Telephone Operators

Provide information by accessing alphabetical, geographical, or other directories. Assist customers with special billing requests, such as charges to a third party and credits or refunds for incorrectly dialed numbers or bad connections. May handle emergency calls and assist children or people with physical disabilities to make telephone calls.

Median Annual Wage: $35,140

Education: High school diploma or equivalent (84%); Less than high school diploma (16%); Post-secondary certificate (1%)

Projected Growth: Decline (-3% or lower)

Related Job Titles: Operator; Telecommunications Operator; Directory Assistance Operator; Telephone Operator; Customer Service Assistant; Information Specialist; Long Distance Operator (LD Operator); Toll Operator; 411 Directory Assistance Operator; Live Source Operator

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Source: O*NET OnLine information for Telephone Operators.

More Office and Administrative Support Careers

  • Suggest and check alternate spellings, locations, or listing formats to customers lacking details or complete information.
  • Offer special assistance to persons such as those who are unable to dial or who are in emergency situations.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Telephone Operators.

  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
  • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Source: O*NET OnLine information for Telephone Operators.

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