Answering service telephone operator vs switchboard operator

The differences between answering service telephone operators and switchboard operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an answering service telephone operator and a switchboard operator. Additionally, an answering service telephone operator has an average salary of $35,244, which is higher than the $31,281 average annual salary of a switchboard operator.

The top three skills for an answering service telephone operator include customer service, appointment scheduling and transferring calls. The most important skills for a switchboard operator are customer service, patients, and phone calls.

Answering service telephone operator vs switchboard operator overview

	Answering Service Telephone Operator	Switchboard Operator
Yearly salary	$35,244	$31,281
Hourly rate	$16.94	$15.04
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	26,945	39,152
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 32%	High School Diploma, 31%
Average age	53	53
Years of experience	2	2

Answering service telephone operator vs switchboard operator salary

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

	Answering Service Telephone Operator	Switchboard Operator
Average salary	$35,244	$31,281
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $52,000	Between $25,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Sentry
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between answering service telephone operator and switchboard operator education

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

	Answering Service Telephone Operator	Switchboard Operator
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 32%	High School Diploma, 31%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	-	-

Answering service telephone operator vs switchboard operator demographics

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

	Answering Service Telephone Operator	Switchboard Operator
Average age	53	53
Gender ratio	Male, 14.6% Female, 85.4%	Male, 13.2% Female, 86.8%
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, 14.9% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 3.9% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	19%	19%

Differences between answering service telephone operator and switchboard 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

Switchboard operator example responsibilities.

Develop QA survey to improve client satisfaction.
Compile inmate reports for payroll.
Assign new employee payroll numbers.
Connect customers with patients, doctors, and administrators and assist with emergency announcements
Confirm appointments and communicate any changes or cancellations to all patients and administration personnel.
Supervise telecommunication operations and reinforce the confidentiality in telecommunications.

Answering service telephone operator vs switchboard 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 switchboard operator skills

Customer Service, 22%
Patients, 21%
Phone Calls, 7%
Transferring Calls, 4%
External Calls, 4%
Multi-Line Phone System, 3%

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 Switchboard Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs