Telephone Operator Salary
$19K - $22K
1% of jobs
$22K - $25K
1% of jobs
$25K - $28K
3% of jobs
$28K - $31K
11% of jobs
$32.2K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$31K - $34K
24% of jobs
The median wage is $35.2K / yr.
$34K - $37K
28% of jobs
$39.1K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$37K - $40K
11% of jobs
$40K - $43K
9% of jobs
$43K - $46K
6% of jobs
$46K - $49K
4% of jobs
$49K - $52K
3% of jobs
$19K
$34.5K
$52.5K
$37,148
/year
$17.86
/hour
Telephone Operator Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$37,148
Columbus
Ohio
$35,881
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How much does a Telephone Operator make?
As of Aug 13, 2026, the average annual pay for a Telephone Operator in the United States is $37,148 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $17.86 an hour. This is the equivalent of $714/week or $3,095/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $52,500 and as low as $19,000, the majority of Telephone Operator salaries currently range between $32,500 (25th percentile) to $40,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $47,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Telephone Operator varies greatly (by as much as 8000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Telephone Operator in your area makes on average $35,881 per year, or $1,267 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $37,148. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Telephone Operator salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Telephone Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Telephone Operator on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Telephone Operator Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Telephone Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Watford City, ND, , with Bohemia, NY, and Hot Springs, VA, close behind in the second and third positions. Hot Springs, VA, beats the national average by $22,458 (60.5%), and Watford City, ND, furthers that trend with another $27,210 (73.2%) above the $37,148 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Telephone Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 15% between Watford City, ND, and Forney, TX, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Telephone Operator role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Watford City, ND | $64,358 | $30.94 |
Bohemia, NY | $61,745 | $29.69 |
Hot Springs, VA | $59,606 | $28.66 |
Bountiful, UT | $58,072 | $27.92 |
Rome, NY | $57,270 | $27.53 |
Draper, UT | $57,120 | $27.46 |
Fort Worth, TX | $56,615 | $27.22 |
Kaysville, UT | $55,966 | $26.91 |
Eagle Mountain, UT | $55,434 | $26.65 |
Forney, TX | $55,309 | $26.59 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Telephone Operator Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Telephone Operator category.
For example Power Plant Auxiliary Operator jobs pay as much as $55,856 (150.4%) more than the average Telephone Operator salary of $37,148. If you're qualified, finding work as a Power Plant Auxiliary Operator may help you make more money than that of the average Telephone Operator position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Power Plant Auxiliary Operator | $93,004 | $44.71 |
Machine | $54,803 | $26.35 |
Lead Operator | $51,047 | $24.54 |
Night Shift Data Entry Operator | $43,254 | $20.80 |
Operator 1 | $40,576 | $19.51 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
