What are the main factors that influence a Telephone Operator's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change a Telephone Operator's salary?

A Telephone Operator's salary grows with experience: starting around $37,745 for beginners, reaching about $41,016 at mid-level, and approach $41,493 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Telephone Operator?

Telephone Operator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Telephone Operator roles are District of Columbia $41,900, California $41,741, Massachusetts $41,185. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Telephone Operator roles make?

Salaries for Telephone Operator level roles vary by specialization: Telephone Nurse: $75,251; Telephone Engineer: $70,061; Telephone Counsellor: $63,639; Receptionist/Telephone Operator III: $51,523; Receptionist/Telephone Operator II: $46,873.

How do different companies affect a Telephone Operator's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Telephone Operator roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Telephone Operator Salary in the United States

How much does a Telephone Operator make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Telephone Operator in the United States is $37,844 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $18.

However, a Telephone Operator's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $44,209
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $34,309 to $41,175
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $31,092

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Telephone Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$41,175	$3,431	$792	$20
Average	$37,844	$3,154	$728	$18
25th Percentile	$34,309	$2,859	$660	$16

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Key Factors That Influence Telephone Operator Salaries

A Telephone Operator's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Telephone Operator Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Telephone Operator's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $37,745
Early Career (1-2 years): $38,845
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $41,016
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $41,334
Expert (over 8 years): $41,493

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Telephone Operator	$37,745
Intermediate Level Telephone Operator	$38,845
Senior Level Telephone Operator	$41,016
Specialist Level Telephone Operator	$41,334
Expert Level Telephone Operator	$41,493

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Telephone Operator Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Telephone Operators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $41,900.
California: $41,741.
Massachusetts: $41,185.

District of Columbia $41,900 California $41,741 Massachusetts $41,185 Washington $41,034 New Jersey $41,019 Alaska $40,966 Connecticut $40,443 New York $40,231

Hawaii $39,554 Rhode Island $39,236 Maryland $39,020 Minnesota $38,725 Colorado $38,612 Illinois $38,574 Oregon $38,430 Delaware $38,324

New Hampshire $38,258 Virginia $38,108 Pennsylvania $37,673 Nevada $37,454 North Dakota $37,382 Michigan $37,268 Wisconsin $37,227 Vermont $37,143

Texas $36,913 Maine $36,897 Arizona $36,875 Ohio $36,848 Georgia $36,500 Indiana $36,326 Wyoming $36,292 Utah $36,239

Iowa $36,216 Kansas $36,035 Louisiana $35,982 North Carolina $35,963 Missouri $35,955 Florida $35,808 Montana $35,728 Nebraska $35,652

Kentucky $35,611 South Carolina $35,459 Tennessee $35,365 Idaho $35,327 New Mexico $35,051 Oklahoma $34,990 Alabama $34,767 South Dakota $34,392

Arkansas $34,188 West Virginia $34,078 Mississippi $33,749

Top Paying Cities for Telephone Operators

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $47,732
San Francisco: $47,263
Oakland: $46,214

