Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service
Arts, Audio/Video Technology and CommunicationsO*NET 43-2011.00United States
Operate telephone business systems equipment or switchboards to relay incoming, outgoing, and interoffice calls. May supply information to callers and record messages.
- Median annual earnings
- $38,626
- Projected change
- −18.8%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 35.63K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
89.2% of the workforce
Growing to 28.94K by 2035
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The work
What switchboard operators, including answering service do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Record messages, suggesting rewording for clarity or conciseness.
- Monitor emergency and code alarms, make emergency announcements, or route emergency calls to the appropriate location.
- Page individuals to inform them of telephone calls, using paging or interoffice communication equipment.
- Relay or route written or verbal messages.
- Place telephone calls or arrange conference calls as instructed.
- Perform various cash handling tasks, such as collecting payments, making bank deposits, or managing petty cash.
- Perform various data entry or word processing tasks, such as updating phone directories, typing or proofreading documents, or creating schedules.
- Process incoming or outgoing mail, packages, or deliveries.
- Perform administrative tasks, such as accepting orders, scheduling appointments or meeting rooms, or sending and receiving faxes.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $29,994
- 25th percentile
- $34,819
- 50th percentile
- $38,626
- 75th percentile
- $46,530
- 90th percentile
- $59,467
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $38,626 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
−18.8%projected to decline
202535,631 jobs
2035 projected28,938 jobs
6,693 fewer positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 89.2%
- Certificate
- 5.1%
- Bachelor's degree
- 3%
- Some college
- 2.1%
- Associate degree
- 0.6%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- 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.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Switchboard Operators1,259 postings
- 02PBX Operators1,040 postings
- 03Controls Specialists268 postings
- 04Communications Operators178 postings
- 05Receptionists/Switchboard Operators119 postings
- 06Answering Service Operators107 postings
- 07Risk Control Specialists65 postings
- 08Phone Operators59 postings
- 09Front Desk Operators51 postings
- 10PBX Switchboard Operators51 postings
- 11Operators49 postings
- 12Access Control Security Officers43 postings
- 13Change Control Specialists43 postings
- 14Governance Specialists42 postings
- 15Hospital Operators41 postings
- 16Alarm Monitors33 postings
- 17Test Operators30 postings
- 18Metallurgical Managers28 postings
- 19Quality Control Specialists26 postings
- 20Telecommunications Operators25 postings
Top employers
- 01HCA Healthcare115 postings
- 02TD Bank56 postings
- 03Allied Universal49 postings
- 04Securitas48 postings
- 05Community Health Systems Professional Services Corporation39 postings
- 06Providence37 postings
- 07Ascension36 postings
- 08Bass Pro Shops36 postings
- 09Hilton35 postings
- 10Eaton Corporation31 postings
- 11AdventHealth29 postings
- 12Wellspan Health29 postings
- 13Prime Healthcare Services24 postings
- 14Trinity Health23 postings
- 15LifePoint Health22 postings
- 16Mercy21 postings
- 17Answering Service Care20 postings
- 18Hilton Grand Vacations20 postings
- 19Jobility19 postings
- 20Omni Hotels & Resorts18 postings
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