Answering service telephone operator vs operator

The differences between answering service telephone operators and operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an answering service telephone operator, becoming an operator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an operator has an average salary of $37,928, which is higher than the $35,244 average annual salary of an answering service telephone operator.

The top three skills for an answering service telephone operator include customer service, appointment scheduling and transferring calls. The most important skills for an operator are safety procedures, CDL, and emergency calls.

Answering service telephone operator vs operator overview

	Answering Service Telephone Operator	Operator
Yearly salary	$35,244	$37,928
Hourly rate	$16.94	$18.23
Growth rate	-	7%
Number of jobs	26,945	159,077
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 32%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	53	43
Years of experience	2	4

Answering service telephone operator vs operator salary

Answering service telephone operators and operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Answering Service Telephone Operator	Operator
Average salary	$35,244	$37,928
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $52,000	Between $27,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	-	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	Microsoft
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between answering service telephone operator and operator education

There are a few differences between an answering service telephone operator and an operator in terms of educational background:

	Answering Service Telephone Operator	Operator
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 32%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	-	-

Answering service telephone operator vs operator demographics

Here are the differences between answering service telephone operators' and operators' demographics:

	Answering Service Telephone Operator	Operator
Average age	53	43
Gender ratio	Male, 14.6% Female, 85.4%	Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.0% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.3% Asian, 4.4% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 16.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	19%	4%

Differences between answering service telephone operator and operator duties and responsibilities

Answering service telephone operator example responsibilities.

Protect patient privacy by following HIPAA regulations, as well as maintaining confidential information within the hospital intranet.
Maintain great customer relations with VIP arrivals

Operator example responsibilities.

Assist in developing the company s short and long term training plans and managing yearly ammunition allocation.
Assist and manage the extrusion process of polyester raw material in pellet or chip form to produce finish rolls of plastic.
Manage day-to-day transportation and logistics services for multinational account base.
Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Job require basic math skills: fractions and decimals.
Ensure safety of all equipment during production in compliance with strict OSHA and safety regulations.

Answering service telephone operator vs operator skills

Common answering service telephone operator skills

Customer Service, 38%
Appointment Scheduling, 12%
Transferring Calls, 12%
Two-Way Radio, 10%
Switchboards, 9%
Computer System, 7%

Common operator skills

Safety Procedures, 15%
CDL, 6%
Emergency Calls, 6%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%
Quality Checks, 4%
Dozer, 4%

Answering Service Telephone Operator vs. similar jobs

Answering Service Telephone Operator related careers

Answering Service Telephone Operator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Answering Service Telephone Operator
Answering Service Telephone Operator vs Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs