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Communication center operator salary
Average communication center operator salary
$14.66
Understanding the Communication Center Operator Salary
The average salary for a Communication Center Operator in the United States is currently $30,490 annually or about $15 per hour. This position is crucial in various settings, including emergency services, healthcare, and corporate environments. Salaries can vary based on factors such as geographic location, industry, and years of experience.
Average Salary by State
Communication Center Operators in states like California and New York typically earn higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for services. For example, operators in California can expect to earn approximately $35,000 per year, reflecting the higher wage standards in urban areas.
Career Advancement Opportunities
With additional training and certification, Communication Center Operators can increase their earning potential. Positions in management or specialized fields, such as emergency dispatch, often offer higher salaries. Networking and pursuing further education can enhance prospects in this rewarding career.
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Where can a Communication Center Operator earn more?
Average communication center operator salary by state
The average communication center operator salary in Minnesota, Wyoming, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average communication center operator salary states are Virginia, South Carolina, and Mississippi.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for communication center operators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | $37,766 | $18.16 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $38,287 | $18.41 |
| 3 | Idaho | $36,979 | $17.78 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $35,389 | $17.01 |
| 5 | Nevada | $36,554 | $17.57 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $35,654 | $17.14 |
| 7 | Alaska | $34,913 | $16.79 |
| 8 | Montana | $32,250 | $15.50 |
| 9 | Vermont | $36,152 | $17.38 |
| 10 | Oregon | $36,656 | $17.62 |
| 11 | South Dakota | $30,747 | $14.78 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $35,816 | $17.22 |
| 13 | Washington | $37,073 | $17.82 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $32,775 | $15.76 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $30,850 | $14.83 |
| 16 | Arizona | $33,419 | $16.07 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $31,489 | $15.14 |
| 18 | Maine | $35,979 | $17.30 |
| 19 | California | $36,889 | $17.74 |
| 20 | Kansas | $29,914 | $14.38 |
| 21 | Delaware | $33,373 | $16.04 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $35,120 | $16.88 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $29,592 | $14.23 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $32,822 | $15.78 |
| 25 | Illinois | $31,200 | $15.00 |
| 26 | West Virginia | $31,635 | $15.21 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $32,575 | $15.66 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $30,488 | $14.66 |
| 29 | New York | $33,823 | $16.26 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $27,864 | $13.40 |
| 31 | Alabama | $28,900 | $13.89 |
| 32 | Colorado | $32,115 | $15.44 |
| 33 | Ohio | $28,730 | $13.81 |
| 34 | Missouri | $28,171 | $13.54 |
| 35 | Utah | $29,283 | $14.08 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $28,975 | $13.93 |
| 37 | Indiana | $27,705 | $13.32 |
| 38 | Iowa | $29,271 | $14.07 |
| 39 | Michigan | $27,176 | $13.07 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $28,213 | $13.56 |
| 41 | Texas | $27,835 | $13.38 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $26,861 | $12.91 |
| 43 | Maryland | $29,085 | $13.98 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $24,923 | $11.98 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $26,320 | $12.65 |
| 46 | Virginia | $26,376 | $12.68 |
| 47 | Georgia | $26,453 | $12.72 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $22,364 | $10.75 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $26,836 | $12.90 |
| 50 | North Carolina | $23,823 | $11.45 |
| 51 | Florida | $24,105 | $11.59 |
Highest paying cities for communication center operators
The highest-paying cities for communication center operators are Los Gatos, CA, Boston, MA, and Syracuse, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Gatos, CA | $38,516 | $18.52 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $35,669 | $17.15 |
| 3 | Syracuse, NY | $34,820 | $16.74 |
| 4 | Goodyear, AZ | $33,542 | $16.13 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $32,544 | $15.65 |
| 6 | Lancaster, PA | $32,493 | $15.62 |
| 7 | Camden, NJ | $29,949 | $14.40 |
| 8 | Salt Lake City, UT | $29,358 | $14.11 |
| 9 | Eau Claire, WI | $29,118 | $14.00 |
| 10 | Kansas City, MO | $28,410 | $13.66 |
| 11 | Grand Rapids, MI | $27,226 | $13.09 |
| 12 | Atlanta, GA | $26,599 | $12.79 |
| 13 | Richmond, VA | $26,295 | $12.64 |
Communication center operator salary details
A communication center operator's salary ranges from $23,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $39,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a communication center operator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
| 75th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
| Average | $30,490 | $2,541 | $15 |
| 25th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $23,000 | $1,917 | $11 |
Highest paying communication center operator jobs
The highest paying types of communication center operators are console operator, central communications specialist, and telecommunication operator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | $37,928 | $3,161 | $18.23 | 159,077 |
| PBX Operator | $29,942 | $2,495 | $14.40 | 30,866 |
| Switchboard Operator | $31,281 | $2,607 | $15.04 | 39,152 |
| Service Operator | $36,971 | $3,081 | $17.77 | 87,078 |
| Phone Operator | $30,289 | $2,524 | $14.56 | 87,484 |
| Console Operator | $43,202 | $3,600 | $20.77 | 30,104 |
Top companies hiring communication center operators now:
Which companies pay communication center operators the most?
