43 Series · SOC 43-2011

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service

National salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2024)

Median Salary

$38,370

per year

Median Hourly

$18.45/hr

per hour

Mean Salary

$42,130

average

Employment

35,730

jobs nationwide

Salary Range

Annual Salary Distribution

10th pct25thMedian75th90th pct

Hourly Rate Distribution

10th pct25thMedian75th90th pct

10th Percentile

$29,820

25th Percentile

$34,250

Median

$38,370

75th Percentile

$46,330

90th Percentile

$60,940

Salary by State

Highest Paying States

1. Hawaii $57,220 2. District of Columbia $55,140 3. California $49,460 4. Oregon $49,440 5. Minnesota $48,280

Lowest Paying States

46. Puerto Rico $23,970 47. Alabama $31,450 48. Mississippi $31,560 49. Texas $31,780 50. Tennessee $33,280

View all 50 states →

#	State	Median Salary	Mean Salary	Employment	vs National
1	Hawaii	$57,220	$56,370	370	+49% above national
2	District of Columbia	$55,140	$57,210	200	+44% above national
3	California	$49,460	$54,710	7,170	+29% above national
4	Oregon	$49,440	$49,120	360	+29% above national
5	Minnesota	$48,280	$47,930	340	+26% above national
6	Washington	$46,470	$46,070	360	+21% above national
7	New York	$45,030	$49,450	2,070	+17% above national
8	Colorado	$42,740	$41,990	490	+11% above national
9	Maine	$42,090	$42,510	110	+10% above national
10	Montana	$41,880	$40,550	40	+9% above national
11	Utah	$41,290	$43,170	110	+8% above national
12	New Hampshire	$40,860	$41,250	150	+6% above national
13	Massachusetts	$40,730	$43,860	1,010	+6% above national
14	Illinois	$40,230	$43,080	1,830	+5% above national
15	Wisconsin	$39,910	$42,630	480	+4% above national
16	Maryland	$39,750	$40,760	530	+4% above national
17	Vermont	$39,500	$40,250	110	+3% above national
18	Arizona	$39,030	$39,820	560	+2% above national
19	Rhode Island	$38,350	$41,100	140	same as national
20	Georgia	$38,080	$37,690	680	1% below national
21	Michigan	$38,070	$39,400	430	1% below national
22	Pennsylvania	$37,930	$37,110	1,240	1% below national
23	New Jersey	$37,920	$40,830	730	1% below national
24	Idaho	$37,650	$35,010	70	2% below national
25	New Mexico	$37,430	$39,310	220	2% below national
26	Nevada	$37,260	$37,730	850	3% below national
27	Iowa	$37,160	$37,970	260	3% below national
28	Delaware	$36,930	$38,170	160	4% below national
29	Kansas	$36,900	$36,350	180	4% below national
30	Nebraska	$36,880	$39,160	220	4% below national
31	Alaska	$36,600	$39,010	60	5% below national
32	Connecticut	$36,560	$40,500	370	5% below national
33	Kentucky	$36,500	$37,120	350	5% below national
34	Ohio	$36,490	$36,560	800	5% below national
35	North Carolina	$36,190	$36,650	740	6% below national
36	Missouri	$35,640	$36,870	880	7% below national
37	Virgin Islands	$35,620	$36,800	50	7% below national
38	Virginia	$35,540	$35,480	N/A	7% below national
39	Louisiana	$35,260	$36,210	870	8% below national
40	Oklahoma	$35,170	$35,200	360	8% below national
41	Florida	$35,080	$35,570	2,940	9% below national
42	Indiana	$34,720	$36,300	500	10% below national
43	West Virginia	$34,600	$33,840	150	10% below national
44	Arkansas	$33,680	$34,670	290	12% below national
45	South Carolina	$33,640	$34,460	630	12% below national
46	Tennessee	$33,280	$32,970	870	13% below national
47	Texas	$31,780	$33,240	2,860	17% below national
48	Mississippi	$31,560	$32,270	300	18% below national
49	Alabama	$31,450	$32,140	820	18% below national
50	Puerto Rico	$23,970	$27,020	690	38% below national

