Communications operator demographics and statistics in the US
Communications operator demographics research summary. Zippia estimates communications operator demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our communications operator estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about communications operators after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 16,502 communications operators currently employed in the United States.
- 60.4% of all communications operators are women, while 39.6% are men.
- The average communications operator age is 53 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of communications operators is White (60.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (15.7%), Black or African American (14.6%) and Asian (3.8%).
- Communications operators are most in-demand in San Francisco, CA.
- The government industry is the highest-paying for communications operators.
- San Francisco, CA pays an annual average wage of $43,414, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women communications operators earned 98% of what men earned.
- 19% of all communications operators are LGBT.
- Rhode Island is the best state for communications operators to live.
- Communications operators are 53% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to government companies.
On this page
Communications operator demographics by:
Communications operator gender statistics
60.4% of communications operators are women and 39.6% of communications operators are men.
- Female, 60.4%
- Male, 39.6%
Communications operator gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 60.4% |
| Male | 39.6% |
Communications operator gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$32,400
Female income
$31,898
Communications operator gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in communications operator positions over time. Currently, 60.4% of communications operators are female.
Communications operator gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 43.49% | 56.51% |
| 2011 | 45.58% | 54.42% |
| 2012 | 43.73% | 56.27% |
| 2013 | 47.77% | 52.23% |
| 2014 | 43.90% | 56.10% |
| 2015 | 47.08% | 52.92% |
| 2016 | 50.52% | 49.48% |
| 2017 | 44.76% | 55.24% |
| 2018 | 43.49% | 56.51% |
| 2019 | 56.31% | 43.69% |
| 2020 | 58.43% | 41.57% |
| 2021 | 39.65% | 60.35% |
Communications operator related jobs gender ratio
We compared communications operators with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, tandem operator and feeder switchboard operator have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Switchboard Operator, Receptionist | 6% | 94% |
| Complaint Operator | 9% | 91% |
| Switchboard Operator | 13% | 87% |
| Communications Operator | 40% | 60% |
| Interceptor Operator | 77% | 23% |
| Feeder Switchboard Operator | 83% | 17% |
| Tandem Operator | 90% | 10% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Communications operator demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among communications operators is White, which makes up 60.9% of all communications operators. Comparatively, 15.7% of communications operators are Hispanic or Latino and 14.6% of communications operators are Black or African American.
- White, 60.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 15.7%
- Black or African American, 14.6%
- Unknown, 3.8%
- Asian, 3.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
Communications operator race
| Communications operator race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 60.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15.7% |
| Black or African American | 14.6% |
| Unknown | 3.8% |
| Asian | 3.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.2% |
Communications operator race and ethnicity over time
See how communications operator racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Communications operator race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 66.10% | 13.30% | 2.88% | 15.42% |
| 2011 | 62.62% | 13.53% | 5.44% | 16.07% |
| 2012 | 62.08% | 16.96% | 3.04% | 13.41% |
| 2013 | 63.86% | 15.84% | 2.51% | 15.19% |
| 2014 | 62.50% | 13.14% | 3.73% | 16.92% |
| 2015 | 62.03% | 14.67% | 5.39% | 15.39% |
| 2016 | 59.52% | 14.32% | 3.90% | 18.56% |
| 2017 | 64.19% | 16.52% | 3.51% | 11.19% |
| 2018 | 65.02% | 13.75% | 3.81% | 14.39% |
| 2019 | 59.12% | 17.62% | 4.67% | 14.71% |
| 2020 | 54.23% | 15.55% | 3.69% | 18.68% |
| 2021 | 60.86% | 14.62% | 3.81% | 15.67% |
Communications operator wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino communications operators have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american communications operators have the lowest average salary at $31,841.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $32,204 |
| White | $32,411 |
| Black or African American | $31,841 |
| Asian | $32,507 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $33,050 |
Average communications operator age
See how the average age of communications operators varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Communications operator age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| White | 59 | |
| Black or African American | 53 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 51 |
Communications operator age breakdown
The average age of communications operators is 40+ years years old, representing 82% of the communications operator population.
Communications operator age breakdown
| Communications Operator Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 82% |
| 30-40 years | 12% |
| 20-30 years | 6% |
Communications operator educational attainment
The most common degree for communications operators is bachelor's degree, with 41% of communications operators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 20%.
- Bachelor's, 41%
- Associate, 25%
- High School Diploma, 20%
- Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 9%
Communications operators by degree level
| Communications operator degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 41% |
| Associate | 25% |
| High School Diploma | 20% |
| Diploma | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 9% |
Communications operator jobs you might like
Communications operator employment statistics
Most communications operators work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where communications operators work
Below, you can see the size of companies where communications operators work.
Communications operator jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 12% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 21% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 11% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 30% |
| > 10,000 employees | 20% |
Communications operator jobs by company type
Employees with the communications operator job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most communications operators prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Communications operator jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 6% |
| Public | 15% |
| Private | 53% |
| Government | 26% |
Communications operator jobs by industry
The most common industries for communications operators are health care, government and hospitality.
Communications operator industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 31% |
| Government | 20% |
| Fortune 500 | 8% |
| Hospitality | 6% |
| Professional | 5% |
| Education | 5% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Telecommunication | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Communications operator turnover and employment statistics
Communications operator unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for communications operators between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Communications operator unemployment rate by year
| Year | Communications operator unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 9.91% |
| 2011 | 10.86% |
| 2012 | 9.07% |
| 2013 | 9.46% |
| 2014 | 8.20% |
| 2015 | 6.13% |
| 2016 | 5.22% |
| 2017 | 4.58% |
| 2018 | 4.44% |
| 2019 | 3.88% |
| 2020 | 4.57% |
| 2021 | 10.47% |
Average communications operator tenure
The average communications operator stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 3,338 communications operators resumes in Zippia's database.
Communications operator tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 18% |
| 1-2 years | 29% |
| 3-4 years | 20% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 11% |
Communications operator LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of communications operators that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency Dispatch Operator | 6.75% | 48,634 |
| Accounting Coordinator | 6.76% | 63,129 |
| Executive Director | 7.79% | 97,471 |
| Postal Clerk | 8.68% | 93,101 |
| Loan Clerk | 9.31% | 75,101 |
| Directory Operator | 10.75% | 29,944 |
| Communications Operator | 19.13% | - |
Similar communications operator jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency Dispatch Operator | 6.75% | 48,634 |
| Accounting Coordinator | 6.76% | 63,129 |
| Executive Director | 7.79% | 97,471 |
| Postal Clerk | 8.68% | 93,101 |
| Loan Clerk | 9.31% | 75,101 |
| Directory Operator | 10.75% | 29,944 |
Foreign languages spoken by communications operators
The most common foreign language among communications operators is Spanish at 61.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 8.8% and German is the third-most popular at 3.3%.
- Spanish, 61.5%
- French, 8.8%
- German, 3.3%
- Italian, 3.3%
- Chinese, 2.2%
- Other, 20.9%
Communications operator languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 61.5% |
| French | 8.8% |
| German | 3.3% |
| Italian | 3.3% |
| Chinese | 2.2% |
| Other | 20.9% |
