Telephone operators
SOC Code: 43-2021
Telephone operators carries a 52% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $39,130 and -27.5% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 4,000 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 52% AI exposure, Telephone operators sits 15 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 88% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
9/100
Telephone operators, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $39,130
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -27.5%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 52% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Telephone operators in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry on a declining BLS line
Typical entry is HS / some college (333/832) while growth is Declining (111/832). This is the crowded high-risk corner of the map - automation and headcount pressure compound without a degree moat.
Where Telephone operators sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Telephone operators sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
52% Higher than most higher than 88% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Telephone operators vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Telephone operators is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Telephone operators's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 43-2021) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Telephone operators be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Telephone operators. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Observe signal lights on switchboards, and dial or press buttons to make connections.
- 2. Operate paging systems or other systems of bells or buzzers to notify recipients of incoming calls.
- 3. Operate telephone switchboards and systems to advance and complete connections, including those for local, long distance, pay telephone, mobile, person-to-person, and emergency calls.
- 4. Listen to customer requests, referring to alphabetical or geographical directories to answer questions and provide telephone information.
- 5. Monitor automated systems for placing collect calls and intervene for a callers needing assistance.
- 6. Update directory information.
- 7. Suggest and check alternate spellings, locations, or listing formats to customers lacking details or complete information.
- 8. Perform clerical duties such as typing, proofreading, and sorting mail.
- 9. Offer special assistance to persons such as those who are unable to dial or who are in emergency situations.
- 10. Interrupt busy lines if an emergency warrants.
Key Skills Required
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Service Orientation
- Social Perceptiveness
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Complex Problem Solving
- Coordination
- Time Management
Knowledge Areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- Telecommunications
- Administrative
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
- Public Safety and Security
- Education and Training
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Communications and Media
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Telephone operators?
Telephone operators has an AI exposure score of 52%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Telephone operators?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Telephone operators is projected to decline by 27.5% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 4,000 workers.
What skills are needed for Telephone operators?
Key skills for Telephone operators include Active Listening, Speaking, Service Orientation, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Telephone operators earn?
The median annual wage for Telephone operators is $39,130, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Telephone operators?
The typical entry-level education for Telephone operators is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Short-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Telephone operators?
Telephone operators roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Telephone operators: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (52% here).
- Gambling change persons and booth cashiers · AI exposure 52%
- Gambling dealers · AI exposure 52%
- Logisticians · AI exposure 52%
- Public safety telecommunicators · AI exposure 52%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-27.5% here).
- Switchboard operators, including answering service · growth -26.3%
- Data entry keyers · growth -25.9%
- Foundry mold and coremakers · growth -25.9%
- Telemarketers · growth -22.1%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 24 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Telephone operators' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Telephone operators side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).