Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service
Median $38,630
Occupation · SOC 43-2099
Communications Equipment Operators, All Other: pay and where the jobs are
What communications equipment operators, all other earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$54,680 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $62,130
- Median hourly wage
- $26.29
- Mean hourly wage
- $29.87
- Employment
- 1,200
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 43-2099.
Check your pay
See where your pay falls among communications equipment operators, all other nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Enter your pay to see where it falls.
Use these numbers
How much do communications equipment operators, all other make?
The median annual wage for communications equipment operators, all other was $54,680 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $38,900 and the highest-paid 10% more than $94,640. As an hourly rate, the median is $26.29. About 1,200 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Missouri ($87,030), California ($79,450) and Texas ($58,410). Missouri also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for communications equipment operators, all other looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $38,900 | $18.70 | $3,242 | $2,786 |
| 25th percentile | $46,460 | $22.34 | $3,872 | $3,293 |
| Median | $54,680 | $26.29 | $4,557 | $3,843 |
| 75th percentile | $78,470 | $37.73 | $6,539 | $5,336 |
| 90th percentile | $94,640 | $45.50 | $7,887 | $6,284 |
Communications Equipment Operators, All Other: pay by state
10 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$73,667 take-home in national prices
2
$54,684 take-home in national prices
3
$50,602 take-home in national prices
Where a median communications equipment operators, all other paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 50 | $87,030 | $46,440 | $94,640 | $66,903 | $73,667 |
| California | 450 | $79,450 | $46,330 | $103,570 | $60,546 | $54,684 |
| Texas | 110 | $58,410 | $48,260 | $63,080 | $49,112 | $50,602 |
| Massachusetts | 40 | $54,500 | $48,860 | $89,700 | $43,215 | $40,863 |
| Minnesota | Not published | $54,500 | $50,570 | $93,850 | $43,548 | $44,157 |
| Michigan | 40 | $51,920 | $47,400 | $54,210 | $41,942 | $43,591 |
| Louisiana | 40 | $48,560 | $34,980 | $63,770 | $40,127 | $45,492 |
| Ohio | 60 | $47,360 | $41,500 | $51,900 | $39,375 | $42,442 |
| North Carolina | 30 | $46,430 | $40,330 | $54,950 | $38,143 | $40,437 |
| Puerto Rico | 240 | $21,840 | $21,840 | $36,840 | — | — |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 43-2099. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.