Telephone Operator

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Work Tasks

• Help people make person-to-person calls, collect calls, and calls charged to a third number or to a calling card
• Give customers credit or a refund for a wrong number or a bad connection
• Handle emergency calls and help children or people with disabilities
• May answer all incoming calls at a business
• Work for telephone companies or as private branch exchange (PBX) operators in hotels, hospitals, department stores, etc.
• Work with telephone headsets, PBX switchboards, clerical forms, telephone directories, and computers

Salary, Size & Growth

• $36,500 average per year ($17.50 per hour)
• A large occupation (156,800 workers in 2010)
• Expected to decline (1.0% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: A high school diploma and on-the-job training
• Employers Prefer: Knowledge of a foreign language, office skills, and business math
• Skills/Courses: Classroom instruction lasts up to three weeks and is followed by on-the-job training.