Salary by Metro Area

Highest Paying Metros

1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $73,220 2. Modesto, CA $61,760 3. Urban Honolulu, HI $61,350 4. Barnstable Town, MA $59,810 5. Kahului-Wailuku, HI $59,500

Lowest Paying Metros

196. Aguadilla, PR $21,240 197. San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR $26,970 198. Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX $27,010 199. Dothan, AL $27,730 200. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX $28,280

View all 200 metro areas →

#	Metro Area	Median Salary	Employment	vs National
1	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$73,220	410	+91% above national
2	Modesto, CA	$61,760	60	+61% above national
3	Urban Honolulu, HI	$61,350	240	+60% above national
4	Barnstable Town, MA	$59,810	30	+56% above national
5	Kahului-Wailuku, HI	$59,500	50	+55% above national
6	Stockton-Lodi, CA	$58,750	150	+53% above national
7	San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$54,850	870	+43% above national
8	Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area	$51,920	80	+35% above national
9	Bend, OR	$50,310	40	+31% above national
10	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$49,690	240	+30% above national
11	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	$49,320	190	+29% above national
12	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$48,820	170	+27% above national
13	Napa, CA	$47,860	40	+25% above national
14	Salinas, CA	$47,250	90	+23% above national
15	Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	$47,120	70	+23% above national
16	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$46,810	2,320	+22% above national
17	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$46,730	420	+22% above national
18	New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$46,030	1,740	+20% above national
19	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$45,530	660	+19% above national
20	Salem, OR	$45,190	30	+18% above national
21	Fresno, CA	$45,080	150	+17% above national
22	Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$44,990	80	+17% above national
23	Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	$44,900	60	+17% above national
24	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$44,700	450	+16% above national
25	Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY	$43,850	70	+14% above national
26	Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	$43,610	290	+14% above national
27	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$43,020	1,140	+12% above national
28	Madison, WI	$42,900	90	+12% above national
29	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$42,760	590	+11% above national
30	Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI	$42,580	150	+11% above national
31	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$42,490	360	+11% above national
32	Portland-South Portland, ME	$42,130	30	+10% above national
33	North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous)	$42,010	50	+9% above national
34	Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	$41,710	50	+9% above national
35	Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	$41,600	90	+8% above national
36	Durham-Chapel Hill, NC	$40,960	60	+7% above national
37	Dover, DE	$40,710	40	+6% above national
38	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$40,380	500	+5% above national
39	Kalamazoo-Portage, MI	$40,310	50	+5% above national
40	Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA	$40,190	50	+5% above national
41	Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY	$40,130	180	+5% above national
42	Binghamton, NY	$40,040	50	+4% above national
43	Reading, PA	$39,990	30	+4% above national
44	Visalia, CA	$39,980	50	+4% above national
45	Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI	$39,870	50	+4% above national
46	Pittsburgh, PA	$39,720	240	+4% above national
47	Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area	$39,500	80	+3% above national
48	Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT	$39,430	80	+3% above national
49	Duluth, MN-WI	$39,430	40	+3% above national
50	Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area	$39,430	40	+3% above national
51	Springfield, MO	$39,380	80	+3% above national
52	Asheville, NC	$39,230	60	+2% above national
53	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	$39,150	250	+2% above national
54	Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	$39,070	380	+2% above national
55	East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area	$39,020	60	+2% above national
56	South Illinois nonmetropolitan area	$39,000	30	+2% above national
57	Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY	$38,910	120	+1% above national
58	Worcester, MA	$38,900	100	+1% above national
59	Peoria, IL	$38,870	120	+1% above national
60	Lancaster, PA	$38,860	40	+1% above national
61	Manchester-Nashua, NH	$38,790	60	+1% above national
