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Telephone Operators in District of Columbia

Want to work as a Telephone Operators in District of Columbia? Here’s what you need to know. 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.

What do Telephone Operators Make in District of Columbia?

For telephone operators working in District of Columbia, the median annual wage is $47,890 per year (or about $23.02/hour).Pay can range from $35,860 at the 10th percentile to $60,010 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$35,860	$17.24
25th percentile	$38,510	$18.52
Median (50th)	$47,890	$23.02
75th percentile	$52,470	$25.22
90th percentile	$60,010	$28.85

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, telephone operators earn a median of $53,949 per year ($25.94/hour), below the District of Columbia median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 886,197 telephone operators across the United States.

Top District of Columbia Metros for Telephone Operators

The largest metro-area employers of telephone operators in District of Columbia.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	90	$44,400

Top States for Telephone Operators Employment

The table below shows the states where the most telephone operators work.

State	Number Employed
Texas	640
Pennsylvania	400
New York	350
New Jersey	230
California	190
Ohio	190
Georgia	140
Maryland	110
Kentucky	100
Louisiana	80
South Carolina	70
Michigan	60
Hawaii	40
Oklahoma	40
Nevada	30
Connecticut	30
Puerto Rico	30

Highest-Paying States for Telephone Operators

Where telephone operators earn the most: telephone operators.

State	Annual Median Salary
California	$56,770
New York	$53,510
Hawaii	$52,160
District of Columbia	$47,890
Massachusetts	$46,370
Maryland	$41,220
New Jersey	$40,770
Connecticut	$40,620
Michigan	$40,300
Ohio	$38,110

Skills

Top telephone operators skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Key abilities for telephone operators, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Telephone Operators typically:

• Observe signal lights on switchboards, and dial or press buttons to make connections.
• 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.
• Listen to customer requests, referring to alphabetical or geographical directories to answer questions and provide telephone information.
• Update directory information.
• Suggest and check alternate spellings, locations, or listing formats to customers lacking details or complete information.
• Perform clerical duties such as typing, proofreading, and sorting mail.
• Offer special assistance to persons such as those who are unable to dial or who are in emergency situations.
• Operate paging systems or other systems of bells or buzzers to notify recipients of incoming calls.
• Monitor automated systems for placing collect calls and intervene for a callers needing assistance.
• Interrupt busy lines if an emergency warrants.
• Provide assistance for customers with special billing requests.
• Provide relay service for users who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Work Activities

• Getting Information
• Working with Computers
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
• Processing Information
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Communicating with People Outside the Organization
• Training and Teaching Others
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel In-demand technologies: Microsoft Office software

Related Careers

Related occupations to telephone operators include:

• Computer Network Support Specialists
• Cashiers
• Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
• Telemarketers
• Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service
• Billing and Posting Clerks

Also Known As

411 Directory Assistance Operator (411 Directory Assistance Op), Central Office Operator (CO Op), Change Number Operator (Change Number Op), Charge Operator (Charge Op), Communications Operator (Communications Op), Customer Service Assistant, Directory Assistance Operator (Directory Assistance Op), Directory Operator (Directory Op), Emergency Operator (Emergency Op), Information Operator (Information Op), Information Specialist, Inward Toll Operator (Inward Toll Op), Live Source Operator (Live Source Op), Local Operator (Local Op), Local Telephone Operator (Local Phone Op).

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 43-2021.00