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Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service: Job Description
Operate telephone business systems equipment or switchboards to relay incoming, outgoing, and interoffice calls. May supply information to callers and record messages.
What Tasks Do Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service Perform?
The core tasks performed by switchboard operators, including answering service span:
- Operate communication systems, such as telephone, switchboard, intercom, two-way radio, or public address.
- Answer incoming calls, greeting callers, providing information, transferring calls or taking messages as necessary.
- Greet visitors, log them in and out of the facility, assign them security badges, and contact employee escorts.
- Monitor emergency and code alarms, make emergency announcements, or route emergency calls to the appropriate location.
- Record messages, suggesting rewording for clarity or conciseness.
- Page individuals to inform them of telephone calls, using paging or interoffice communication equipment.
- Relay or route written or verbal messages.
- Perform various cash handling tasks, such as collecting payments, making bank deposits, or managing petty cash.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful switchboard operators, including answering service rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Answering Service Telephone Operator
- CBX Operator (Computerized Branch Exchange Operator)
- Central Communications Specialist
- Combination Operator
- Command and Control Specialist
- Communication Center Operator
- Communications Coordinator
- Communications Operator
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 760,791 switchboard operators, including answering service working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +11.5% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $52,135 |
| Hourly median | $25.06 |
| 10th percentile | $35,392 |
| 25th percentile | $43,763 |
| 75th percentile | $60,506 |
| 90th percentile | $68,878 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Earnings for switchboard operators, including answering service differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $48,439 | 25.5% | 1.72 |
| Rocky Mountains | $41,965 | 2.0% | 0.61 |
| Middle Atlantic | $41,771 | 13.7% | 0.91 |
| New England | $39,755 | 5.2% | 1.12 |
| Great Lakes | $38,539 | 11.2% | 0.93 |
| Plains States | $38,401 | 5.2% | 0.96 |
| Southeast | $34,678 | 24.0% | 1.22 |
| Southwest | $33,410 | 11.1% | 0.89 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $73,220 | 410 |
| Modesto, CA | CA | $61,760 | 60 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | HI | $61,350 | 240 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | MA | $59,810 | 30 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | HI | $59,500 | 50 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | CA | $58,750 | 150 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $54,850 | 870 |
| Bend, OR | OR | $50,310 | 40 |
Top Industries Employing Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service
The bulk of switchboard operators, including answering service are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 17,860 | $39,840 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 8,250 | $36,200 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 2,640 | $44,780 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 980 | $34,890 |
| Retail Trade | 900 | $33,990 |
| Finance and Insurance | 710 | $41,540 |
| Educational Services | 700 | $38,730 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 690 | $39,380 |
Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of switchboard operators, including answering service tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Contact With Others
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Frequency of Decision Making
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level switchboard operators, including answering service positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Telecommunications Engineering Specialists (Supplemental)
- Telemarketers (Primary-Long)
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers (Supplemental)
- Telephone Operators (Primary-Short)
- Billing and Posting Clerks (Supplemental)
- Brokerage Clerks (Supplemental)
- Customer Service Representatives (Primary-Short)
- Receptionists and Information Clerks (Primary-Short)
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 43-2011.00 (Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service).
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