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.
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. The role reports a median annual salary of $38,370 in the US and is projected to decline by 26% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows high AI exposure (0.86 on a 0-1 scale) — significant portions of core tasks are already being automated. The most in-demand skills for the role include Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Reading Comprehension.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £36,415 a year for Communication operators (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £30,236 to £40,942 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 7213). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Clerical support workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Switchboard operators, including answering service, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 4. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Administrative
- Computers and Electronics
- Telecommunications
- Administration and Management
- Communications and Media
- Public Safety and Security
What you'd actually do
- 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.
- Monitor emergency and code alarms, make emergency announcements, or route emergency calls to the appropriate location.
- Record messages, suggesting rewording for clarity or conciseness.
- Page individuals to inform them of telephone calls, using paging or interoffice communication equipment.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Switchboard operators, including answering service do?
Operate telephone business systems equipment or switchboards to relay incoming, outgoing, and interoffice calls. May supply information to callers and record messages.
How much does Switchboard operators, including answering service earn?
The median annual salary for Switchboard operators, including answering service in the US is $38,370.
What is the job outlook for Switchboard operators, including answering service?
The role is projected to decline by 26% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 36,600 workers.
How do I become switchboard operators, including answering service?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Switchboard operators, including answering service need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Reading Comprehension, Coordination. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Switchboard operators, including answering service?
Our AI-durability model gives Switchboard operators, including answering service a score of 0.86 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at high AI risk — many core tasks are already being automated by generative AI and workflow tools. Focus on AI-adjacent skills or plan a pivot to an AI-durable adjacent role.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Switchboard operators, including answering service has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.