San Jose, CA $47,732

San Francisco, CA $47,263

Oakland, CA $46,214

New York, NY $43,857

Queens Village, NY $43,573

Paramus, NJ $43,270

Passaic, NJ $43,232

Bergenfield, NJ $43,195

Stamford, CT $43,138

Huntington, NY $43,100

Newark, NJ $42,854

Bridgeport, CT $42,778

New Brunswick, NJ $42,653

Vallejo, CA $42,574

Middlesex, NJ $42,551

Somerset, NJ $42,517

Petaluma, CA $42,430

Santa Cruz, CA $42,283

Boston, MA $42,207

Monterey, CA $42,018

Fairbanks, AK $41,991

Los Angeles, CA $41,919

Washington, DC $41,900

Seattle, WA $41,832

Santa Rosa, CA $41,825

Juneau, AK $41,715

Orange, CA $41,590

Anchorage, AK $41,522

Anaheim, CA $41,495

Santa Ana, CA $41,439

Nassau, NY $41,416

Long Beach, CA $41,401

Danbury, CT $41,389

Santa Maria, CA $41,261

Everett, WA $41,253

Bremerton, WA $41,068

Trenton, NJ $40,996

Sacramento, CA $40,981

San Diego, CA $40,962

Brockton, MA $40,947

Tacoma, WA $40,932

Santa Barbara, CA $40,879

Lowell, MA $40,727

New Suffolk, NY $40,712

Nashua, NH $40,667

Lompoc, CA $40,606

Ventura, CA $40,568

Stockton, CA $40,557

New Haven, CT $40,481

Atlantic City, NJ $40,383

Hartford, CT $40,300

Modesto, CA $40,281

Poughkeepsie, NY $40,197

New Britain, CT $40,178

Olympia, WA $40,125

Kennewick, WA $40,125

New London, CT $40,118

Norwich, CT $40,107

Lawrence, MA $40,088

Bakersfield, CA $39,982

Riverside, CA $39,929

New Bedford, MA $39,929

Richland, WA $39,891

Portsmouth, NH $39,861

Vineland, NJ $39,853

San Bernardino, CA $39,823

Boulder, CO $39,717

Worcester, MA $39,686

Portland, OR $39,652

Saint Paul, MN $39,607

Minneapolis, MN $39,607

Philadelphia, PA $39,554

Honolulu, HI $39,353

Springfield, MA $39,221

Providence, RI $39,217

Chicago, IL $39,107

Bellingham, WA $39,062

Baltimore, MD $39,020

Chico, CA $38,926

Wilmington, DE $38,861

Pittsfield, MA $38,824

Manchester, NH $38,752

Spokane, WA $38,585

Denver, CO $38,581

Albany, NY $38,404

Troy, NY $38,388

Schenectady, NY $38,309

Burlington, VT $38,226

Portland, ME $38,093

Salem, OR $38,063

Yakima, WA $38,055

Ann Arbor, MI $38,044

Rochester, MN $37,938

Fresno, CA $37,919

Reno, NV $37,919

Milwaukee, WI $37,885

Detroit, MI $37,847

Allentown, PA $37,836

Carson City, NV $37,832

Houston, TX $37,775

Colorado Springs, CO $37,772

Syracuse, NY $37,753

Eugene, OR $37,681

Bismarck, ND $37,635

Gary, IN $37,635

Galveston, TX $37,635

Springfield, OR $37,605

Medford, OR $37,514

Fort Collins, CO $37,499

Austin, TX $37,469

Mesa, AZ $37,389

Phoenix, AZ $37,382

Dallas, TX $37,370

Reading, PA $37,348

Saint Cloud, MN $37,333

Concord, NH $37,299

Madison, WI $37,283

Utica, NY $37,181

Raleigh, NC $37,151

Las Vegas, NV $37,147

Rochester, NY $37,121

Des Moines, IA $37,117

Atlanta, GA $37,056

Battle Creek, MI $37,045

Salt Lake City, UT $37,034

Lancaster, PA $36,977

Champaign, IL $36,969

Harrisburg, PA $36,924

Durham, NC $36,890

Kansas City, MO $36,886

Kansas City, KS $36,878

Fort Worth, TX $36,875

Boca Raton, FL $36,860

Cleveland, OH $36,856

Columbus, OH $36,848

Pittsburgh, PA $36,844

Richmond, VA $36,829

Indianapolis, IN $36,822

Cincinnati, OH $36,773

Petersburg, VA $36,716

Billings, MT $36,633

Lansing, MI $36,633

Huntsville, AL $36,633

Lebanon, PA $36,629

Dayton, OH $36,625

Pueblo, CO $36,625

Appleton, WI $36,614

Buffalo, NY $36,598

Racine, WI $36,580

Charlotte, NC $36,576

Saint Louis, MO $36,564

Springfield, IL $36,549

Elkhart, IN $36,542

York, PA $36,542

Gastonia, NC $36,538

Benton Harbor, MI $36,538

Beaumont, TX $36,515

Lorain, OH $36,508

Toledo, OH $36,492

Binghamton, NY $36,474

Rock Hill, SC $36,470

Rockford, IL $36,451

Fargo, ND $36,432

Elyria, OH $36,432

Flagstaff, AZ $36,405

Fort Lauderdale, FL $36,383

Miami, FL $36,360

Duluth, MN $36,299

Bangor, ME $36,250

Cedar Rapids, IA $36,209

Louisville, KY $36,190

Grand Rapids, MI $36,182

Hialeah, FL $36,178

Casper, WY $36,125

Scranton, PA $36,080

New Orleans, LA $36,069

Virginia Beach, VA $36,065

Akron, OH $36,046

Peoria, IL $35,997

Sarasota, FL $35,989

Green Bay, WI $35,963

Baton Rouge, LA $35,944

Charleston, SC $35,936

Nashville, TN $35,925

Jamestown, NY $35,917

Davenport, IA $35,917

Tucson, AZ $35,898

Cheyenne, WY $35,887

Saint Petersburg, FL $35,876

Tampa, FL $35,868

Omaha, NE $35,861

Port Arthur, TX $35,845

Evansville, IN $35,845

Bradenton, FL $35,830

Santa Fe, NM $35,762

Orlando, FL $35,724

Clearwater, FL $35,683

Canton, OH $35,603

La Crosse, WI $35,603

Grand Forks, ND $35,592

Albuquerque, NM $35,580

Tulsa, OK $35,580

Newport News, VA $35,577

High Point, NC $35,565

Ogden, UT $35,550

Corpus Christi, TX $35,520

Laramie, WY $35,497

Norfolk, VA $35,497

Rock Island, IL $35,474

Saginaw, MI $35,467

Jacksonville, FL $35,463

Salisbury, NC $35,456

Memphis, TN $35,448

Moline, IL $35,429

Fort Myers, FL $35,418

Waterloo, IA $35,369

Spartanburg, SC $35,331

Lincoln, NE $35,312

Fort Wayne, IN $35,304

Birmingham, AL $35,263

Cedar Falls, IA $35,255

