BLS metro-level wage data places Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service pay in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD at a median of $38,410 per year ($18.47/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $38,630, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington pays 1% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 590 switchboard operators, including answering services are employed across the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington MSA in SOC 43-2011.

The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington pay distribution spans from $30,350 at the 10th percentile to $51,630 at the 90th — a 1.7× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $34,280 and the 75th at $46,860, so half of Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington-based switchboard operators, including answering services earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide PA data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.