Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 43-2011 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$38,626
$18.57/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service is $38,626 per year ($18.57/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $34,819 and $46,530 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $59,467 per year. There are approximately 34,280 switchboard operators, including answering service employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Operate telephone business systems equipment or switchboards to relay incoming, outgoing, and interoffice calls. May supply information to callers and record messages.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-26.3%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
3K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
37K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
11K
$39,550
Business Support Services
NAICS 561400
7K
$35,430
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
3K
$38,570
Traveler Accommodation
NAICS 721100
2K
$44,760
Outpatient Care Centers
NAICS 621400
2K
$66,530
Wage range across top 5 industries: $35,430 to $66,530 (88% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$14.42
$29,994
P25
$16.74
$34,819
P50MEDIAN
$18.57
$38,626
P75
$22.37
$46,530
P90
$28.59
$59,467
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average switchboard operators, including answering service salary?
The national median salary for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service is $38,626 per year ($18.57/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $34,819 and $46,530 annually.
How much do top-earning switchboard operators, including answering service make?
The 90th percentile salary for Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service is $59,467 per year ($28.59/hr). The 75th percentile is $46,530 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for switchboard operators, including answering service?
Entry-level Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service (10th percentile) earn approximately $29,994 per year ($14.42/hr). The 25th percentile is $34,819 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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