62	Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH	$38,720	60	+1% above national
63	Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA	$38,680	60	+1% above national
64	Naples-Marco Island, FL	$38,580	40	+1% above national
65	Colorado Springs, CO	$38,500	90	same as national
66	Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area	$38,430	40	same as national
67	Central East New York nonmetropolitan area	$38,420	40	same as national
68	Merced, CA	$38,410	40	same as national
69	Rockford, IL	$38,390	40	same as national
70	Winston-Salem, NC	$38,370	60	same as national
71	Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC	$38,280	100	same as national
72	Reno, NV	$38,270	100	same as national
73	Cleveland, OH	$38,170	160	1% below national
74	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	$38,030	140	1% below national
75	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	$38,000	150	1% below national
76	Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	$37,990	270	1% below national
77	Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	$37,970	90	1% below national
78	Springfield, IL	$37,920	70	1% below national
79	West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area	$37,880	40	1% below national
80	Kansas City, MO-KS	$37,830	220	1% below national
81	Trenton-Princeton, NJ	$37,780	30	2% below national
82	Bloomington, IL	$37,730	30	2% below national
83	Bakersfield-Delano, CA	$37,650	110	2% below national
84	South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area	$37,530	30	2% below national
85	Albuquerque, NM	$37,430	80	2% below national
86	Syracuse, NY	$37,420	60	2% below national
87	Ocala, FL	$37,190	40	3% below national
88	Cedar Rapids, IA	$37,160	40	3% below national
89	Omaha, NE-IA	$37,130	60	3% below national
90	Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	$37,110	700	3% below national
91	Rochester, NY	$37,030	110	3% below national
92	Baton Rouge, LA	$36,930	150	4% below national
93	Greenville, NC	$36,890	40	4% below national
94	Utica-Rome, NY	$36,760	30	4% below national
95	Tucson, AZ	$36,660	80	4% below national
96	Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	$36,630	130	5% below national
97	Anchorage, AK	$36,600	50	5% below national
98	New Haven, CT	$36,560	90	5% below national
99	Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area	$36,560	30	5% below national
100	Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	$36,410	130	5% below national
101	Tulsa, OK	$36,400	110	5% below national
102	North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL	$36,310	60	5% below national
103	Richmond, VA	$36,310	120	5% below national
104	St. Louis, MO-IL	$36,280	390	5% below national
105	Oklahoma City, OK	$36,140	70	6% below national
106	Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN	$36,060	130	6% below national
107	Shreveport-Bossier City, LA	$35,970	120	6% below national
108	Springfield, MA	$35,970	60	6% below national
109	Lexington-Fayette, KY	$35,950	50	6% below national
110	Lafayette, LA	$35,870	110	7% below national
111	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	$35,840	340	7% below national
112	Jacksonville, FL	$35,820	170	7% below national
113	South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area	$35,690	30	7% below national
114	Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH	$35,670	50	7% below national
115	Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area	$35,540	40	7% below national
116	Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL	$35,500	100	7% below national
117	Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area	$35,400	30	8% below national
118	Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area	$35,370	40	8% below national
119	South Florida nonmetropolitan area	$35,340	40	8% below national
120	New Orleans-Metairie, LA	$35,260	220	8% below national
121	Raleigh-Cary, NC	$35,250	60	8% below national
122	Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	$35,240	100	8% below national
123	Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area	$35,220	40	8% below national
124	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$35,160	400	8% below national
125	Tyler, TX	$35,060	60	9% below national
126	Maryland nonmetropolitan area	$35,060	30	9% below national
127	Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area	$35,010	110	9% below national
128	Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL	$34,960	80	9% below national
129	Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area	$34,930	50	9% below national
130	Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL	$34,910	60	9% below national
131	Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	$34,850	470	9% below national
132	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$34,690	1,020	10% below national
133	Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA	$34,600	40	10% below national
134	Wichita, KS	$34,600	50	10% below national