Provo, UT $35,251

Springfield, OH $35,247

San Antonio, TX $35,240

Greensboro, NC $35,225

South Bend, IN $35,221

Winston Salem, NC $35,217

Boise, ID $35,206

Savannah, GA $35,179

Muskegon, MI $35,111

Lima, OH $35,066

Lake Charles, LA $35,051

Anderson, IN $35,043

Lexington, KY $35,032

Augusta, GA $35,020

Greenville, SC $35,020

Wichita, KS $34,986

Tuscaloosa, AL $34,986

Columbia, SC $34,952

Bloomington, IN $34,858

Roanoke, VA $34,835

Asheville, NC $34,786

Knoxville, TN $34,721

Shreveport, LA $34,718

Wilmington, NC $34,668

Frankfort, KY $34,597

Oklahoma City, OK $34,570

Chillicothe, OH $34,555

Longview, TX $34,551

Topeka, KS $34,540

Mobile, AL $34,483

Terre Haute, IN $34,468

Erie, PA $34,464

Altoona, PA $34,445

Melbourne, FL $34,434

Amarillo, TX $34,419

Killeen, TX $34,407

Fayetteville, AR $34,377

Sioux Falls, SD $34,351

Chattanooga, TN $34,328

Idaho Falls, ID $34,324

Gainesville, FL $34,245

Portsmouth, OH $34,226

Little Rock, AR $34,218

Lynchburg, VA $34,218

Lafayette, LA $34,203

Youngstown, OH $34,203

Temple, TX $34,188

Daytona Beach, FL $34,180

Clarksville, TN $34,176

Pensacola, FL $34,173

Hopkinsville, KY $34,059

Charleston, WV $34,055

Florence, SC $34,036

Sioux City, IA $34,014

Macon, GA $33,904

Tallahassee, FL $33,900

Fayetteville, NC $33,893

Waco, TX $33,885

Wichita Falls, TX $33,885

Pine Bluff, AR $33,870

Vincennes, IN $33,798

Lubbock, TX $33,783

Great Falls, MT $33,760

Alamogordo, NM $33,756

Abilene, TX $33,726

Rapid City, SD $33,677

Monroe, LA $33,677

Albany, GA $33,654

Huntington, WV $33,650

Jackson, MS $33,647

Greenville, MS $33,643

Parkersburg, WV $33,605

Montgomery, AL $33,597

Johnstown, PA $33,590

Springfield, MO $33,560

Biloxi, MS $33,541

Sumter, SC $33,461

Columbus, GA $33,457

Twin Falls, ID $33,435

Pascagoula, MS $33,386

Kingsport, TN $33,287

Gulfport, MS $33,276

Alexandria, LA $33,151

Fort Smith, AR $33,056

El Paso, TX $32,954

Helena, MT $32,905

Las Cruces, NM $32,784

Harlingen, TX $32,678

Pocatello, ID $32,644

Florence, AL $32,632

Brownsville, TX $32,625

Dothan, AL $32,564

Mcallen, TX $32,545

Columbus, MS $32,265

Altus, OK $32,091

Lawton, OK $32,019

Pierre, SD $31,883

What Skills Can Increase a Telephone Operator's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Customer Service (Mentioned in 20.37% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Programming (Mentioned in 3.02% Job Postings): Executing logic to facilitate computing operations and functionality in one or more languages.
Workday (Mentioned in 1.54% Job Postings): A cloud-based human resource management software system that unifies a wide range of HR functionality into a single system.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Customer Service	20.37%
Programming	3.02%
Workday	1.54%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Telephone Operator's salary.

Coordination: Can increase your salary by up to 22%.
Oncology: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Coordination	$46,169	22%
Oncology	$43,520	15%
Leadership	$42,763	13%
Commitment	$42,385	12%
Written Communication	$42,385	12%
Service Excellence	$42,385	12%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Telephone Operator's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Telephone Operators enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Telephone Operator with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $37,922 and $39,834).

Telephone Operator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Telephone Operator

No Diploma 3.3%

High School 64.1%

Associates 18.5%

Bachelors 12.0%

Masters 2.2%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	3.3%
High School	64.1%
Associates	18.5%
Bachelors	12.0%
Masters	2.2%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Telephone Operator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Telephone Operator's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

$34,309

Average $37,844/year

$41,175

$2,859

Average $3,154/month

$3,431

$660

Average $728/week

$792

$16

Average $18/hour

$20

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$41,175	$3,431	$792	$20
Average	$37,844	$3,154	$728	$18
25th Percentile	$34,309	$2,859	$660	$16

Salaries of jobs related to Telephone Operator

Salary Trends for Telephone Operator

Salaries for a Telephone Operator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $38,593 in 2023 to around $38,244 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Telephone Operator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Telephone Operator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$38,593

2024

$38,382

2025

$38,244

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$38,593
2024	$38,382
2025	$38,244
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Telephone Operator

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401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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