Telephone switchboard operator vs central communications specialist

The differences between telephone switchboard operators and central communications specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a telephone switchboard operator and a central communications specialist. Additionally, a central communications specialist has an average salary of $41,083, which is higher than the $30,681 average annual salary of a telephone switchboard operator.

The top three skills for a telephone switchboard operator include telephone switchboard, on-call schedules and customer service. The most important skills for a central communications specialist are customer service, data entry, and traffic flow.

Telephone switchboard operator vs central communications specialist overview

	Telephone Switchboard Operator	Central Communications Specialist
Yearly salary	$30,681	$41,083
Hourly rate	$14.75	$19.75
Growth rate	-	8%
Number of jobs	27,103	63,117
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	53	53
Years of experience	2	2

Telephone switchboard operator vs central communications specialist salary

Telephone switchboard operators and central communications specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Telephone Switchboard Operator	Central Communications Specialist
Average salary	$30,681	$41,083
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $38,000	Between $31,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	-	Portland, OR
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	BMO Capital Markets
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between telephone switchboard operator and central communications specialist education

There are a few differences between a telephone switchboard operator and a central communications specialist in terms of educational background:

	Telephone Switchboard Operator	Central Communications Specialist
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 32%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Telephone switchboard operator vs central communications specialist demographics

Here are the differences between telephone switchboard operators' and central communications specialists' demographics:

	Telephone Switchboard Operator	Central Communications Specialist
Average age	53	53
Gender ratio	Male, 15.7% Female, 84.3%	Male, 41.9% Female, 58.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 14.7% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 4.1% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 3.2% White, 59.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	19%	19%

Differences between telephone switchboard operator and central communications specialist duties and responsibilities

Telephone switchboard operator example responsibilities.

Protect patient privacy by following HIPAA regulations, as well as maintaining confidential information within the hospital intranet.
Receive, answer and forward calls on a busy switchboard for doctors, attorneys and numerous businesses.
Work the operator switchboard answering incoming calls and place direct, third party, collect calls and provide customer assistance.
Monitor security equipment and train to contact APD when the situation call for it.
Maintain great customer relations with VIP arrivals

Central communications specialist example responsibilities.

Manage, create and edit internal and external communication collateral, providing high-level management copywriting and document creation support.
Interpret medical abbreviations (SIG codes).
Follow all HIPPA and other confidentiality laws.
Dispatch helicopter teams to scene call flights.
Assist customers to the parking lot with groceries.
Resolve complex verification problems relate to interactions between all functional areas of the AVN, FAA and its user organizations.

Telephone switchboard operator vs central communications specialist skills

Common telephone switchboard operator skills

Telephone Switchboard, 36%
On-Call Schedules, 21%
Customer Service, 11%
Direct Calls, 8%
Inbound Calls, 6%
Front Desk, 5%

Common central communications specialist skills

Customer Service, 28%
Data Entry, 23%
Traffic Flow, 7%
Sops, 7%
FDA, 6%
Financial Transactions, 5%

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Telephone Switchboard Operator
Telephone Switchboard Operator vs Central Communications Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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