Telephone switchboard operator vs operator

The differences between telephone switchboard operators and operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a telephone switchboard operator, becoming an operator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an operator has an average salary of $37,928, 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 an operator are safety procedures, CDL, and emergency calls.

Telephone switchboard operator vs operator overview

	Telephone Switchboard Operator	Operator
Yearly salary	$30,681	$37,928
Hourly rate	$14.75	$18.23
Growth rate	-	7%
Number of jobs	27,103	159,077
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 32%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	53	43
Years of experience	2	4

Telephone switchboard operator vs operator salary

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

	Telephone Switchboard Operator	Operator
Average salary	$30,681	$37,928
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $38,000	Between $27,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	-	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	Microsoft
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between telephone switchboard operator and operator education

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

	Telephone Switchboard Operator	Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 32%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Telephone switchboard operator vs operator demographics

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

	Telephone Switchboard Operator	Operator
Average age	53	43
Gender ratio	Male, 15.7% Female, 84.3%	Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0%
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, 16.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	19%	4%

Differences between telephone switchboard operator and operator 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

Operator example responsibilities.

Assist in developing the company s short and long term training plans and managing yearly ammunition allocation.
Assist and manage the extrusion process of polyester raw material in pellet or chip form to produce finish rolls of plastic.
Manage day-to-day transportation and logistics services for multinational account base.
Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Job require basic math skills: fractions and decimals.
Ensure safety of all equipment during production in compliance with strict OSHA and safety regulations.

Telephone switchboard operator vs operator 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 operator skills

Safety Procedures, 15%
CDL, 6%
Emergency Calls, 6%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%
Quality Checks, 4%
Dozer, 4%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Telephone Switchboard Operator
Telephone Switchboard Operator vs Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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