th
$61k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $73,220 |
| Modesto, CA | $61,760 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $61,350 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $59,810 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $59,500 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $58,750 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $54,850 |
| Bend, OR | $50,310 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $49,690 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $49,320 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $48,820 |
| Napa, CA | $47,860 |
| Salinas, CA | $47,250 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $47,120 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $46,810 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $57,220 |
| District of Columbia | $55,140 |
| California | $49,460 |
| Oregon | $49,440 |
| Minnesota | $48,280 |
| Washington | $46,470 |
| New York | $45,030 |
| Colorado | $42,740 |
| Maine | $42,090 |
| Montana | $41,880 |
| Utah | $41,290 |
| New Hampshire | $40,860 |
| Massachusetts | $40,730 |
| Illinois | $40,230 |
| Wisconsin | $39,910 |
| Maryland | $39,750 |
| Vermont | $39,500 |
| Arizona | $39,030 |
| Rhode Island | $38,350 |
| Georgia | $38,080 |
| Michigan | $38,070 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,930 |
| New Jersey | $37,920 |
| Idaho | $37,650 |
| New Mexico | $37,430 |
| Nevada | $37,260 |
| Iowa | $37,160 |
| Delaware | $36,930 |
| Kansas | $36,900 |
| Nebraska | $36,880 |
| Alaska | $36,600 |
| Connecticut | $36,560 |
| Kentucky | $36,500 |
| Ohio | $36,490 |
| North Carolina | $36,190 |
| Missouri | $35,640 |
| Virgin Islands | $35,620 |
| Virginia | $35,540 |
| Louisiana | $35,260 |
| Oklahoma | $35,170 |
| Florida | $35,080 |
| Indiana | $34,720 |
| West Virginia | $34,600 |
| Arkansas | $33,680 |
| South Carolina | $33,640 |
| Tennessee | $33,280 |
| Texas | $31,780 |
| Mississippi | $31,560 |
| Alabama | $31,450 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,970 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Outpatient Care Centers | $65,470 |
| Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists | $63,990 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) | $55,310 |
| Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations | $49,610 |
| Manufacturing | $49,050 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $48,710 |
| Office Administrative Services | $48,230 |
| Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations | $48,170 |
| Religious Organizations | $48,170 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | $47,870 |
| Individual and Family Services | $47,350 |
| Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events | $46,180 |
| Wholesale Trade | $45,220 |
| Accommodation | $45,110 |
| Traveler Accommodation | $45,110 |
| Truck Transportation | $45,080 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $44,810 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | $44,780 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | $44,690 |
| Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services | $43,990 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $43,990 |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | $43,300 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $42,890 |
| Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $42,890 |
| Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) | $42,170 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $42,050 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $42,050 |
| Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities | $41,910 |
| Construction | $41,780 |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | $41,780 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | $41,780 |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | $41,780 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $41,690 |
| Finance and Insurance | $41,540 |
| Credit Intermediation and Related Activities | $41,350 |
| Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $41,350 |
| Other Insurance Related Activities | $41,350 |
| Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers | $41,260 |
| Insurance Carriers | $41,210 |
| Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers | $41,050 |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $40,390 |
| Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries | $40,370 |
| Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals | $40,070 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | $39,840 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $39,380 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $39,380 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $39,380 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $39,380 |
| Hospitals | $39,330 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $39,230 |
| Legal Services | $39,120 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | $38,890 |
| Social Assistance | $38,880 |
| Educational Services | $38,730 |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $38,350 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $38,310 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $38,050 |
| Offices of Physicians | $38,000 |
| Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories | $37,880 |
| Death Care Services | $37,820 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | $37,800 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | $37,490 |
| Health and Personal Care Retailers | $37,180 |
| Health and Personal Care Retailers | $37,180 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $37,110 |
| Educational Services | $37,110 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $37,000 |
| Offices of Dentists | $36,970 |
| Other Amusement and Recreation Industries | $36,800 |
| Employment Services | $36,760 |
| Temporary Help Services | $36,300 |
| Business Support Services | $36,290 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services | $36,260 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $36,200 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $36,200 |
| Other Miscellaneous Retailers | $36,040 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | $35,780 |
| Casino Hotels | $35,580 |
| Nursing and Residential Care Facilities | $35,410 |
| Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries | $35,360 |
| Personal and Laundry Services | $35,350 |
| Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services | $35,060 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $34,890 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $34,890 |
| Real Estate | $34,670 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | $34,670 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | $34,550 |
| Gambling Industries | $34,120 |
| Retail Trade | $33,990 |
| Special Food Services | $33,870 |
| Food Services and Drinking Places | $33,860 |
| Television Broadcasting Stations | $33,540 |
| Automobile Dealers | $33,490 |
| Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers | $33,490 |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers | $33,140 |
| Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations | $32,950 |
| Radio Broadcasting Stations | $32,950 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | $32,830 |
| Junior Colleges | $31,870 |
| Automotive Repair and Maintenance | $31,590 |
| Automotive Body, Paint, Interior, and Glass Repair | $31,590 |
| Repair and Maintenance | $31,580 |
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $31,480 |
| Investigation and Security Services | $30,930 |
| Security Systems Services | $30,930 |
| Broadcasting and Content Providers | $30,190 |
| Information | $29,680 |
| Other Personal Services | $29,620 |
| Social Advocacy Organizations | $28,500 |
| Telecommunications | $27,020 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $38,370 |
| 2023 | $36,750 |
| 2022 | $34,670 |
| 2021 | $30,150 |
| 2020 | $31,430 |
| 2019 | $30,610 |
| 2018 | $29,420 |
| 2017 | $28,700 |
| 2016 | $28,030 |
| 2015 | $27,440 |
| 2014 | $26,550 |