Communication center operator salaries at Rockwell Collins and American Water are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average communication center operator salary at companies like Raytheon Technologies and Abbott are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Collins Aerospace | $48,249 | $23.20 |
| 2 | American Water | $44,637 | $21.46 |
| 3 | Raytheon Technologies | $43,314 | $20.82 |
| 4 | Abbott | $36,132 | $17.37 |
| 5 | Mayo Clinic | $34,357 | $16.52 |
| 6 | Woods Services | $33,335 | $16.03 |
| 7 | United Technology Group | $33,183 | $15.95 |
| 8 | St Joseph Medical Group | $33,133 | $15.93 |
| 9 | Federal Reserve Bank | $32,845 | $15.79 |
| 10 | LifePoint Health | $32,538 | $15.64 |
| 11 | CACI International | $32,395 | $15.57 |
| 12 | Federal Reserve | $32,369 | $15.56 |
| 13 | Health Alliance | $32,279 | $15.52 |
| 14 | Delaware North | $29,799 | $14.33 |
| 15 | Sunstates Security | $29,663 | $14.26 |
| 16 | DePauw University | $29,619 | $14.24 |
| 17 | Bering Straits | $29,599 | $14.23 |
| 18 | GradyHealth | $29,404 | $14.14 |
| 19 | E3 Federal Solutions, Llc | $29,373 | $14.12 |
| 20 | G4S | $29,329 | $14.10 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Communication Center Operator salary by industry
The average communication center operator salary varies across industries:
- The average communication center operator salary in the technology industry is $44,755, the highest of any industry.
- The average communication center operator salary in the finance industry is $35,426.
- Communication center operators in the professional industry earn an average salary of $29,362, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for communication center operators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $44,755 | $21.52 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $35,426 | $17.03 |
| 3 | Health Care | $32,041 | $15.40 |
| 4 | Utilities | $29,618 | $14.24 |
| 5 | Professional | $29,362 | $14.12 |
High paying communication center operator jobs
Communication center operator salary trends
The average communication center operator salary has risen by $5,927 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average communication center operator earned $24,563 annually, but today, they earn $30,490 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for communication center operators over the last decade.
Compare communication center operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average communication center operator salary over time
Compare communication center operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Communication center operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $30,500 | $14.66 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $29,700 | $14.28 | +3.9% |
| 2023 | $28,500 | $13.72 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $27,800 | $13.39 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $27,200 | $13.07 | +2.1% |
Recently added communication center operator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Six Flags, Corp | Communications Dispatch Center Operator . | Marietta, GA | 06/21/2025 | $22,957 |
| VMP Healthcare and Community Living | Communications Center Operator-Weekend Program | West Allis, WI | 06/15/2025 | $31,305 |
| Securitas | Ovnt ND SCH Command Center Operator | Quincy, MA | 06/05/2025 | $48,001 |
| Enfra | Trimble Operator-Date Center | Montgomery, AL | 06/04/2025 | $52,175 |
| Raytheon | Communications Center Radio Operator (On-Site) | Livermore, CA | 05/27/2025 | $50,088 |
| Raytheon | Communication Center Radio Operator (Onsite) | Bohemia, NY | 05/27/2025 | $50,088 |
| Pratt & Whitney | Communication Center Radio Operator (Onsite) | Islandia, NY | 05/26/2025 | $50,088 |
| RTX | Communications Center Radio Operator (On-Site) | Livermore, CA | 05/17/2025 | $50,088 |
| RTX | Communication Center Radio Operator (Onsite) | Islandia, NY | 05/17/2025 | $50,088 |
| Aramark | Contact Center Operator I-Manhattan College Facilities | New York, NY | 05/16/2025 | $41,740 |
Communication center operator salary FAQs
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