Telephone operator vs directory assistance operator

The differences between telephone operators and directory assistance operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a directory assistance operator has an average salary of $43,056, which is higher than the $31,168 average annual salary of a telephone operator.

The top three skills for a telephone operator include patients, emergency calls and customer service. The most important skills for a directory assistance operator are customer service, inbound calls, and emergency calls.

Telephone operator vs directory assistance operator overview

	Telephone Operator	Directory Assistance Operator
Yearly salary	$31,168	$43,056
Hourly rate	$14.98	$20.70
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	31,043	26,546
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	High School Diploma, 38%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Telephone operator vs directory assistance operator salary

Telephone operators and directory assistance operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Telephone Operator	Directory Assistance Operator
Average salary	$31,168	$43,056
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $38,000	Between $24,000 And $76,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NY	-
Highest paying state	Minnesota	-
Best paying company	Mount Auburn Hospital	-
Best paying industry	Telecommunication	-

Differences between telephone operator and directory assistance operator education

There are a few differences between a telephone operator and a directory assistance operator in terms of educational background:

	Telephone Operator	Directory Assistance Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 34%	High School Diploma, 38%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Telephone operator vs directory assistance operator demographics

Here are the differences between telephone operators' and directory assistance operators' demographics:

	Telephone Operator	Directory Assistance Operator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 22.4% Female, 77.6%	Male, 21.9% Female, 78.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 8.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 3.6% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 8.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 3.6% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between telephone operator and directory assistance operator duties and responsibilities

Telephone operator example responsibilities.

Operate office equipment including, but not limit to, computers, PBX system, fax machine, e-mail.
Programme various PBX computer operate phone system base request such as wake up calls, flight reminders and tour times.
Provide access to telephone interpreters services for visitors and patients with limit English experience highlights.
Input patients personal information into a database, then contact physicians to give patient information.
Protect patient privacy by following HIPAA regulations, as well as maintaining confidential information within the hospital intranet.
Liaise directly with incoming guests, travel agents, VIP clients and in-house guests to meet guest needs and execute satisfaction.

Directory assistance operator example responsibilities.

Operate private branch exchange (PBX) systems for businesses and organizations.
Plugged in headphones on switchboard, and push switch keys to make connections.
Operate switch keys to relay calls on the PBX switchboard to appropriate departments.
Provide long distance and local telephone services to MCI customers both international domestic.
Place long distance and collect calls via computer and phone system for MCI customers.
Plug in headphones when signal light flashes on cord switchboard, or push switch keys on cordless switchboard to make connections.

Telephone operator vs directory assistance operator skills

Common telephone operator skills

Patients, 21%
Emergency Calls, 9%
Customer Service, 8%
Phone Calls, 7%
Telephone Calls, 7%
Data Entry, 4%

Common directory assistance operator skills

Customer Service, 38%
Inbound Calls, 19%
Emergency Calls, 9%
Customer Calls, 4%
Emergency Situations, 3%
Customer Inquiries, 3%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Telephone Operator
Telephone Operator vs Directory Assistance Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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