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How Much Does a Switchboard Operator Make?
A switchboard operator in the US earns a median salary of $38,630 a year, or $18.57 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $42,300, and the middle half earn between $34,820 and $46,530.
Switchboard operator pay range
What switchboard operators earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.
| Percentile | A year | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (lowest 10%) | $29,990 | $14.42 | |
| 25th | $34,820 | $16.74 | |
| Median (50th) | $38,630 | $18.57 | |
| 75th | $46,530 | $22.37 | |
| 90th (top 10%) | $59,470 | $28.59 |
The median is 24% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 34,280 people work as switchboard operators in the US.
After tax and by period
- A week
- $743
- Every two weeks
- $1,486
- Twice a month
- $1,610
- A month
- $3,219
At the median salary, before tax.
Switchboard operator salary by state
Sorted by average pay. Hawaii pays switchboard operators the most, at $57,030 a year on average.
| State | Average | Median | Jobs | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $57,030 | $59,860 | 410 | After tax |
| District of Columbia | $56,040 | $54,700 | 230 | After tax |
| California | $54,360 | $48,840 | 6,680 | After tax |
| New York | $49,950 | $45,330 | 1,760 | After tax |
| Minnesota | $48,220 | $47,430 | 200 | After tax |
| Washington | $48,140 | $47,800 | 430 | After tax |
| Massachusetts | $45,190 | $43,790 | 830 | After tax |
| New Hampshire | $43,860 | $44,210 | 100 | After tax |
| Maine | $43,750 | $43,350 | 100 | After tax |
| Illinois | $43,410 | $42,660 | 1,240 | After tax |
| New Jersey | $43,320 | $40,430 | 660 | After tax |
| Wisconsin | $43,200 | $40,030 | 550 | After tax |
| Connecticut | $42,960 | $38,380 | 180 | After tax |
| Vermont | $42,940 | $42,630 | 70 | After tax |
| Colorado | $42,720 | $43,720 | 320 | After tax |
| Rhode Island | $42,330 | $39,850 | 130 | After tax |
| Arizona | $41,380 | $40,380 | 380 | After tax |
| Georgia | $40,040 | $39,490 | 780 | After tax |
| Iowa | $40,010 | $38,400 | 210 | After tax |
| Alaska | $39,850 | $37,690 | – | After tax |
| New Mexico | $39,790 | $37,710 | 220 | After tax |
| Michigan | $39,320 | $37,390 | 370 | After tax |
| Indiana | $39,300 | $36,860 | 380 | After tax |
| Maryland | $39,300 | $37,080 | 650 | After tax |
| Kansas | $38,970 | $38,760 | 180 | After tax |
| Nevada | $38,870 | $38,070 | 650 | After tax |
| Nebraska | $38,620 | $37,570 | 180 | After tax |
| North Carolina | $38,580 | $38,520 | 690 | After tax |
| Kentucky | $38,010 | $37,590 | 370 | After tax |
| Missouri | $37,980 | $37,130 | 640 | After tax |
| Montana | $37,950 | $36,270 | 110 | After tax |
| Delaware | $37,610 | $35,980 | 180 | After tax |
| Virginia | $37,470 | $36,730 | 610 | After tax |
| Florida | $37,210 | $35,410 | 3,090 | After tax |
| West Virginia | $36,810 | $37,430 | 110 | After tax |
| Idaho | $36,690 | $38,000 | 70 | After tax |
| Ohio | $36,620 | $36,350 | 990 | After tax |
| Pennsylvania | $35,820 | $36,890 | 1,350 | After tax |
| Oklahoma | $35,660 | $35,280 | 480 | After tax |
| Louisiana | $35,390 | $35,890 | – | After tax |
| Arkansas | $35,360 | $35,290 | 260 | After tax |
| South Carolina | $35,310 | $34,010 | 480 | After tax |
| Tennessee | $35,310 | $35,550 | 680 | After tax |
| Texas | $33,810 | $33,620 | 3,640 | After tax |
| Alabama | $32,860 | $32,210 | 680 | After tax |
| Mississippi | $31,080 | $30,520 | 200 | After tax |
| Puerto Rico | $28,220 | $24,960 | 560 |
A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.
Other office and administrative support jobs
- Customer service representative $44,770 median
- Office clerk, general $45,010 median
- Administrative assistant $47,540 median
- First-line supervisor of office and administrative support workers $69,500 median
- Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerk $50,670 median
- Medical secretary and administrative assistant $45,930 median
- Receptionist and information clerk $38,010 median
- Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerk $45,260 median
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service” (SOC 43-2011). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries
About the Job Salaries
Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.
How to use it
- 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
- 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
- 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
- 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a switchboard operator make an hour?
The median hourly wage for a switchboard operator is $18.57, and the average is $20.34. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $14.42 an hour and the top 10% over $28.59.
How much does a switchboard operator make a month?
At the median salary of $38,630, a switchboard operator earns about $3,219 a month before tax, or $1,486 every two weeks.
Which state pays switchboard operators the most?
Hawaii has the highest average pay for a switchboard operator, at $57,030 a year. Next are District of Columbia and California. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.
What is the starting salary for a switchboard operator?
The lowest-paid 10% of switchboard operators earn less than $29,990 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $34,820. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.
How much do the highest-paid switchboard operators make?
The top 10% earn more than $59,470 a year, and the top 25% more than $46,530.
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