135	North Missouri nonmetropolitan area	$34,410	40	10% below national
136	Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR	$34,330	110	11% below national
137	Lincoln, NE	$34,230	90	11% below national
138	Greensboro-High Point, NC	$34,180	50	11% below national
139	Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area	$34,180	50	11% below national
140	Columbia, MO	$34,100	40	11% below national
141	Waterbury-Shelton, CT	$34,000	N/A	11% below national
142	Jackson, MS	$33,950	70	12% below national
143	Columbus, OH	$33,780	190	12% below national
144	Memphis, TN-MS-AR	$33,730	100	12% below national
145	Birmingham, AL	$33,700	180	12% below national
146	Columbia, SC	$33,640	50	12% below national
147	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$33,540	650	13% below national
148	Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR	$33,540	40	13% below national
149	Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL	$33,530	30	13% below national
150	Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA	$33,430	40	13% below national
151	Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	$33,370	650	13% below national
152	Huntsville, AL	$33,090	110	14% below national
153	Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area	$33,030	40	14% below national
154	Charleston-North Charleston, SC	$33,020	160	14% below national
155	Jonesboro, AR	$33,010	30	14% below national
156	Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL	$32,940	50	14% below national
157	Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ	$32,860	40	14% below national
158	Evansville, IN	$32,770	40	15% below national
159	Waco, TX	$32,690	50	15% below national
160	Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area	$32,690	30	15% below national
161	North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area	$32,640	40	15% below national
162	Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area	$32,540	30	15% below national
163	Savannah, GA	$32,470	30	15% below national
164	South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area	$32,410	30	16% below national
165	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	$32,270	290	16% below national
166	Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	$32,220	180	16% below national
167	Mobile, AL	$32,140	110	16% below national
168	Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC	$32,140	30	16% below national
169	Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area	$31,810	60	17% below national
170	Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	$31,670	60	17% below national
171	Knoxville, TN	$31,570	110	18% below national
172	Green Bay, WI	$31,330	80	18% below national
173	Tuscaloosa, AL	$31,290	40	18% below national
174	Montgomery, AL	$31,200	80	19% below national
175	Gulfport-Biloxi, MS	$31,120	40	19% below national
176	Killeen-Temple, TX	$31,060	40	19% below national
177	Johnstown, PA	$30,970	30	19% below national
178	Lubbock, TX	$30,940	70	19% below national
179	Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area	$30,820	40	20% below national
180	Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL	$30,740	30	20% below national
181	Akron, OH	$30,680	40	20% below national
182	Chattanooga, TN-GA	$30,490	40	21% below national
183	Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area	$30,360	40	21% below national
184	Kansas nonmetropolitan area	$30,040	40	22% below national
185	Corpus Christi, TX	$29,970	60	22% below national
186	Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area	$29,960	30	22% below national
187	East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area	$29,850	40	22% below national
188	North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area	$29,740	60	22% below national
189	Johnson City, TN	$29,540	30	23% below national
190	Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area	$29,490	40	23% below national
191	College Station-Bryan, TX	$29,320	30	24% below national
192	Florence, SC	$29,070	70	24% below national
193	Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area	$28,870	40	25% below national
194	El Paso, TX	$28,700	50	25% below national
195	Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area	$28,560	30	26% below national
196	McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX	$28,280	40	26% below national
197	Dothan, AL	$27,730	40	28% below national
198	Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX	$27,010	70	30% below national
199	San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR	$26,970	550	30% below national
200	Aguadilla, PR	$21,240	N/A	45% below national

Related Occupations

Bill and Account Collectors

SOC 43-3011

Billing and Posting Clerks

SOC 43-3021

Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks

SOC 43-3031

Brokerage Clerks

SOC 43-4011

Cargo and Freight Agents

SOC 43-5011

Communications Equipment Operators, All Other

SOC 43-2099

Correspondence Clerks

SOC 43-4021

Couriers and Messengers

SOC 43-5021