What is a Telephone Operator?
Job Description: Provide information by accessing alphabetical, geographical, or other directories. Assist customers with special billing requests, such as charges to a third party and credits or refunds for incorrectly dialed numbers or bad connections. May handle emergency calls and assist children or people with physical disabilities to make telephone calls.
Life As a Telephone Operator
- Monitor automated systems for placing collect calls and intervene for a callers needing assistance.
- Update directory information.
- Operate telephone switchboards and systems to advance and complete connections, including those for local, long distance, pay telephone, mobile, person-to-person, and emergency calls.
- Suggest and check alternate spellings, locations, or listing formats to customers lacking details or complete information.
- Provide relay service for hearing-impaired users.
- Consult charts to determine charges for pay-telephone calls, requesting coin deposits for calls as necessary.
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Telephone Operator Required Skills
These are the skills Telephone Operators say are the most useful in their careers:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Related Job Titles
- Emergency Operator
- Central Office Operator
- Long Lines Operator
- Operator
- Telecommunications Operator
What Kind of Telephone Operator Job Opportunities Are There?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 9,100 jobs in the United States for Telephone Operator. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Telephone Operator. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 900 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Telephone Operator are Alaska, Utah, and Idaho. Watch out if you plan on working in Delaware, Tennessee, or New Jersey. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Telephone Operator Average Salary
Telephone Operators make between $23,160 and $60,610 a year.
Telephone Operators who work in New York, Hawaii, or District of Columbia, make the highest salaries.
How much do Telephone Operators make in each U.S. state?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Arizona | $35,510 |
| California | $41,900 |
| Connecticut | $44,010 |
| District of Columbia | $44,150 |
| Florida | $32,020 |
| Georgia | $33,860 |
| Hawaii | $44,040 |
| Illinois | $40,150 |
| Indiana | $40,590 |
| Iowa | $29,880 |
| Louisiana | $33,040 |
| Maryland | $36,790 |
| Massachusetts | $36,570 |
| Michigan | $28,610 |
| Minnesota | $39,470 |
| Missouri | $31,950 |
| Nevada | $31,110 |
| New York | $48,270 |
| Ohio | $35,750 |
| Pennsylvania | $39,040 |
| Tennessee | $27,610 |
| Texas | $34,410 |
| Virginia | $43,480 |
What Tools do Telephone Operators Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Telephone Operators:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- Data entry software
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Windows
- Handheld computer device software
- Computer aided dispatch software
How do I Become a Telephone Operator?
Are there Telephone Operators education requirements?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where Telephone Operators Are Employed
The table below shows the approximate number of Telephone Operators employed by various industries.
Similar Careers
Those interested in being a Telephone Operator may also be interested in:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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