Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service
Operate telephone business systems equipment or switchboards to relay incoming, outgoing, and interoffice calls. May supply information to callers and record messages.
- O*NET-SOC code
43-2011.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$38,630
Employment, U.S.34,280
Median hourly wage$18.57
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $29,990 | $34,820 | $38,630 | $46,530 | $59,470 |
By state (47)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 680 | $32,210 | 1.46 |
| Alaska | $37,690 | ||
| Arizona | 380 | $40,380 | 0.54 |
| Arkansas | 260 | $35,290 | 0.92 |
| California | 6,680 | $48,840 | 1.66 |
| Colorado | 320 | $43,720 | 0.50 |
| Connecticut | 180 | $38,380 | 0.49 |
| Delaware | 180 | $35,980 | 1.65 |
| District of Columbia | 230 | $54,700 | 1.47 |
| Florida | 3,090 | $35,410 | 1.41 |
| Georgia | 780 | $39,490 | 0.72 |
| Hawaii | 410 | $59,860 | 2.95 |
| Idaho | 70 | $38,000 | 0.35 |
| Illinois | 1,240 | $42,660 | 0.92 |
| Indiana | 380 | $36,860 | 0.53 |
| Iowa | 210 | $38,400 | 0.62 |
| Kansas | 180 | $38,760 | 0.56 |
| Kentucky | 370 | $37,590 | 0.83 |
| Louisiana | $35,890 | ||
| Maine | 100 | $43,350 | 0.72 |
| Maryland | 650 | $37,080 | 1.06 |
| Massachusetts | 830 | $43,790 | 1.03 |
| Michigan | 370 | $37,390 | 0.38 |
| Minnesota | 200 | $47,430 | 0.31 |
| Mississippi | 200 | $30,520 | 0.80 |
| Missouri | 640 | $37,130 | 0.98 |
| Montana | 110 | $36,270 | 0.96 |
| Nebraska | 180 | $37,570 | 0.78 |
| Nevada | 650 | $38,070 | 1.91 |
| New Hampshire | 100 | $44,210 | 0.68 |
| New Jersey | 660 | $40,430 | 0.70 |
| New Mexico | 220 | $37,710 | 1.17 |
| New York | 1,760 | $45,330 | 0.82 |
| North Carolina | 690 | $38,520 | 0.63 |
| Ohio | 990 | $36,350 | 0.81 |
| Oklahoma | 480 | $35,280 | 1.27 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,350 | $36,890 | 1.01 |
| Rhode Island | 130 | $39,850 | 1.21 |
| South Carolina | 480 | $34,010 | 0.94 |
| Tennessee | 680 | $35,550 | 0.95 |
| Texas | 3,640 | $33,620 | 1.17 |
| Utah | 50 | Not available | 0.14 |
| Vermont | 70 | $42,630 | 0.99 |
| Virginia | 610 | $36,730 | 0.67 |
| Washington | 430 | $47,800 | 0.55 |
| West Virginia | 110 | $37,430 | 0.73 |
| Wisconsin | 550 | $40,030 | 0.85 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Telephone Operators | 1-2 | 0.972 |
| 2 | Receptionists and Information Clerks | 1-2 | 0.970 |
| 3 | Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan | 3 | 0.964 |
| 4 | Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks | 1-2 | 0.951 |
| 5 | Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs | 3 | 0.949 |
| 6 | Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 1-2 | 0.948 |
| 7 | Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1-2 | 0.946 |
| 8 | Customer Service Representatives | 1-2 | 0.944 |
| 9 | Office Clerks, General | 1-2 | 0.942 |
| 10 | Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks | 1-2 | 0.938 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gambling Cage Workers | Mathematics | 1.63 | 0.925 |
| Tellers | Mathematics | 1.50 | 0.923 |
| Word Processors and Typists | Writing | 1.00 | 0.914 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service, excluding software Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Medical procedure coding software | 9 of 20 | 9.2x |
| Medical condition coding software | 8 of 20 | 9.2x |
| Microsoft Dynamics | 11 of 20 | 4.3x |
| Billing software | 6 of 20 | 12.6x |
| Microsoft Publisher | 9 of 20 | 4.4x |
| HMS | 4 of 20 | 20.5x |
| Alpha Software Alpha Five | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
| IBM Check Processing Control System CPSC | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
| St. Paul Travelers e-CARMA | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
| Data entry software | 5 of 20 | 8.5x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 4.00 | 3.00 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.88 | 2.88 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.50 | 3.00 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.62 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.50 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.38 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.25 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 2.50 | 2.25 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.12 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.38 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.38 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 1.88 | 1.25 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 0.88 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.75 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.34 | 5.46 |
| English Language | 3.85 | 3.45 |
| Administrative | 3.68 | 4.63 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.49 | 3.57 |
| Telecommunications | 3.34 | 1.82 |
| Administration and Management | 2.79 | 2.79 |
| Communications and Media | 2.73 | 2.46 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.54 | 1.66 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.52 | 1.89 |
| Mathematics | 2.45 | 2.86 |
| Psychology | 2.33 | 2.26 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.96 | 1.04 |
| Law and Government | 1.94 | not rated |
| Education and Training | 1.94 | 1.98 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.77 | 1.78 |
| Mechanical | 1.77 | 1.41 |
| Engineering and Technology | 1.49 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.49 | not rated |
| Foreign Language | 1.49 | 0.74 |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.47 | not rated |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.47 | 1.05 |
| Production and Processing | 1.33 | not rated |
| Geography | 1.30 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.19 | not rated |
| Transportation | 1.16 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.08 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.06 | not rated |
| Chemistry | 1.05 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.01 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.01 | not rated |
| Physics | 1.01 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.00 | not rated |
| Design | 1.00 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Expression | 4.12 | 4.00 |
| Oral Comprehension | 4.12 | 3.75 |
| Speech Recognition | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Near Vision | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Selective Attention | 3.12 | 2.38 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Written Expression | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 2.62 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 2.50 |
| Information Ordering | 3.00 | 2.38 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Far Vision | 2.75 | 2.25 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.75 | 2.12 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.75 | 2.00 |
| Time Sharing | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Category Flexibility | 2.50 | 2.25 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Finger Dexterity | 2.38 | 2.00 |
| Memorization | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Control Precision | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Manual Dexterity | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Originality | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.00 | 1.25 |
| Number Facility | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Visualization | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 1.88 | 1.00 |
| Trunk Strength | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Response Orientation | 1.62 | 1.00 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Depth Perception | 1.12 | not rated |
| Reaction Time | 1.12 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Explosive Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
| Extent Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Rate Control | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.00 | not rated |
| Stamina | 1.00 | not rated |
| Static Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel in demand
- Microsoft Office software in demand
- Microsoft Access hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- SAP software hot
- IBM Notes
- M-Tech Hotel Service Optimization System HotSOS
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 120 | 3.38 | $37,020 |
| Lafayette, LA | 130 | 3.30 | $35,890 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | 480 | 3.18 | $27,540 |
| Mobile, AL | 110 | 2.82 | $30,970 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 170 | 2.65 | $59,360 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 240 | 2.42 | $63,190 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 230 | 2.37 | $37,120 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 100 | 2.29 | $29,380 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 560 | 2.22 | $38,190 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 1,270 | 2.04 | $35,080 |