Office and administrative support
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.
Median pay
$38,630
Growth to 2035
−26%
declining
Openings a year
3,100
Time to qualify*
1 month
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Switchboard operators, including answering service
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to switchboard operators, including answering service
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Exposure to disease
Switchboard operators, including answering service: 1% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- 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.
- Relay or route written or verbal messages.
- Perform various cash handling tasks, such as collecting payments, making bank deposits, or managing petty cash.
Also called: CBX Operator (Computerized Branch Exchange Operator) · Central Communications Specialist · Communications Operator · Communications Specialist · Information Specialist · PBX Operator (Private Branch Exchange Operator) · Switchboard Operator (SB Operator) · Switchboard Receptionist (SB Receptionist)
Outlook and AI
Switchboard operators, including answering service held 35,400 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 26,200 by 2035 (−26%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).
Capital/labor substitution - share decreases as companies continue to use automated phone systems.
Compare with
- Switchboard operators, including answering service vs. Receptionists and information clerks
- Switchboard operators, including answering service vs. Office clerks, general
- Switchboard operators, including answering service vs. Telephone operator
- Switchboard operators, including answering service vs. Customer service representative
- Switchboard operators, including answering service vs. Public safety telecommunicator
- Switchboard operators, including answering service vs. Telemarketer
- Switchboard operators, including answering service vs. Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance
- Switchboard operators, including answering service vs. Administrative assistant
- Switchboard operators, including answering service vs. Medical secretaries and administrative assistants
- Switchboard operators, including answering service vs. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants